MLBTR Mailbag: Giants, Nationals, Grisham, Kim, Mets

This week’s mailbag gets into potential offseason targets for the Giants and Nationals, the potential free agencies of Trent Grisham and Ha-Seong Kim, and the Mets’ current six-man rotation.

Neil asks:

Giants fan here. They are killing me with this Jekyll and Hyde act on offense this year. It’s the .500 team I was expecting but they need more team speed and the OF defense gives me a headache. Who should they target in free agency?

Todd asks:

I see my Giants are hanging on (barely!) in the West, but looking forward to next year, who do they need to acquire to be given an ‘A’ for their off-season next March? Obviously pitching is needed, I’m interested in specific names who they should be targeting. Thanks!

Let’s do a Giants rundown!

C: Having Patrick Bailey as the starter represents a choice to sacrifice offense at the position for Gold Glove defense.  That strategy can work, but you’d ideally make up for the dead spot in the lineup in some other way.
1B: Rafael Devers seems to be improving defensively; he’s been splitting time at first base with Dominic Smith.  In August, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the situation “could turn into a timeshare dependent on top prospect Bryce Eldridge’s development at the position.”  Eldridge, 21 in October, has a 100 wRC+ in 260 Triple-A plate appearances.  He’s still the 19th-ranked prospect in baseball, so if and when he figures out Triple-A, he’s expected to share first base and DH with Devers.
2B: Tyler Fitzgerald, the Giants’ innings leader at the position this year, was optioned to Triple-A a few weeks ago.  Since then we’ve mostly seen Casey Schmitt, with rookie Christian Koss mixed in.  Former top prospect Marco Luciano, at times mentioned as a potential future second baseman, has spent the entire year at Triple-A and has been playing left field.
SS: Willy Adames is settling in with a 149 wRC+ since July.
3B: Matt Chapman has had a couple of IL stints for hand injuries, but he’s still having a typical good year.
LF: Heliot Ramos has hit decently with a 111 wRC+ (and no platoon splits), but he’s been one of the game’s worst defensive left fielders this year.  As such, he’s been worth only 1.1 fWAR.  Ramos is under team control through 2029 and won’t yet be arbitration eligible in 2026.
CF: Jung Hoo Lee has been solid in his first full MLB season and has a 133 wRC+ since July.
RF: With Mike Yastrzemski traded to Kansas City, the Giants have been giving Drew Gilbert and Luis Matos some run.  The samples are too small to really tell right now, but perhaps they could form an adequate platoon.
DH: It’s been Devers, Smith, and Wilmer Flores here.  Smith and Flores may depart as free agents, but the Giants shouldn’t do anything major here given Eldridge’s trajectory and Devers’ defensive limitations.

The Giants’ offense this year ranks ninth in the NL with 4.37 runs scored per game.  Their wRC+ is an even 100.

That’s all the way up to 118 since August, third-best in the NL.  The club has been carried by veterans Devers, Lee, and Chapman in that time, with bonus contributions from Matos and Smith.  For next year, the hope is that Eldridge can come up and contribute, but the Giants can’t really count on it.

Second base seems like a clear need for the Giants.  Gleyber Torres will be a free agent again, and the trade market could offer a few options such as Luis Garcia Jr.

The Giants could use a big bat in the corner outfield.  Kyle Tucker is the obvious choice.  The versatile Cody Bellinger would also fit well in San Francisco.  Adolis Garcia would be a cheaper bounceback candidate.

For Neil’s outfield defense concerns, moving on from Ramos would help.  Defensive upgrades could include Bellinger, Wilyer Abreu, and Luis Robert Jr.

What’s the outlook on the starting pitching side?