The 2024 season has not been kind to the San Francisco Giants. They have been injured, unlucky, and underperforming.
This offseason, Giants General Manager Farhan Zaidi signed a three-year extension through the 2026 season. He missed on big-time free agents Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as they went to their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Zaidi rebounded by signing Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler, and Blake Snell.
So far, the season has not gone according to plan. They are 47-50 heading into the All-Star Break. Zaidi also indicated blowing up the roster in a radio interview on Thursday with KNBR. He stated the team had underperformed and if things didn’t change, they would have to consider selling at the trade deadline.
The Giants Need to Let the Prospects Play
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The San Francisco Giants also have a prospect pool that needs to see time at the big-league level. Players like Luis Matos, Casey Schmitt, and Marco Luciano deserve reps at the MLB. By selling at the deadline, the Giants would have a chance to see what they have.
Developing prospects hasn’t been the Giants’ forte because of the heavily veteran rosters they typically have. They’re ranked near the bottom of all of baseball in terms of draft picks that contribute to the team.
Veteran Additions Haven’t Been Working
While adding players like Snell brought a lot of hype to the San Francisco Giants, it simply hasn’t worked out. Despite finally performing well in his last two starts, Blake Snell had been a disappointment. Robbie Ray still hasn’t even pitched this season after coming over in a trade. Nick Ahmed played poorly enough that he was just released.
Look at players like Patrick Bailey and Heliot Ramos. After being given a chance, both players have flourished. They’re examples of homegrown talent that showed how the Giants can finally rebuild from within their system.
A Chance to Add Future Prospects
Something that the Giants need more of is some help with rebuilding the farm system. They were ranked 15th out of 30 teams by ESPN, behind division rivals San Diego and Los Angeles. It’s harsh enough having to look up at both teams in the standings each of the last few seasons, but both teams have better-ranked farm systems.
Getting decent returns for players like Snell in a trade would allow the team to add to that prospect pool. The present might be rough, but the future can be bright. Potentially it can be as bright as their glorious past.
Cons: It Shows You’re Giving Up on Season
By throwing away all of your offseason acquisitions for future pieces, it shows this season is lost. It doesn’t inspire much hope in the organization to make a boatload of moves and then give up halfway through the year. Zaidi stated the team pushed in a lot of chips in this offseason and it hasn’t worked out.
With concerns about attendance falling every year since the fall off from the dynasty years, the Giants were finally in the top 10 again so far this season. The fans will likely stop showing up to games if they sell at the deadline.
It Makes The Team Less Desirable To Sign With
A massive issue that has befallen the San Francisco Giants during Zaidi’s tenure is their inability to sign the big-time free agents. They’ve come in second place to signing superstars like Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Carlos Correa. Selling at the deadline makes it even less likely that superstars will even consider signing with the team.
While there are real and imaginary concerns about the city of San Francisco, it’s a legitimate discussion. The Giants aren’t helping matters by moving on so quickly from their signings. It shows a lack of direction for the club.
What Does This Mean for Zaidi’s Job Security?
While the season has been a massive disappointment in the first half, it’s unlikely that anything will be done to the front office. Manager Bob Melvin is likely safe as well in his first season. Given that Zaidi signed a three-year extension this past offseason, he’s likely walking around in a teflon suit at this moment.
The San Francisco Giants ownership doesn’t typically like to cycle through general managers. Brian Sabean was in control from 1997-2014. Bobby Evans failed epically but was around from 2015-2018. What hurts Zaidi is that he’s been with the team since 2019 and only has one winning season in 2021.
