Carlos Correa wouldn’t have fixed all the Giants’ problems. But the free-agency leap could have been a catalyst to bring more talent to a Giants team mired in mediocrity, and perhaps get a few more fans back at Oracle Park.
But after a disagreement over a medical issue, Correa’s camp and agent Scott Boras reversed course and escaped at the midnight hour on Tuesday, coming to terms on a 12-year, $315 million deal with the spend-happy New York Mets. Now the Giants are left with egg on their face, not only with raised questions about the future of this franchise, but without many options to bolster their roster for the 2023 season.
Can the Giants make any moves this offseason that move the needle? Or will they continue to postpone a marquee offseason until they luck out and finally land the elusive big fish?
Here are some ways they could try to salvage this offseason:
Piece together some middle infield help
Correa is one of baseball’s best overall players. No one left on the free-agent market can fill that void. They do have some budgeted money to spend to add depth to a roster that doesn’t look much different from the disappointing 2022 group — save for the additions of Mitch Haniger and Sean Manaea.
They’ll need another player with Brandon Crawford presumably back at shortstop along with David Villar, Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores as their depth up the middle.
Among the players available on the market is Jean Segura, primarily a second baseman with a 1.7 WAR. Segura, 32, isn’t a star player, but he might be the best hitter available. He batted .277 with a .336 OBP and a .723 OPS.
Most of the other options are equally underwhelming. They could sign 34-year-old Elvis Andrus, who was a strong infield defender in his prime years but doesn’t pose a power threat at the plate. Or they could return 35-year-old Donovan Solano, who batted .284 with the Reds last season on top of a .280 average he hit with the Giants in their 107-win 2021 season.
Maybe the Giants feel shortstop/third base prospect Casey Schmitt earned a call-up and can contribute this season. The 23-year-old is known for his strong glove and ascended from High-A to Triple-A last season batting .293 with a .854 OPS between the three teams.
Trades for infielders or outfielders
President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said after a quiet trade deadline last season that teams weren’t particularly interested in their underperforming minor league prospects. There is a world where the Giants flip this disastrous offseason into somewhat of an opportunity. They could trade some big-name prospects, or even a few minor ones, for some big-league talent. Maybe even a star.
Former Giants prospect Bryan Reynolds requested a trade from the tanking Pittsburgh Pirates. The Giants would likely need to part ways with some or one of their prized prospects — shortstop Marco Luciano, pitcher Kyle Harrison, outfielders Luis Matos and Grant McCray or Schmitt. That asking price could be similar for Minnesota first baseman Luis Arraez, under team control for the next three seasons.
The Orioles are reportedly open to trading Jorge Mateo, a middle infielder who likely wouldn’t command a huge return. His defensive performance was 11 outs above average last season, ranked sixth among MLB shortstops. But he hasn’t found himself at the plate, batting .221 with Baltimore last year.
The Red Sox and third baseman Rafael Devers don’t look particularly close on a contract extension with the 26-year-old reaching free agency in 2024. The Giants haven’t been able to put together compelling or competitive trade packages for a star of Devers’ caliber, but Boston may be taking calls if it feels Devers will walk.
On the outfield market, they could make a call across the Bay Bridge for outfielder Ramón Laureano, who has struggled with injuries and had core surgery last offseason. But Laureano is an athletic outfielder with a cannon for an arm who has demonstrated some power at the plate. The A’s are looking for big league-level players in trades, particularly pitchers. They may also make an awkward call back to Boras, Correa’s agent, about outfielder Michael Conforto, who is coming off of shoulder surgery entering his age-30 season.
Try again next year
Details emerging from this Correa debacle paint the Giants as risk-averse to a fault, yet desperate to make a splash. They want to get antsy fans back on their side but can’t catch the fish to lure them back in. This isn’t the first time ownership has come up short landing a big free agent or trade: Jon Lester, Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge a few weeks ago.
But maybe they can just try again next year. Every team with some spending money will be in on Ohtani once he becomes a free agent next offseason. Including the Giants, presumably. If Devers makes it to free agency, he will be the next most promising player on the market. But can the Giants wait that long and make it up to fans? That’s to be seen.
