In case you’ve spent the offseason wisely hiding under a rock, you’ve inevitably heard of the Great Giancarlo Saga. The Giants had no chance of getting him, then they had a deal to get him, then he was going to be a Dodger, then, like many overpaid sluggers, he inexplicably became a Yankee. It’s like the Giants asked a girl way out of their league to Prom. After everybody laughed at the idea, it came dangerously close to happening before she almost left you for your biggest rival and then went with the Quarterback in the end. Also in this analogy you have to pay the girl 300 million dollars and sacrifice a child to her ex.

So after a few weeks of wild speculation, hand-wringing, and, at least on my part, some unsuccessful rain dancing, the dust has settled. Let’s pick up the pieces.

First, the facts: Giancarlo Stanton is a Yankee. Shohei Ohtani is an Angel. The Giants current outfield is, and let me try to type this without gagging, Gorkys Hernandez, Denard Span, Hunter Pence, and some combination of Jarrett Parker, Mac Williamson, and Austin Slater with prospect Steven Duggar as a dark horse candidate to win the starting CF job. Now, that doesn’t mean that this is what the outfield will look like come April; the Giants have a bevy possibilities to choose from should they look to improve the outfield.

So what do those possibilities look like? Well, the Giants have expressed their desire to not have to give up comp picks to sign a player who rejected a Qualifying Offer, ruling out Lorenzo Cain. Should they look to free agency, JD ‘Just Dingers’ Martinez and Jay ‘Some Dingers’ Bruce seem like the most likely options for better or for worse.

JD Martinez:



Pros:

The Giants outfield combined for 35 homeruns last year. 35 homers all year. Among the entire outfield. Over an entire season. Martinez socked out 45 by himself last year. That tells us two things: one, JD Martinez hits a lot of homers. Two, the Giants outfielders hit comically few last year. Yes, AT&T Park suppresses homeruns, but Martinez is about as close as it comes to guaranteed power in the league right now without being named Giancarlo Stanton. Comerica Park, where Martinez spent half the year last year, is not exactly a power hitter’s paradise. Martinez also hit .303 last year which, without actually checking the stats, I guarantee would have led the Giants outfielders last year. The dude can flat rake.

Cons:

The infamous Scott Boras, who represents Martinez, is said to be looking North of $200 million for his 30 year old client who is already a defensive liability. The Giants may have been looking to break the bank on a generational player like Stanton, but they’d be hard pressed to do the same for Martinez. And rightly so, especially considering the horrid state of outfield defense last year and the difficulty of playing Right Field at AT&T.

Verdict:

Please God Bobby Evans don’t pull the trigger.

Jay Bruce:

Pros:

He’s like JD Martinez, just not quite as good and not as expensive.

Cons:

He’s like JD Martinez, just not quite as good and not as expensive.

Verdict:

See above.

The Giants could also look to add an outfielder via a trade and many outfielders are reportedly on the block. Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich of the Marlins are available, as are the Reds’ Billy Hamilton, the Red Sox’ Jackie Bradley Jr., and reportedly Domingo Santana and Keon Broxton of the Brewers. The Giants will not get Yelich. He’s cheap, very good, and under team control. The Marlins will justifiably ask for a King’s ransom for the young outfielder. Actually, this is the Marlins, they may ask for a bag of peanuts and Wei-Yin Chen’s contract. Along those same lines, the Giants could have a shot at Ozuna if the Marlins were to package Wei-Yin Chen or another albatross contract along with him. The Cardinals are also reportedly looking into Ozuna and they can go toe-to-toe with the Giants financially as well as having the luxury of coveted prospects.

Jackie Bradley Jr. will also cost a tremendous amount to any potential suitor. Bradley Jr. has speed, something the Giants entirely lacked last year, good defense, another aspect the Giants entirely lacked last year, and a solid bat in Center Field, another trait the Giants entirely lacked last year. Are you sensing a trend? The Red Sox apparently covet power-hitting first basemen, which the giants have in Brandon Belt. Unfortunately, Belt alone will likely not be enough to seal the deal given his large contract, injury history, and status as an underrated player. Also, trading the Giants best hitter for an improvement, albeit a significant improvement, in the outfield, will likely only marginally improve the team as a whole.

Billy Hamilton is a Jackie Bradley Jr. clone, but with a little more speed. Also he inexplicably uses a pool noodle in the batter’s box. Because nobody has told him that he’s supposed to hit the ball yet and because the Reds are rebuilding rather than contending, he will likely cost significantly less than Bradley Jr. The Giants have a legitimate shot at landing Hamilton, which would be a thoroughly okay move. Hamilton would provide a huge boost in Center Field defense and give the Giants a weapon on the basepaths. He also would do almost nothing to improve the offense, which is saying something given how awful the offense was last year.

That leaves the Brewers duo of outfielders available for the picking. This is by far the least sexy move the Giants could make this offseason. Trading decent prospects for unheard of, unheralded outfielders doesn’t exactly make the same splash signing Giancarlo Stanton or trading Belt for Bradley Jr. does. That being said, it also doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. This would be the least exciting move the Giants could make and likely the one that wouldn’t handcuff them for the foreseeable future.

So the door is wide open and the proverbial ball is in Bobby Evans’ court. Giancarlo Stanton may be a Yankee and the Giants may have began their offseason by being strung along by superstars, but the G-men can still go to Prom.