Pretty much anything that could’ve gone wrong for the San Francisco Giants has gone as such since they wrapped up their 107-win regular season. They blew a 2-1 series lead to the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Divisional Round, Buster Posey retired and Kevin Gausman departed for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Concerning their starting rotation, San Francisco re-signed Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood while adding Alex Cobb. In the aftermath of all the negatives that’ve taken place over the last five months, the Giants are still at least a playoff threat. Concurrently, they have to upgrade their roster to be a legitimate NL pennant threat.
Here are two players the San Francisco Giants should sign after the MLB lockout.
San Francisco Giants sign Tommy Pham
A year ago, outfield production was one of the Giants’ strong suits. Ironically, it was their weakness in 2021. With midseason pickup Kris Bryant, who can play five positions, a free agent, Pham would be a worthwhile signing for manager Gabe Kapler’s club.
Pham has put together back-to-back brutal seasons at the plate, low-lighted by hitting a combined .226 since 2020. At the same time, this is someone who has been a productive and well-rounded player; he’s capable of better performance.
Pham has a smooth, level swing from the right side. He can crank out line-drive base hits, has respectable power and has found success hitting in different parts of an order. Pham is also a considerable threat on the basepaths, as he has swiped 85 bags since 2017. Defensively, Pham is adept at playing both left and center field.
- Tommy Pham stats (2021): .229/.340/.383, 15 home runs and 49 RBIs across 475 at-bats
The Giants’ current outfield rotation is made up of players with defensive versatility: Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater, Steven Duggar, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Darin Ruf. Pham fits the mold considering how Wade and Ruf also get reps at first base. Heck, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes that Pham would be open to playing first, too.
San Francisco had an elite offense last season. With Posey and presumably Bryant gone, they need others to pick up the slack. They also can’t bank on veterans like Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt hitting at All-Star levels again. Given the infielders’ career tendencies, those were anomaly seasons, objectively speaking.
Even if the likes of Yastrzemski and Duggar get back on track, the Giants need more offense. Pham is playing for his MLB career and could get back to being a respectable hitter in competing for a consistent role.
Related: Longest MLB hitting streaks ever: 2021 to baseball history
Kwang Hyun Kim bolsters the San Francisco Giants’ starting rotation
Gausman has been the Giants’ best starting pitcher since 2020. Despite their success on the pitching front of late, the Giants can’t just expect those in the building to fill the 31-year-old’s shoes. While he doesn’t replace Gausman, so to speak, Kim adds a sense of reliability and stability to their rotation.
Kim kept the St. Louis Cardinals in games, worked out of trouble and was efficient in his first extensive MLB starting experience. Sure, he labored a bit, but the left-hander had a plausible season considering it was his first near-complete season at the big-league level, which came after an impressive 2020.
- Kwang Hyun Kim stats (2021): 3.46 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 80 strikeouts across 106.2 innings (27 appearances, 21 starts)
The Giants project to have a respectable rotation next season. At the same time, there are a lot of question marks. Can Logan Webb build on his dominant 2021 campaign? Was 2021 a sign of what’s to come or a career outlier for DeSclafani and Wood? Kim isn’t a sure thing himself, but he adds more room for error in the scenario that one of the aforementioned hurlers take a step back.
Kim also appeared out of the Cardinals’ bullpen last season, meaning he can assume a versatile role with the Giants. In a perfect and likely world, the southpaw cracks the opening day rotation. On the other hand, if Kim struggles, he can move into a long-relief role.
The Giants can’t take chances with any part of their roster. Starting pitching was their identity last season, but it has taken a substantial hit. The bullpen remains mostly intact, but the Giants getting the ball to their relievers in the late innings, therefore keeping their workload down, is pivotal. Adding another veteran starter enhances the chances of meeting that aim.
Kim is in his prime and bolsters a team with World Series aspirations.