Three key needs Giants eyeing as free agency gets underway

SAN FRANCISCO -- If you ask a Major League Baseball executive if he ever gets a true vacation, you'll get a weary smile and shrug in return. It might look like there are big gaps on the calendar, but that's never the case for a front office.

This week alone brings deadlines for players to accept qualifying offers, teams to add prospects to their 40-man roster and contracts to be tendered to players who are eligible for arbitration. There will be a lot of roster shuffling, and in the meantime, free agency will keep roaring down the track.

Early talk for the Giants has been dominated by one player who could be coming and one who is on the way out. Aaron Judge would solve a lot of problems for San Francisco, and that chase will get most of the headlines this offseason. Carlos Rodón should get the biggest contract handed out to a pitcher this winter, and his likely departure will leave the Giants looking for another co-ace for Logan Webb. 

But there are other needs on the roster, and at the GM Meetings last week, the Giants often brought up three in conversations with other teams and agents. Per sources, they are looking for a good defensive center fielder, another middle infielder and catching depth.

Here's how they could attack each area as the hot stove season gets into gear:

Center Field

During his end-of-season Zoom call, Farhan Zaidi mentioned that upgrading defensively at just one or two spots could have a huge impact on the overall effort of one of the worst defensive rosters in franchise history. That's particularly true in center field. 

"Our ability to access up-the-middle players and maybe shift some guys down the defensive spectrum to positions that they're more comfortable with, that's one way to upgrade at multiple positions without going out and acquiring multiple players," Zaidi said. 

Mike Yastrzemski has been fine out there the last couple years, but he's a Gold Glove-caliber right fielder and having him in the corner is especially important at Oracle Park. Austin Slater was worth negative eight Defensive Runs Saved in center last year but would be at least league-average in a corner. The rest of the outfielders currently on the roster are not good center field options. 

If Judge doesn't come, the fastest way to get more overall value out of the outfield would be to acquire a good defensive center fielder and move others to the corners. Brandon Nimmo is the best on the market but he'll have plenty of suitors. Kevin Kiermaier is 32 and wouldn't provide much offensively, but he'd be a good one-year solution. 

The most intriguing fit could come from a division rival. If the Los Angeles Dodgers non-tender Cody Bellinger, the Giants should get on the phone right away. 

Middle Infield

Thairo Estrada had a breakout season at the plate, but overall, the Giants had the second-worst group of defensive second basemen, per Sports Info Solutions. It won't get any easier in 2023 when new shift rules go into place, and the Giants actively are looking for a solution. 

In Las Vegas, Zaidi met with Scott Boras, who represents Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts, among others. The Giants expect to check in on all of the big-name shortstops in hopes that one could pair with Brandon Crawford for a year and then potentially take over at shortstop long-term. Correa is said to be at the top of their internal rankings, but Bogaerts, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson all are elite talents. 

Catcher

Early last week, the Giants were checking with other teams about backup catcher options, but they finished out the GM Meetings by claiming Dom Nuñez from the Colorado Rockies and Meibrys Viloria from the Texas Rangers. 

Nuñez is an Elk Grove native who showed power in 2021 but has a .653 overall OPS in parts of three big league seasons. Viloria has played 93 big league games for the Kansas City Royals and Rangers since 2018 but has a .553 OPS. Their additions put four catchers on the 40-man roster, although at least one could be DFA'd as other moves are made.

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On paper, neither looks like a better option than Austin Wynns, who was sneaky-effective at the plate and won over the Giants' pitching staff. He should be back next year to work behind starter Joey Bart, but you can never have too much catching, and the Giants are a little thin at the upper levels of the minors. 

They're looking to keep adding depth there, and as last week's additions show, they're intrigued by the possibility of Bart's backup behind a lefty hitter. The market, as always, has plenty of veteran options, from the left-handed-hitting Tucker Barnhart to old friend Curt Casali. 

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