The San Francisco Giants weren't a 107-win team in 2021, and they weren't an 81-team in 2022. The 2021 SF Giants outperformed their talent level by dozens of wins. Last year's Giants seemingly underperformed by 5-10 wins. Hopefully things stabilize a bit in 2023, as the SF Giants figure to be in the mix for a playoff spot. Projections have the Giants as an above-.500 team, good enough to make the playoffs. How many games will the Giants win this year?
How will the Giants' defense be affected by the shift restrictions? A lot has been said about how their hitters could be affected, but what about the defense on a team whose pitchers generate so many ground balls? It might actually help the Giants, as Thairo Estrada is a relatively rangy and athletic second baseman. Someone like Tommy La Stella would've hurt them there, but he's no longer on the roster. Hopefully Estrada stays healthy, as the likes of Wilmer Flores might otherwise be forced to play second, without being able to shift, and that would hurt.
What would it take for the Giants to trade for the Brewers' Corbin Burnes? It would cost a lot of prospect capital, as Burnes is one of the best pitchers in MLB and is under club control for two more seasons. The Giants aren't really in position to be selling away their best prospects for short-term pieces like Burnes. San Francisco has money to spend every winter, and it makes far more sense to simply pay for a player like Burnes rather than give up someone like Kyle Harrison—and his six-plus years of team control—for a short-term solution.
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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.
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