San Francisco Giants Smart To Take A Pass On Max Scherzer
By John Shea
@real_johnshea
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco Giants have reportedly dismissed the idea of signing Scott Boras‘ client Max Scherzer, which is ultimately a good thing, even if the orange and black face several question marks heading into the 2015 season. The Giants weren’t ever realistic suitors for Scherzer, but had been frequently linked to James Shields, another highly-prized right-hander.
The Giants are already set to increase overall team payroll in 2015, in part because of pay raises to arbitration-eligible players like Brandon Belt. Franchise cornerstone Buster Posey will also earn $16.5 million in 2015, an approximate increase of $6 million from last season.
Although general manager Brian Sabean has efficiently plugged each gaping need, the Giants don’t appear good enough to contend for the NL West crown next season. Then again, it could be argued that the Giants have never looked good on paper during each of their three title runs.
The Giants might not be done adding pieces to their 2015 25-man roster, but it does appear as though their rotation has been etched in stone. San Francisco desperately needs Matt Cain to rekindle past success in order to claim a postseason bid next season. They also need Tim Hudson to perform more consistently over the course of the entire year, and for Jake Peavy to pitch like he did down the stretch.
Of the five starters in the Giants’ rotation, three are undoubtedly past their prime. Tim Lincecum currently owns the fifth and final rotation spot, but could be bumped by Yusmeiro Petit, or perhaps Ryan Vogelsong, depending on whether Sabean feels as though an additional safety net is necessary.
Despite the question marks facing the Giants entering the 2015 season, the club’s brain trust was wise to avoid Scherzer, and possibly Shields as well. Next offseason’s free agent class is flush with aces, including Johnny Cueto and David Price, who the Giants could potentially target. San Francisco has approximately $48 million coming off the books after this season, and will also have two vacant rotation spots (Hudson, Lincecum).
The Giants aggressively attempted to upgrade their rotation via Jon Lester earlier this offseason, but failed. They now appear to be preparing themselves for a spending spree next season. Still, the Giants have yet to sufficiently replace the offensive losses of Michael Morse and Pablo Sandoval. As Ben Zobrist rumors continue to circumvent, the Giants remain stingy.
In some cases, the best offseason moves are the ones that don’t happen. That strategy has, in part, catapulted Sabean into the conversation of becoming a Hall of Fame baseball executive. Sabean had the opportunity to sacrifice multiple top-level prospects to improve the flailing Giants last July, but stood pat. He similarly could have blown up the squad, but digressed.
Even if the Giants don’t appear as flashy as some division rivals, somehow, they’re a few overachievers away from another unpredictable postseason run.
John Shea is an MLB writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @real_johnshea. Like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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