Are The San Francisco Giants A Bad Landing Spot For Free Agents?

History doesn't look fondly on the City by the Bay

Hey, a baseball article in December!

I am a Giants fan but i’ll look at this as objectively as possible.

After Jon Heyman’s beautiful blunder on twitter, claiming “Arson” Judge had signed with San Francisco, and the subsequent walk back, Giants fans on social media waited on baited breath for the big free agent to make his way to the Orange and Black.

The Giants would announce later that evening their signing of Free Agent Outfielder… Mitch Haniger.

Taking nothing away from Haniger, who is a very good ballplayer, announcing an outfield signing that same day as the Judge debacle left many fans assuming the worst, Judge was not coming.

One rumor online actually circled that Judge and Free Agent Shortstop Carlos Correa were both going to sign the next day. (Correa remains a Free Agent as of this articles publication.)

Then the hammer dropped the next morning. Judge would remain a Yankee on a record deal for a position player. Its a tune that’s all too familiar to Giants fans.

Taylor Wirth @WirthTM

The #SFGiants failed to receive a rose from Aaron Judge Juan Soto Bryce Harper Shohei Ohtani Giancarlo Stanton Jon Lester Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.

What do all of them have in common? The Giants were heavily rumored to land all of them, and would have filled key needs in their immediate future.

The last big free agent signing was 30 years ago for SF, which brought Barry Bonds home. We know how that worked out for them.

It didn’t end with a title despite the talent Bonds possessed, but If a franchise has proven that you don’t need to have big free agents to win, id point to the run the 2010-2016 Giants had. 3 titles in 5 years.

Yet, in a crowded National League field, the Giants are falling behind the likes of Chicago, St. Louis, San Diego, and of course Los Angeles. I hear what you are saying to the screen right now.

”But Alex, the Giants won 107 games in 2021. They didn’t have any superstars.”

You’re absolutely right, reader. They had insane production from unlikely sources. You’re a liar if you thought Logan Webb would lead that staff to the best record in the majors unless your Mr. Webb’s parents, in which case I say thanks for reading!

The Giants for the last 2 decades have gone through waves of developing great farm talent and hoping it carries them to the promised land, and being a mediocre 3rd place team in the NL West. I can understand the trepidation in not signing over the last few years, after getting burned by Carlos Beltran in 2006.

I’ve got to pose the question though: Is San Francisco a bad landing spot for players?

Sure, state taxes are astronomically high and more people are leaving than coming blah blah blah.

As a ballplayer, what doesn’t SF offer. They consider themselves contenders. You get to play in one of the most beautiful ballparks in the league. Passionate fan base. I’m assuming all-you-could-eat Garlic Fries aren’t out of the question either.

So what is it?

I think it could be the Front Office. Scared to pull the trigger on big negotiations? Possibly.

Is it the manager? Gabe Kapler is definitely a talking point of contention. Recent advertising campaigns have more Kapler than some of the faces of the franchise. Kapler drew criticism and praise from different pundits when he began his national anthem protests. Players have said he is a passionate leader, which you would expect from a former player. Is he pushing away talent with his personality? With his managerial skills? I know some players are not a fan of his platoon style.

Is it the City? I’m sure I don’t have to mention the growing issues of crime, drug use, and homelessness. Although, if Im frank, I was in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of the city the other night, and it was absolutely lovely.

Or are they outbid? The current state of negotiations is largely built on speculation, much like this article. Rumors run rampant in sports media, relaying what the offers might be and we only know for sure once a deal is signed.

Whatever the reason, The Giants are falling behind in a key moment for teams in The Winter Meetings. I’m sure Giants fans want to see more as far as free agent signings are concerned. With the number of holes in the roster, it feels like the team is going to rely on blind luck and minor league talent developing into stars if they’re going to reach the postseason again.