The San Francisco Giants are still in need of a starter to ensure the success of their rotation heading into 2015. However, general manager Brian Sabean might not be willing to drop more money on some of the better available free agents.
San Francisco has been linked to right-hander James Shields ever since Jon Lester signed with the Chicago Cubs at the MLB Winter Meetings. It's no secret the Giants need another formidable starter to round off their rotation because there are question marks heading into next season and beyond. The team just re-signed reliever Sergio Romo to a two-year, $15 million deal and starter Jake Peavy to a two-year, $24 million contract, which may have ended their offseason spending.
"Our situation is unique," Sabean said after the team officially announced Romo's signing, via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. "We're not a star system. Everybody is a link in the chain. We've had success here."
"Sabean said he continues to search for ways to deepen the lineup and get more offense after Friday's trade for third baseman Casey McGehee, but reiterated that the Giants are not likely to get another big-ticket addition, such as pitcher James Shields," writes Schulman.
Despite this information, ESPN Insider Jim Bowden believes the Giants are still the frontrunners to land Shields, who is expected to sign a five-year contract in the $110 million range. Although he just turned 33 years old, Shields is almost a guarantee to last the duration of the entire season and pitch a lot of innings along the way: since 2007, the right-hander has made at least 31 starts and pitched at least 215 innings, with the exception of one year where he logged 203 1/3. He owns a career 114-90 record with a 3.72 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 285 starts.
"The fact that Shields takes the ball for 32-plus starts a year and you can pencil him in for 220-plus innings per season makes him a perfect fit for a team in need of starting-pitching innings, plus his leadership and winning attitude would fit nicely in a clubhouse that has three championships in five years," writes Bowden. "The Giants also aren't afraid to be the highest bidder here."
If you were to ask many, this is the exact kind of pitcher the Giants need. Besides Madison Bumgarner, the Giants will return Matt Cain (coming off season-ending elbow surgery), Tim Hudson (who is turning 40 and is expected to retire after 2015) and Jake Peavy (who endured a career-worst .350 winning percentage with his 7-13 record in 2014). Yusmeiro Petit is listed in the starting rotation, but he only has 56 career starts in seven MLB seasons, and it's unknown whether Tim Lincecum will rejoin the rotation after being demoted to the bullpen.
If Sabean was willing to offer the soon-to-be 31-year-old Jon Lester $150 million, then it's hard to believe they're already jumping ship on Shields, who will be a cheaper and effective in the pitcher-friendly AT&T Park. They've met with him a number of times in the past few weeks and have continually expressed interest. The Giants already have $138 million on the books for 2015, but that number drops to $103 million in 2016.
The market isn't very high on Shields right now, so we'll likely have to wait a little while before he signs. Nonetheless, the Giants still remain one of the top options despite Sabean's comments.
