[lex24]

In the last five years, the Giants have vigorously pursued and/or lost very high-priced free agents. Three of these agents:

a) All play for the same current team.
b) Are all on the disabled list.
c) Have a collective current 2023 adjusted payroll of $94,833,333.
d) Were either pursued by the Giants or played for the Giants.

Who is the team, and who are the players?

And for a bonus, name the other very high-priced free agent (current salary $33,333,333) pursued by the Giants in 2023 who has a current slash line of .206/.289/.383/.672? Hint: this player would only be fourth on the Giants in strikeouts, had he chosen to sign with Los Gigantes. Hint #2: this player, supposedly a fielding wiz, has an Rtot of -1, and he is both below MLB average for his position, and #17 at his position.

Arson Judge, Carlos Rodon and Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees.

Bonus - sounds maybe like Carlos Correa

Check, check, check aaaaaand...check.  All correct.

I would still be happy to welcome Judge to SF if we could go back in time.

Oh sure. And all he needs is one more HR to tie our very own JD Davis. And Wilmer Flores has just as many HRs as Judge. But I'd take another 6 HR guy, for sure.

And speaking of long term free agent contracts on which the Giants didn't pull the trigger:

1) Kevin Gausman, 14-6 and an All Star for the Giants in 2021 -- with a 2.81 ERA -- signed a 5 year, $110 million contract with the Blue Jays. He went 12-10 last year with a 3.35 ERA (would have fit right in with the 81-81 Giants), and this year continues his skid with a 2-3 record and an ERA that has increased to 3.86.

2) Kris Bryant, short term rental in 2021, hit .306/.376/.475/.851 for the Rockies after signing a 7 year, $182 mms. contract. OF course, he did that in 1/4th of a season, 42 games. He was injured otherwise. This year, he's about the same, .309/.382/.464/.846. And he's already played 23 games this year. And yes, his OPS in hitter-friendly Colorado is .948, whereas it's .741 on the road. As expected.

Little early to declare Judge and Correa a bust.  As for Gausman he led the AL in FIP last year. This year  he’s had 7 starts. 5 have been excellent. He got hammered in two. Gausman would be a very valuable member of the giant staff. Having said that, I don’t have a problem that they passed.

In fact, I don’t don’t take issue with the Giants philosophy of not signing 29 to 30 old pitchers on long-term contracts. There is just so much risk involved under those circumstances. Arm troubles and burn out being so common.

So the hope is bring them up through the farm system and then if and when they become stars, you can sign them to a long-term contract when they’re 26 or so like they did with Webb. Makes sense. 

if you want to see a team that has done what I think is a better job than anybody in developing their roster take a look at the Atlanta Braves. They’ve locked up their young stars for years. And then added on with the Matt Olson deal. Pretty smart organization. And quite possibly the best team in the National League.

Judge and Correa are both signed to long-term contracts. Wait about five years to see how they worked out.

You’re going to take a risk when you sign a high end free agent to a long-term contract. Big risk. Potentially bigger reward. Ohtani will be the prize next year. So, you just pass on him because it’s not likely he’s going to be good for 13 years. Don’t think so.

Bryant was an easy call. He didn’t do enough while with the Giants to suggest he was worth signing to a long-term contract. The Rockies grossly over paid him. Kind of similar with what Giants did along time ago with Barry Zito.

[lex24]

In the last five years, the Giants have vigorously pursued and/or lost very high-priced free agents. Three of these agents:

a) All play for the same current team.
b) Are all on the disabled list.
c) Have a collective current 2023 adjusted payroll of $94,833,333.
d) Were either pursued by the Giants or played for the Giants.

Who is the team, and who are the players?

And for a bonus, name the other very high-priced free agent (current salary $33,333,333) pursued by the Giants in 2023 who has a current slash line of .206/.289/.383/.672? Hint: this player would only be fourth on the Giants in strikeouts, had he chosen to sign with Los Gigantes. Hint #2: this player, supposedly a fielding wiz, has an Rtot of -1, and he is both below MLB average for his position, and #17 at his position.

Arson Judge, Carlos Rodon and Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees.

Bonus - sounds maybe like Carlos Correa

Check, check, check aaaaaand...check.  All correct.

I would still be happy to welcome Judge to SF if we could go back in time.

Oh sure. And all he needs is one more HR to tie our very own JD Davis. And Wilmer Flores has just as many HRs as Judge. But I'd take another 6 HR guy, for sure.

And speaking of long term free agent contracts on which the Giants didn't pull the trigger:

1) Kevin Gausman, 14-6 and an All Star for the Giants in 2021 -- with a 2.81 ERA -- signed a 5 year, $110 million contract with the Blue Jays. He went 12-10 last year with a 3.35 ERA (would have fit right in with the 81-81 Giants), and this year continues his skid with a 2-3 record and an ERA that has increased to 3.86.

2) Kris Bryant, short term rental in 2021, hit .306/.376/.475/.851 for the Rockies after signing a 7 year, $182 mms. contract. OF course, he did that in 1/4th of a season, 42 games. He was injured otherwise. This year, he's about the same, .309/.382/.464/.846. And he's already played 23 games this year. And yes, his OPS in hitter-friendly Colorado is .948, whereas it's .741 on the road. As expected.

Little early to declare Judge and Correa a bust.  As for Gausman he led the AL in FIP last year. This year  he’s had 7 starts. 5 have been excellent. He got hammered in two. Gausman would be a very valuable member of the giant staff. Having said that, I don’t have a problem that they passed.

In fact, I don’t don’t take issue with the Giants philosophy of not signing 29 to 30 old pitchers on long-term contracts. There is just so much risk involved under those circumstances. Arm troubles and burn out being so common.

So the hope is bring them up through the farm system and then if and when they become stars, you can sign them to a long-term contract when they’re 26 or so like they did with Webb. Makes sense. 

if you want to see a team that has done what I think is a better job than anybody in developing their roster take a look at the Atlanta Braves. They’ve locked up their young stars for years. And then added on with the Matt Olson deal. Pretty smart organization. And quite possibly the best team in the National League.

Judge and Correa are both signed to long-term contracts. Wait about five years to see how they worked out.

You’re going to take a risk when you sign a high end free agent to a long-term contract. Big risk. Potentially bigger reward. Ohtani will be the prize next year. So, you just pass on him because it’s not likely he’s going to be good for 13 years. Don’t think so.

Bryant was an easy call. He didn’t do enough while with the Giants to suggest he was worth signing to a long-term contract. The Rockies grossly over paid him. Kind of similar with what Giants did along time ago with Barry Zito.