[lex24]

I'm not going to be an apologist for the Giants not spending more on their roster, but will play a little devil's advocate.

The Giants have the oldest position player group in MLB. The Giants also have a lot of good prospects in the pipeline. Now let's look at one position, Right Field.

Farhan Zaidi believes Darrin Ruf will provide as much production this year as anybody he could have signed as a Free Agent.  Let's say they signed Kris Bryant or Nick Castellanos (who went to Philly and was guy I had my eye on) to play that spot. They would have been paying $25M for a few years to them. That would prevent the Giants from plugging in say Heliot Ramos in 2023, who will be making less than a $1M, and also getting this productive year from Ruff, and they'd have to pay what, $125M for that pain?

If Ramos stalls out his development in 2022, the Giants can look at a free agent RF next year. But if Ramos rakes, not signing Castellanos will prove the smarter decision.

I'm sensitive to the possibility the Giants are being too frugal, but am not ready to die on that hill just yet.

Actually signing a FA would not have meant they don’t sign Ruf, or plugging in Ramos. Not in the least. Zaidi made the same comment vis a vis Ruf and FA.  The obvious question to ask is why not both?  25 million brings this years payroll to a modest $165,000,000.

Speaking of Ramos. ‘20 hurt him perhaps more than any other Giants prospect. He seemed to be on the cusp after ‘19.  Has a rather pedestrian year in ‘21.  Not sure his star is shining quite as brightly.  This is a big year for him.  He has the tools and looks the part. But so did Todd Linden….

[lex24]

I'm not going to be an apologist for the Giants not spending more on their roster, but will play a little devil's advocate.

The Giants have the oldest position player group in MLB. The Giants also have a lot of good prospects in the pipeline. Now let's look at one position, Right Field.

Farhan Zaidi believes Darrin Ruf will provide as much production this year as anybody he could have signed as a Free Agent.  Let's say they signed Kris Bryant or Nick Castellanos (who went to Philly and was guy I had my eye on) to play that spot. They would have been paying $25M for a few years to them. That would prevent the Giants from plugging in say Heliot Ramos in 2023, who will be making less than a $1M, and also getting this productive year from Ruff, and they'd have to pay what, $125M for that pain?

If Ramos stalls out his development in 2022, the Giants can look at a free agent RF next year. But if Ramos rakes, not signing Castellanos will prove the smarter decision.

I'm sensitive to the possibility the Giants are being too frugal, but am not ready to die on that hill just yet.

Actually signing a FA would not have meant they don’t sign Ruf, or plugging in Ramos. Not in the least. Zaidi made the same comment vis a vis Ruf and FA.  The obvious question to ask is why not both?  25 million brings this years payroll to a modest $165,000,000.

Speaking of Ramos. ‘20 hurt him perhaps more than any other Giants prospect. He seemed to be on the cusp after ‘19.  Has a rather pedestrian year in ‘21.  Not sure his star is shining quite as brightly.  This is a big year for him.  He has the tools and looks the part. But so did Todd Linden….