The San Francisco Giants had over $50 million come off their payroll once free agency began and they'll have another $50 million come off the books after 2016. The time is now for them to strike in free agency and the latest rumors suggest they will.
Get a load of this list of players the Giants are expected to pursue (in some capacity) this offseason: Zack Greinke, Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake, Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton and Chris Davis.
"I would keep an eye on them. I expect them to be aggressive," one National League general manager told Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Sherman (most recently) noted the Giants could go after Greinke, Upton and Davis while Jon Heyman of CBS Sports heard they may also target Samardzija, Leake (as widely expected before the season ended) and Cespedes. San Fran has been mentioned in various rumors regarding each of these players at some point over the past few months.
That's a big wish list, so perhaps the front office will have to get creative in adding one or more of these big names. Assuming the Giants re-sign Leake - as the two sides have expressed mutual interest - their rotation would be full with Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy and Chris Heston.
(Then again, the Giants can ditch Leake if they have a chance to sign another high-profile starter, or they can sign Leake and one high-profile starter and move Heston to the bullpen or look to trade Peavy. They face a difficult situation because Cain's health is largely in question for the third straight season.)
As for signing Davis, the former Orioles first baseman/outfielder doesn't immediately fit in on the Giants' roster. With Brandon Belt at first base and Hunter Pence in right field, Davis seemingly has nowhere to play, especially with no designated hitter spot in the NL. Additionally, general manager Bobby Evans also told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that he hopes to keep Belt long term.
(In terms of right field, Pence isn't going anywhere because that's the only position he's played in his entire career and he's owed $18 million per season. Belt, on the other hand, could be moved to left field to make room for Davis. Belt has played left in some capacity from 2011-2013 as well as 2015. The Giants likely want to keep Belt, but adding a bat such as Davis' would improve their lineup immensely. It'd be hard to rule out a Belt trade until the free agency mayhem comes to an end.)
However, they could take the less complicated route and sign either Cespedes or Upton. Those two make the most sense because they're both left fielders and that's one glaring need for San Francisco.
However, the Giants already have $121 million committed to the 2016 payroll and that number may reach $141 million after arbitration salary settlements. San Francisco exceeded $173 million in 2015, so spending isn't the issue, it's just that almost all of these sought-after free agents are likely to command nine-figure deals, which could push the team beyond the luxury tax threshold of $189 million.
If the Giants decide to bring multiple expensive free agents aboard, leave it to Evans and executive vice president Brian Sabean to do some financial tinkering with the contracts to make room. They could also make some trades to clear up space.
Whatever the case, the Giants' interest in this year's top free agents seems real. Oh yeah, and 2016 is an even-numbered year, which means San Francisco is poised for another World Series run after winning the title in '10, '12 and '14.
