SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants had plenty of holes entering this offseason, but shortstop wasn’t necessarily one of them. 

Brandon Crawford was coming off a down year, but he played brilliant defense down the stretch, stoking optimism that he’d be able to return to form in 2023, the final year of the two-year, $32 million extension he signed in August '21. 

But after falling short of expectations this past season, the Giants made it clear that they planned to explore every option to improve their roster this offseason. And it just so happened that several of the top free agents play Crawford’s position.

The Giants tried hard to pry reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge away from the Yankees, but after those hopes were dashed, the natural pivot was to delve into the deep class of free-agent shortstops. 

Enter Carlos Correa, who agreed to a landmark 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Tuesday. After securing the fourth-largest contract in Major League history, Correa is poised to become the new face of the franchise, giving the Giants a charismatic star to market to their fans and to help keep pace with the talent-rich Dodgers and Padres in the National League West.

The biggest question now is what Correa’s arrival will mean for Crawford, the club’s longest-tenured player and the final remaining link to the Giants’ championship era now that first baseman Brandon Belt is a free agent.

As of this past week, San Francisco hadn’t spoken with Crawford about a potential position change, but those conversations will surely have to happen now that the 28-year-old Correa is expected to anchor their infield for the next decade-plus. Crawford, 35, has exclusively played shortstop during his 12-year career in the Majors and has won four Gold Glove Awards at the position, most recently in 2021, the same year Correa took home the Platinum Glove as the league’s best defender.

With Correa set to earn nearly $27 million next season, the most likely scenario probably involves asking Crawford to shift to second or third base. Crawford, who swings left-handed, could be paired with right-handed hitters such as David Villar, J.D. Davis or Wilmer Flores at third -- or Thairo Estrada at second -- helping the Giants optimize matchups on any given night.

Either way, Correa’s arrival should go a long way toward improving the Giants’ defense, which was a glaring weakness in 2022. San Francisco ranked 28th in the Majors in Outs Above Average this past season, fueling the club’s desire to get younger and more athletic up the middle.

The Giants accomplished that goal by landing Correa. Now comes the hard part: Figuring out the best role for Crawford moving forward.

“This guy is the greatest shortstop in franchise history,” president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said in October. “Obviously, I have a world of respect for him, seeing what he’s done the last few years and over his whole career. He’s been not just a great player overall, but a great shortstop. We saw that this year.

“I wouldn’t get any more specific than saying we’re going to have to look for ways to improve the roster to improve the defense. The best way to improve your defense is by targeting really strong defensive players. Really strong defensive players tend to play up the middle. I think he knows that. He wants to win, he wants us to be as good of a team as we can be. In an offseason like this, everything has got to be on the table.”