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It’s been a rather rough offseason for the San Francisco Giants so far. After just missing out on signing Aaron Judge to anchor their lineup for the next decade or so, the Giants turned their attention to Carlos Correa, and they seemed set to land him on a 13-year, $350 million deal. Instead, Correa has left San Francisco at the altar, and shockingly decided to sign with the New York Mets instead for 12 years, $315 million.
This is pretty much the most crushing thing that could have happened to the Giants. They made it known they were going to be aggressive spenders this offseason, and they were pursuing many of the big name free agents available. But they have missed out on every one of those big name targets, which is a huge loss for San Francisco.
It’s going to be tough to overcome the sting of just barely missing out on Correa, but the offseason isn’t over for the Giants just yet. There’s still time for them to make some moves that could help set them up to reemerge as a playoff contender in a suddenly crowded National League playoff picture. Let’s take a look at three such moves, and see why the Giants seriously need to make these moves.
3. Re-sign Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria
The Giants probably would have liked to have avoided re-signing veterans Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria this offseason, but they don’t really have any choice at this point. They struck out on their big targets this offseason, and they need players to fill in their lineup as they look to barge their way back into the playoff picture.
Both guys aren’t exactly getting any younger, but they still have value as cheaper veterans who can come in and produce when they are healthy. Belt struggled last season when he played (.213 BA, 8 HR, 23 RBI, .676 OPS) but he is just one season removed from hitting 29 home runs in only 97 games of action. Longoria was a bit better (.244 BA, 14 HR, 42 RBI, .767 OPS) and is consistent if nothing else at third base.