{Note: I started this on July 24th, and though most of it was done, I forgot about it, and just finished it today. Of course, the trade deadline is now way in the past, so I added the addendum, as well as tweaked some, as I am wont to do}
I received an email on July 24th from the SF Standard, and the writer described their view of what the Giants have gone through from the end of Evans’ tenure as GM, to Zaidi and finally to Posey. I will quote here since not everyone gets this:
This is a franchise that desperately needs to start over.
The Giants consider “rebuild” a dirty word, but their atrocious play demands they consider a process they’ve scoffed at.
It’s time to abandon the typical offseason approach of signing veteran free agents to fill every roster hole. From Bobby Evans to Farhan Zaidi to Posey, it’s clear that regardless of which executive is calling the shots, those free-agent signings have created even more problems.
The last time the Giants had such a clear chance to rebuild, they ignored the opportunity. After a 98-loss 2017 season, Evans traded for Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen, signed Austin Jackson, and insisted they could compete for an NL West crown while staying under MLB’s luxury tax threshold.
An 89-loss season cost Evans his job and ushered in the Zaidi era.
If the Giants are serious about building a contender again, the team’s next few offseasons should look a lot like Zaidi’s first.
Entering 2019, the Giants signed switch-pitcher Pat Venditte, re-signed lefty Derek Holland, and added another southpaw, Drew Pomeranz, on a one-year contract. They also made a series of waiver claims, minor-league trades, and minor moves that were so difficult to keep track of that fans grew furious.
The most important part of Zaidi’s first offseason: He didn’t acquire anyone who blocked an emerging prospect from securing meaningful opportunities with the Giants’ major-league club.
The only issue? The Giants didn’t really have any emerging prospects.
Trade acquisition Mike Yastrzemskidebuted in May and 2014 draftee Logan Webb arrived in August, but the farm system was so underwhelming that clearing the way for young talent didn’t lead to much of a long-term payoff.
The opposite is true now. Signing more Tyler Mahles, Adrian Housers, and Harrison Baders will block the path for a pipeline that features more promising prospects. And it’s a group that should only grow stronger when the Giants start dealing away veterans before the Aug. 3 deadline.
The Giants’ performance demands drastic action. The focus must shift from the present to the future and from identifying major leaguers who can help now to minor leaguers who can help eventually. The face of the franchise, Bryce Eldridge, isn’t going anywhere, but everyone else is tradable.
If the Giants don’t rebuild now, they never will.