We'll start off this post with a mea culpa. After doing some research, I am not able to verify that FZ ever said a RH bat was a Hot Stove priority. So there's that.
The Giants apparently finished up their Hot Stove League season with another signing which on the surface does not make much sense but there's a twist. Matthew Boyd LHP is coming off flexor tendon surgery in late September. His goal is to be ready to pitch again by June 2022. This means he can be placed on the 60-day IL to start the season and won't be counted as on the 40-man roster. Of course, this means there will likely be a window sometime midseason when he is ready to pitch and has to be added back on the 40-man and 26 man active roster or be traded or released.
Matthew Boyd LHP. DOB: 2/2/1991. 6'3", 234 lbs. 1 yr/$5.2 M with additional $2.3 M in incentives.
2021(Tigers): 3-8, 3.89, 78.2 IP, 7.7 K/9, 2.6 BB/9.
His best season was probably 2019 when he posted a 11.6 K/9 with a 2.4 BB/9. His effectiveness has been limited by giving up a lot of gofer balls, 39 in 2019. Comerica Park is generally known to be fairly pitcher-friendly so we can't blame the HR's on home park factors. With this signing the Giants bank a future option for the starting rotation, perhaps setting up a possible midseason trade of another pitcher. How the roster maneuvering plays out once Boyd is physically ready may be tricky, though.
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Remember Jose Godoy? He's the LH hitting catcher the Giants claimed off waivers from the Mariners just last week. Well, he got washed along in The Churn with the signing of Joc Pederson. The Twins immediately claimed him off waivers. Nice knowin' ya. Churn on!
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Although FZ did not rule out future roster additions if there is a fit, he indicated the Giants Hot Stove season is likely over. Whether or not FZ ever made a RH bat a priority of if we were all projecting our own analysis onto him, his Hot Stove season feels like it came up just short. The report that Brandon Crawford reached out to Joc by text message just before he signed is a bit unsettling and seems to imply that FZ and the Giants brass were frustrated with the market. There are several explanations for why they appeared to come up short in hitting market:
1. Maybe adding a bat was never the priority we assumed?
2. The 2021-2022 Hot Stove season turned out to be more of a buyer's market than predicted by many. Maybe the market was just too hot for FZ's comfort level?
3. Crawford's outreach to Joc feels like maybe FZ was gunshy about getting turned down again? Maybe the reputation of the ballpark is too much and hitters just don't want to play their home games in Oracle Park?
If the solution is the trade market, expanded playoffs make it less imperative to win the division which makes getting off to a fast start less of a priority and creates a rationale for delaying a trade until needs become clear as the season progresses. For example, maybe Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos come on like gangbusters and fill the RH bat need from within? Maybe Marco Luciano explodes and is ready to launch is MLB career by midseason?
Gotta be excited to see Joey Bart hitting cleanup in the spring opener tonight.
ReplyDeletethat sounds like a fan of a small market team that doesn't spend money. Oh, yeah- that describes the Giants these days. Except for the "small market" part. Based on the G's being something like $80+MM under the luxury tax threshold, I'm guess that the team will reduce the price of tickets and food? And yes, that last comment was made with my tongue firmly placed in my cheek. One would think that Farhan believes he is running the A's rather than the Giants..........
ReplyDeleteWhen the Giants brought Brandon Crawford back, I was happy, it was the right thing to do, but wondered if it would hurt their chances of signing an all star SS like Cory Seager, Javier Baez, Trevor Story, or Carlos Correa because the player would have to play a different position at least temporarily.Reportadly Trevor Story would have to consider a temporary position switch to sign with the Giants. Also think the home ballpark doesn't help then lure good hitters to sign. The last good hitter I can remember the Giants signing is named Barry Bonds.
ReplyDeleteThe second I heard Brandon Crawford's contract was extended, I knew the Giants were not getting one of the top free agent SS's this offseason. What's frustrating to me is it does not seem like 5 yr/$100 M is an overpay for a hitter like Castellanos, especially with the DH.
DeleteAgreed, it's not an overpay but who knows if Castellanos wanted to sign with the Giants anyway. Saw that he wanted to sign with the Marlins until Jeter left. He ends up signing with the Phillies who play their home games in a hitters park like his former team the Reds.
DeleteI get the feeling the ballpark still scares off hitters despite the Giants leading the league in HR's last year.
DeleteI was hoping the Giants would sign Danny Duffy or Matthew Body this offseason by using the strategic advantage of hiding them on the 60 day IL. Like you said DrB - they can be on the team and not take up a 40day roster spot - that's a nice loop hole. I was pleased they at least got Boyd. Solid move! I was not so happy to see Duffy go back to the Dodgers though.
ReplyDeleteLike many others I'm a bit disappointed, at least in this moment, that the Giants didn't sign one of the top tier free agent bats. I will give the Front Office the benefit of the doubt that they can continue to find ways to get the most out of the hitters on the team. Perhaps we'll all feel silly that we wanted Castellanos, Bryant, or Story in a Giants uniform if Pederson has an amazing year.
I'll post my Hot Stove Wrap pretty soon. I have to admit it's hard to fault FZ for not topping some very big $$$$ on Bryant or Story. Castellanos' deal seems about right, but we don't know if he would have even considered coming to SF. There still some interesting options on the trade market. Marlins need a CF. One possible deal posed on Twitter is Duggar for Garrett Cooper. Cooper is a RH masher who can play corner OF/1B and DH while Giants have several options for CF.
Delete$85 M also seems like a very big price for Suzuki. I really can't wish for FZ to have topped that. The market for hitters coming out of the lockout was quite a bit hotter than I anticipated. That may be the case with FZ too.
DeleteIt's looking like a whole lot is riding on Joey Bart's bat. No pressure, kid!