Hot Stove Update: Giants Outfield Needs

Farhan Zaidi made some nifty moves at the Winter Meetings which Giants fans should be happy about.  He essentially purchased a mid-first round draft pick(Will Wilson) for $12 M, the remaining cost of Zack Cozart's contract, signed an enigmatic pitcher who still has a high ceiling(Kevin Gausman) for the relatively low cost of $9 M and plucked an interesting arm from the Rule 5 Draft in Dany Jimenez.  What has Giants fans restless and maybe a bit confused is Farhan implied going in that he was looking to make bigger deals than those enumerating a RH slugging corner OF, LH infielder and Starting Pitcher as his needs.  So far, he has not met those expectations he created.  In fact, he appears to have fallen further behind the curve with the departure of Madison Bumgarner, the leader of the starting rotation and Kevin Pillar, last season's best OF.

After Pillar was non-tendered, Farhan explained the decision as creating opportunity to evaluate younger players like Steven Duggar and Jaylin Davis.  We've even read about Manager Gabe Kapler  checking in on Joe McCarthy and there is talk of trying Mauricio Dubon in the OF!  Farhan and Kapler have invested a ton of political capital in an army of player development zealots and why do that if you aren't going to commit to developing players?  If that is the plan, I for one am fine with it, but then why do we keep hearing about pursuits of likes of Nick Castellanos and Steven Souza Jr?  And how does player development, which generally takes time and patience, fit with The Churn?

With that background, let's break down what the Giants currently have and who they might still acquire in the free agent and trade markets:

Current 40 Man Roster:

Jaylin Davis RH:  AAA monster bat with enough speed and athleticism to play all 3 OF positions.  Farhan and Gabe have pointed to him as a guy who could be unlocked at the MLB level by the new player development gurus.

Alex Dickerson LH:  Exciting bat when healthy, but has never stayed healthy for long.  Defensively challenged and limited to LF.

Steven Duggar LH:  Probably the best defensive CF on the roster, but has had last two seasons cut short by shoulder injuries and the bat is still a question mark.

Joe McCarthy LH:  intriguing bat, but needs to prove it at AAA first.

Chris Shaw LH:  Light tower power but will the bat play?  Limited to LF or 1B.  Probably more of a backup plan for if Dickerson gets hurt again.

Austin Slater RH:  Another intriguing talent who has not quite put it all together.  Can play both corners but CF only in a pinch.

Mike Yastrzemski LH:  Last year's breakout.  Is there room to grow or will last year prove to be the peak of his career?

Mauricio Dubon RH:  Presumptive starter at 2B but can also play SS.  Talk of expanding his versatility by trying him in CF!  This would enable Gabe to run a straight platoon at all 3 OF positions:  Dickerson/Slater LF, Duggar/Dubon CF, Y2Y/Davis RF.

All that might be fun for us hardcore types to watch, but is it enough to put the butts of ordinary fans in seats?  Probably not.  The big question is how much ownership and management are willing to sacrifice butts for lower payroll in the short term and how committed they are to seeing if the investment in player development will pay off?

Now let's move on to the FA/Trade market and see what is still available after the wave of high priced signings:

Nick Castellanos:  Rumors of a mutual interest seemed to be heating up, but now seem to have cooled in the last few days.  A clear upgrade at the plate, but defensively challenged and likely limited to LF which would push Alex Dickerson off the team or at least to the bench.  Castellanos would be a significant multi-year investment.  Is he THAT guy?

Marcel Ozuna:  Seems like the best overall OF on the market, but has a QO and Farhan seems to place an incredibly high value on draft picks.  So I'm thinking Ozuna is not an option for that reason alone.

Yasiel Puig:  Losing Bumgarner and adding Puig would be an enormous outrage for a lot of Giants fans including people in my own family.  He's not a terrible fit, though, and may come at a significant discount due to off-field and clubhouse concerns.  Much more versatile defensively than Castellanos.

Steven Souza Jr:  Nice bounceback candidate who would be a short term commitment at a discount, but may not be all that cheap as several other teams are reportedly interested.

Joey Rickard:  Nice cheap short half of platoon option, but probably not worth bumping Slater/Davis/Dubon from those roles.

Kevin Pillar:  Most fans would probably be happy with Pillar as the full time CF, but if Farhan wanted him, he would have likely signed him at the Non-tender deadline. Farhan seems to have moved on.

Wil Myers:  The Padres have a loaded farm system which might interest Farhan in another prospect buying deal.  Is Myers a potential project for the Player Development boys?  That's a big contract to take on!

There you have it!  Are there any other under-the-radar options out there?  How would you like to see the Giants outfield situation shake out?