Where Giants reportedly stand with three prominent free agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With the MLB free-agency market red-hot, the Giants remain in the hunt to add some more big names to the roster.
San Francisco reportedly still is in the running for three of the biggest names still available — Pete Alonso, Jack Flaherty and Roki Sasaki — according to a piece published Friday by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Alonso is the best power hitter available on the market and “has been connected” to the Giants this offseason, per Feinsand., along with the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s believed the slugger will remain with the New York Mets, however, Feinsand reported, citing industry sources.
While the Giants lost out on the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes, the team could still pursue another hard-throwing starter like Flaherty to pair with Logan Webb at the top of the rotation. The Giants remain “in the mix” for Flaherty, per Feinsand, in addition to the Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs.
Still, San Francisco already spent a lot on Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, so it’s unclear whether president of baseball operations Buster Posey and the front office would open the checkbook again.
The most interesting free-agent prospect is Sasaki, the flame-throwing right-hander who has been turning heads in Japan. The 23-year-old righty has until Jan. 23 to sign with an MLB team and already has met with the Giants this offseason, per Feinsand.
Since Sasaki is classified as an international amateur free agent, he cannot command a massive contract, so he would be a financial fit for any team. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres are considered the two frontrunners for Sasaki, Feinsand reported, citing industry sources, but the Giants remain in contention for now.
With the Dodgers fresh off a World Series title and still aggressively pursuing top talent, San Francisco can ill-afford to fall behind in the NL West arms race. Signing Alonso, Flaherty or Sasaki would go a long way to closing that competitive gap.
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