Last offseason, the San Francisco Giants made it abundantly clear that they wanted to sign a superstar.
They tried hard for Aaron Judge, but came up short as he re-signed with the New York Yankees. They turned their attention to Carlos Correa, agreeing to a $350 million contract with the free-agent shortstop, only to fail his physical and back out of the deal.
The Giants ultimately signed Sean Manea, Mitch Haniger, Ross Stripling, Michael Conforto and a plethora of other players with the money saved. But it is well known that the team would still like to sign a star to be the face of its franchise and with Shohei Ohtani a free agent, they are expected to be serious bidders.
But that's only the beginning of the Giants' offseason, one that is expected to be busy and force team ownership to ask difficult questions about the roster and manager Gabe Kapler and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
Let's dive into the top three items on the Giants' offseason wish list.
Giants offseason wishlist: 3. Addressing the futures of Farhan Zaidi, Gabe Kapler
The futures of both Zaidi and Kapler have come into question in local media and amongst fans. But every indication that I have received from sources is that neither are in danger of being fired by the Giants after the season.
The Giants believe in both Zaidi and Kapler, believing that both are well positioned and capable of leading= the team back to the World Series. There have been public gripes among some players about their usage (see: Alex Wood, among others) and it's possible that the team could revisit how it deploys their pitchers next season.
But both Zaidi and Kapler are safe. Expectations figure to be raised in 2024, especially if they are able to sign Ohtani or land a different star player in free agency. Then if the team fails to make the postseason next season, perhaps ownership could consider a change. But they aren't even considering a move right now.
Chances either Zaidi or Kapler are fired: 0/10.
Giants offseason wishlist: 2. Pursue Shohei Ohtani
If the Giants' pursuit of Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa is any indication, they will aggressively pursue Ohtani in free agency. And that they have the money to pull it off.
To sign Judge, the Giants likely would have been required to go to at least $400 million. Ohtani is expected to command a contract north of $500 million despite not being able to pitch in 2024 after suffering a torn right UCL (he will be able to DH, however).
Adding Ohtani would be a franchise-altering signing for the Giants. One, it would make the biggest name in baseball history the face of their franchise. It would result in their season tickets being instantly sold out, not to mention add significant revenue through TV and merchandise. Oh, and not to mention it would drastically improve their offense in 2024 and beyond.
It's something that the Giants should, and very likely will, pursue. Just how likely it is remains anyone's guess as the entire world waits to figure out where Ohtani heads in free agency.
Likelihood the Giants sign Ohtani: 4/10.
Giants offseason wishlist: 1. Determine fates of Brandon Crawford, Joc Pederson, other free agents
The Giants have a long list of pending free agents, headlined by Brandon Crawford and Joc Pederson. Three players – Sean Manaea, Michael Conforto and Ross Stripling – each have player options and there is a case for each player to pick up those options.
Meaning that the Giants have a lot in flux headed into the 2023-2024 offseason, but nothing as big as the future of Crawford.
For years, Crawford has been the Giants' shortstop and emerged as one of baseball's best defenders. But his play has slipped drastically in 2023, to the point where he is hitting .197/.276/.319 with a .595 OPS, seven home runs and 38 RBI. It's to the point where the Giants may have no choice but to move on from Crawford. It's also to the point where Crawford may have to ask himself if now is the right time for him to retire.
If he does retire, he will have had one of the most storied careers in recent Giants history. There is a very strong chance that the team retires his number. All of that is up in the air right now. But it seems like Crawford's time in San Francisco is soon coming to a close.
