The Giants’ 2023 season didn’t go as planned, but they’re determined to make significant adjustments to make sure they not only position themselves to compete the following year, but also produce a far more exciting team that will appeal to fans. After hiring Bob Melvin as their new manager to start the retooling process, they signed KBO star Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million contract, making their first major offseason splash.
However, there are still a lot of gaps that need to be filled, particularly considering that the Giants will have to compete in 2024 against the rising D-backs, the star-studded Padres, and the Dodgers headed by Shohei Ohtani.
“Earlier this month, Farhan Zaidi, President of Baseball Operations, stated that we have discussed the need to be driven to enhance our team.” Making acquisitions that excite our supporters is undoubtedly crucial. However, making deals that first thrill consumers but ultimately turn out poorly will also not be a smart business move. We’re simply going to keep depending a lot on our assessments and the guys we believe have the potential to make a big difference for us.
As they get ready to greet the new year, here is where the Giants stand:
By signing the 25-year-old Lee, the Giants proved they could successfully court a top free agent; yet, in order to stay competitive in the National League West, they will need to keep adding players to their roster. Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two Japanese talents, were traded to the Dodgers, although they might use other free agents like Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Shota Imanaga, Matt Chapman, or Rhys Hoskins as a replacement. The Giants might also attempt exploring the trade market, since there might be other suitable players available, such Dylan Cease of the White Sox, Ha-Seong Kim of the Padres, Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames of the Brewers.
LHP is one guy that could have a breakthrough year. Kyle Harrison Harrison, the Giants’ top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, went through some growing pains after entering the Major Leagues in 2023, but on his home debut against the Reds, he put on one of the most impressive shows of the season by striking out 11 in 6 1/3 innings without giving up any runs. If the 22-year-old southpaw can improve even more in 2024, the Giants think he has all the makings of a front-line starter. That means San Francisco will have another homegrown ace to complement Logan Webb for many years to come.
Eldridge, a 19-year-old who batted an incredible.293 in his professional debut, was selected by the Giants in July as a two-way player.In 31 games in 2023, the Rookie-level ACL Giants and Single-A San Jose combined for 294/.400/.505 with six home runs. Eldridge topped out at 96 mph on the mound in high school, so many evaluators think he has more potential with the bat. It will be intriguing to watch how the Giants approach Eldridge’s development in his first full season of professional ball.
Since Buster Posey in 2010, the Giants haven’t produced a Player of the Year, but they might be in a good position to break that streak shortly. This previous season, San Francisco sent 12 prospects to the Majors, the majority of whom will still be considered rookies in 2024. Should that youthful core continue to grow as anticipated, the Giants may have Lee, Harrison, and shortstop Marco Luciano contend for ROY awards the following season.