The 2022-23 offseason has officially begun, and it's a big one for the San Francisco Giants. Coming off a disappointing 81-81 season, with a team that just wasn't that compelling, the SF Giants must act boldly for the first time in a long time in the offseason. Free agency technically opened yesterday, beginning a five-day window during which teams have exclusive negotiating rights with their own free agents. For the Giants, this includes Carlos Rodón, Joc Pederson, and Brandon Belt.
Option decisions are also due by Thursday, and Rodón already went through the formality of rejecting his $22.5M option to return to the San Francisco Giants next season. The SF Giants must make their option decision on Evan Longoria by Thursday. The Giants hold a $13M club option on Longoria with a $5M buyout. It's possible that they restructure the deal to bring him back in 2023; it's also possible the Giants just let him walk. Qualifying offers must also be extended by Thursday. The Giants will try to work something out with Rodón before then, but an extension is unlikely to materialize, resulting in an easy decision for the Giants to give Rodón the QO.
Then, on Thursday, free agency officially opens up. That means the San Francisco Giants can at last contact Aaron Judge. They can contact Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Brandon Nimmo. They can pursue any and all free agents, and they figure to do so in an aggressive way this winter. Even accounting for arbitration estimates, the Giants have only about $100M committed for 2023. They've spent about $162M per year for the last few years, and they should at least get back to that point and possibly blow past it. There's no reason $180M to $200M shouldn't be possible, and the stars may well align for a homecoming to the SF Giants for Judge.
Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:
? Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U
? Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN
? Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr
? Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg
? Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD
The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick
#SFGiants #FirstListen
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Built Bar
Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.
BetOnline
BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!
SimpliSafe
With Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnMLB to learn more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices