Spotrac is estimating the Giants 2024 payroll for Competitive Balance Tax purposes at $185 mms. with a salary cap of $237 mms. leaving $52 mms. for incoming free agents or trades. Next year, Conforto ($18 mms.), Stripling ($15 mms.), DeSclafani ($12 mms.), Cobb ($10 mms.), Jackson ($6.5 mms., club has a $7 mms. option), Flores ($6.5 mms., he has a $3.5 mms. option which he is unlikely to exercise assuming a halfway decent year), and Slater ($4 mms.) all conclude contracts, so a grand total of $72 million comes off the books next year.
I'm assuming Haniger (.631 OPS, only 61 games played) will have a mediocre year and decide to exercise his $17.5 million option. His OPS+ was 73, and his numbers have shown a sharp decline. Two years ago, he hit 39 HRs. maybe he bounces back. I doubt it. What was bizarre to me is that Haniger's a righty, and did reasonably well against LHPs, but 74% of his ABs were against RHPs, where his OPS was 106 points less, which was typical for his career.
And possibly another $8 million comes off the books, depending on what the Giants do with Yastrzemski. Yaz had a great year when he broke into the majors at age 28 with the Giants (.852 OPS), then an incredible year in the COVID year (.968, led the league in triples, #8 in MVP voting). The last three years have been .768, .697 (played 148 games) and .775 (down to 106 games,). Still, he absolutely crushes RHPs (.831 OPS) and is helpless against LHPs (.592 OPS). He turns 34 in August. Assuming standard age-related decline, this might be his last year as a Giant.
Lastly on Blake Snell...supposedly it's down to the Angels and Giants. The Giants had a better record last year by six wins and seem to be moving in a more positive direction (Angels lost Ohtani, Giants gained Lee, with more to come). Oracle is much, much more of a pitcher's park. Baseball Savant lists Angels park as #13 for hitters, Oracle is listed as #26. It would seem to me that the Giants would be more attractive to Snell (and perhaps less so for Bellinger, who is likely to re-sign with the Cubs or the Blue Jays).
I'm assuming Haniger (.631 OPS, only 61 games played) will have a mediocre year and decide to exercise his $17.5 million option. His OPS+ was 73, and his numbers have shown a sharp decline. Two years ago, he hit 39 HRs. maybe he bounces back. I doubt it. What was bizarre to me is that Haniger's a righty, and did reasonably well against LHPs, but 74% of his ABs were against RHPs, where his OPS was 106 points less, which was typical for his career.
And possibly another $8 million comes off the books, depending on what the Giants do with Yastrzemski. Yaz had a great year when he broke into the majors at age 28 with the Giants (.852 OPS), then an incredible year in the COVID year (.968, led the league in triples, #8 in MVP voting). The last three years have been .768, .697 (played 148 games) and .775 (down to 106 games,). Still, he absolutely crushes RHPs (.831 OPS) and is helpless against LHPs (.592 OPS). He turns 34 in August. Assuming standard age-related decline, this might be his last year as a Giant.
Lastly on Blake Snell...supposedly it's down to the Angels and Giants. The Giants had a better record last year by six wins and seem to be moving in a more positive direction (Angels lost Ohtani, Giants gained Lee, with more to come). Oracle is much, much more of a pitcher's park. Baseball Savant lists Angels park as #13 for hitters, Oracle is listed as #26. It would seem to me that the Giants would be more attractive to Snell (and perhaps less so for Bellinger, who is likely to re-sign with the Cubs or the Blue Jays).
Audaces fortuna iuvat