Giants looking to go big at Winter Meetings

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The Giants have been fairly quiet so far this offseason, but their level of activity is expected to accelerate at the upcoming Winter Meetings, which will run from Sunday to Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.

With plenty of financial flexibility and a need to upgrade a roster that has missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, San Francisco will be looking to make a splash and finally end its elusive search for a star.

The Giants fell short of that goal following their ill-fated pursuits of Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa last offseason, but they’re hoping new manager Bob Melvin will help flip the script and make them serious contenders for prized free agents like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jung Hoo Lee, Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman.

Here’s a look ahead to what might transpire next week:

Key events
• Sunday: HOF Contemporary Era ballot results released (Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Jim Leyland, Ed Montague, Hank Peters, Lou Piniella, Joe West and Bill White)
• Tuesday: Draft Lottery; Media availability with Melvin and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi
• Wednesday: Rule 5 Draft; Ford C. Frick ballot results released (Joe Buck, Joe Castiglione, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Tom Hamilton, Ernie Johnson Sr., Ken Korach, Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper and Dan Shulman)

Club needs
Above all, the Giants need a marquee player who can anchor the roster and enliven their fanbase, which has grown weary of the club’s dependence on platoons and openers in recent years. No player would fit this bill better than Ohtani, though Juan Soto would also make sense if the Padres are open to trading him within the division.

With a stated goal of improving their defense, the Giants are expected to target true center fielders like Bellinger and Lee and seek out depth at shortstop. Third base is less of a priority, though they’ve been heavily linked to Chapman, a four-time Gold Glover who played under Melvin in Oakland. San Francisco could be active in the starting-pitching market as well, particularly now that All-Star right-hander Alex Cobb will miss the beginning of next season due to left hip surgery.

Potential trade candidates
The Giants’ farm system is rich in young arms, so they could consider moving pitching prospects like Kyle Harrison, Keaton Winn, Tristan Beck, Sean Hjelle, Carson Whisenhunt, Mason Black or Hayden Birdsong to try to fill other holes on the roster. The outfield is also looking a bit crowded, so incumbents like Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto, Austin Slater, Mike Yastrzemski or LaMonte Wade Jr. could become trade candidates if the Giants end up bringing someone new into the fold.

Prospects to know
Whisenhunt, the Giants’ No. 3 prospect, enjoyed a meteoric rise to Double-A Richmond in 2023 before suffering a season-ending left elbow sprain in July, though he managed to rehab the injury and is expected to be full go for Spring Training. If he can stay healthy, he could develop into a rotation option sooner rather than later. Fellow pitching prospects Trevor McDonald (No. 22), Erik Miller (No. 29) and Kai-Wei Teng were also added to the Giants’ 40-man roster last month, so they could be in line to debut in 2024, as well.

Rule 5 Draft
The Giants left outfielder Grant McCray (No. 7) and shortstop Aeverson Arteaga (No. 12) unprotected from the Rule 5 Draft, so they’ll be eligible to be poached by another team this year. Still, neither has played above High-A Eugene, so their chances of sticking on a big league roster for the entire season are likely slim. Reliever R.J. Dabovich missed most of the 2023 campaign due to right hip surgery, but he has experience pitching at the Triple-A level, so he could also draw interest from other clubs.

With 36 players on their 40-man roster, the Giants will have the ability to select a player and try to replicate the success they enjoyed with Blake Sabol, who became a valuable contributor for the club after being taken in last year’s Rule 5 Draft.

Burning question
Can they win the Ohtani and/or Yamamoto sweepstakes?

MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi reported earlier this week that the Giants are prioritizing the two Japanese stars “above all other options this offseason,” but the competition for both will be fierce. The enigmatic Ohtani hasn’t tipped his hand about his preferred destination, but there’s been some speculation that the Giants’ pursuit could be hurt by Oracle Park, which is tough on left-handed power hitters. Yamamoto, meanwhile, is expected to command a deal upwards of $200 million, with big market teams like the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees and Red Sox all vying for his services.

If the Giants manage to outbid their rivals and finally reel in a big fish, they’ll not only fill their glaring superstar void, but also send a strong message to their fans that they’re committed to putting a more entertaining product on the field in 2024 and beyond.