Inquiry: If you define “biggest” by the quantity of players sent away, what is the largest “buy” trade that Farhan Zaidi has made in his capacity as the San Francisco Giants’ president of baseball operations?
Here’s a hint: The Giants sent back three players in each of the two transactions. Is there anyone that comes to mind? It’s difficult to hold you accountable if the response is negative because Tony Watson and Kevin Pillar were the guys the Giants acquired in those transactions.
With no genuine top-end difference-makers remaining in the market (and we’ll be reminded of where those guys went 13 times a year, too), it appears that the Giants will have another unhappy winter in free agency. Sure, there would be a few great additions that would improve the team, but no real game-changer.
It implies that a trade is the Giants’ greatest opportunity to get a top player. But is there any evidence from Zaidi’s past that he is able to close that kind of deal? Which CEO has sacrificed the greatest amount of resources for a bullpen pitcher that leans left and an average outfielder?
Zaidi has focused on low-risk trades with a few hits and a few misses throughout his time here. He’s skilled at locating B-list players at a low cost—guys like Mike Yastrzemski, J.D. Davis, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Thairo Estrada, who will contribute positively but aren’t quite superstars. They’re all skilled players, but it’s possible that their value as platoon members exceeds that of their regular contributions. Given that the Giants’ approach has been to field a roster based on matchups, maybe that is intentional. However, you would think that after almost six years on the job, Zaidi would have acquired a player of the caliber that he can’t seem to find on the free market.