With the San Francisco Giants missing out on pursuits of Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa this offseason, Giants Talk hosts Cole Kuiper and Alex Pavlovic weigh in on the low morale surrounding the franchise and fanbase.
Among the many questions in the aftermath of the Carlos Correa deal falling apart was how it would impact the Giants' relationship with Scott Boras, the most powerful agent in the sport and someone they have dealt with often in recent years. But it doesn't appear they're concerned about that hurting the rest of their offseason.
As they look to bolster a lineup that now will move forward without Correa, the Giants could turn to another Boras client. They have interest in outfielder Michael Conforto, per a source, and have checked in on him this week.
Conforto would be a fascinating pivot for a number of reasons beyond his representative. The Giants just backed away from Correa, the centerpiece of their offseason, because of medical concerns, but Conforto is coming off a missed season because he had shoulder surgery in April. That would be nothing new to the Giants, though.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Correa aside, they have made a habit in recent years of signing players who have had trouble staying on the field, and it generally has worked out well. Conforto is said to be seeking a short-term deal with the opportunity to opt-out, and nine months ago the Giants reached a similar pact with another Boras client, Carlos Rodón, who later departed for the Yankees and was introduced in New York on Thursday.
That press conference at Yankee Stadium came a day after the team held one for Aaron Judge, the original pursuit for the Giants this offseason. With Judge, Correa and just about all the other big names off the board, Conforto could now represent the best chance for the Giants to add upside to their lineup.
The 29-year-old is a former first-round pick who has an OPS+ of 124 in the big leagues and three seasons of at least 27 homers. His 2021 season was a down year by those standards, with an OPS+ of 100 and just 14 homers, but even in that season, he had a .344 OBP. The Giants discussed Conforto at length last offseason but ultimately he never ended up becoming an option because of the shoulder injury.
With Correa headed to the Mets, the Giants are likely to focus on the outfield in their bid to add offense the rest of this offseason. They are set to keep Brandon Crawford at short and hope that Thairo Estrada and David Villar hold down everyday jobs at second and third, respectively. Villar's breakout September led to the Giants parting ways with Evan Longoria and he's viewed as a key piece moving forward.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
RELATED: Manaea hoping adjustment leads to breakout
The Giants originally hoped to upgrade in center field, inquiring about Cody Bellinger at the same time as they chased Judge, who was going to play center field at Oracle Park if he chose the Giants. They have checked in on Pirates All-Star Bryan Reynolds but he's unlikely to be moved this winter, and the rest of the options in free agency aren't all that appealing.
The Giants plan to play Joc Pederson at DH against righties and LaMonte Wade Jr. will see increased time at first base, so the pursuit of a corner outfielder makes sense, and the defense should be improved with Pederson no longer playing outfield and the Giants using fewer out-of-place options like Darin Ruf and Yermin Mercedes.
They initially had hoped to keep Mike Yastrzemski in right, but the addition of another corner outfielder would move him back to center, where he rated a tick above average the last two seasons.
At the Winter Meetings earlier this month, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi noted that "it's nice to really have the flexibility to add two outfielders in any spot because of Yaz's versatility." As they now pivot to a corner outfielder to pair with Mitch Haniger, the Giants are likely going to need it.