The San Francisco Giants have made headlines this offseason by signing shortstop Willy Adames and right-hander Justin Verlander. The Giants aren’t quite done shopping as they had recent talks with free agent outfielder Randal Grichuk, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand also recently mentioned that the Pittsburgh Pirates are another team interested in signing Grichuk.
Grichuk, 33, is coming off a productive season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, posting a 140 OPS+ with 12 home runs and 20 doubles in 106 games. Most of his plate appearances came against left-handed pitching, batting .319/.386/.528 slash line against them.
As for the Giants, they’re looking for ways to improve the offense, and adding Grichuk would give them a right-handed bat to pair with the left-handed outfielders Jung Hoo Lee and Mike Yastrzemski.
Giants Talk with Randal Grichuk
Grichuk excelled at the plate for the Diamondbacks, boasting a .291/.348/.528 batting line. He set career bests with a 7.2% walk rate and 16.5% strikeout rate. Against right-handed pitchers, Grichuk’s walk rate dipped and strikeouts increased. However, he maintained his power, hitting .242/.274/.527 in 94 plate appearances. His versatility is evident as Grichuk played 57 games in the outfield to his 41 games serving as designated hitter.
As the Giants map out their lineup, a potential addition of Grichuk enhances the team’s offensive capabilities and overall performance on the field. Grichuk’s career .768 OPS and impressive showing last season prove he can deliver power at the plate, making him a valuable asset. Signing Grichuk would be a strategic move for the Giants, addressing their need for power and depth in the outfield.
Other mid-tier options in the corner-outfield market include Mark Canha, Austin Hays, and Jesse Winker. While they’re viable alternatives, they trail behind top outfielders like Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar.
Impressive as Grichuk’s 2024 season was, he won’t command a high salary, but more so a multi-year deal with the right team. RosterResource projects the Giants payroll is around $182 million.
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