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Although the San Francisco Giants‘ offseason hasn’t gone exactly according to plan, they’ve made some significant additions. Could they put a bow on top of their winter by reeling in outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler and third baseman Matt Chapman in free agency?
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly offered predictions on February 8 for where the remaining top free agents could sign. His predictions for Soler and Chapman had them both heading to San Francisco.
The Giants began the offseason with pursuits of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Both ultimately failed, as each player went to the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco’s National League West rival. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi pivoted by signing outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and starting pitcher Jordan Hicks via free agency. Left-handed hurler Robbie Ray was also acquired for the rotation via trade.
If Soler and Chapman were to sign with the Giants, they’d presumably be the primary designated hitter and third baseman, respectively. Wilmer Flores is currently penciled in as the DH and J.D. Davis is the third baseman, per FanGraphs’ Roster Resource.
Giants Have Been Previously Linked to Soler and Chapman
It sometimes feels like free-agent predictions can come out of nowhere. But when it comes to what Kelly said for Soler and Chapman, it’s very realistic.
San Francisco’s interest in Chapman is not new. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman linked these two together as far back as November 16. The soon-to-be 31-year-old also has a handful of connections with the Giants. Zaidi was with the Oakland Athletics when they drafted Chapman in 2014 and current Giants manager Bob Melvin was his skipper while with the A’s.
San Francisco’s interest in Soler is more recent. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle mentioned on February 7 that both sides have engaged in discussions.
Each player would provide something the Giants could desperately use. Chapman is a four-time Gold Glove Award winner who plays just about every day. He hasn’t appeared in fewer than 140 games during a full season since 2018. As for Soler, he’d bring elite power to a lineup that doesn’t have much of it.
He’s registered three seasons of at least 27 home runs, including 48 in 2019 for the Kansas City Royals and 36 in 2023 for the Miami Marlins. According to ZiPS projections, infielder David Villar is expected to lead the Giants in home runs with 18.
San Francisco Already Just Hoping for a Wild Card Spot?
The Dodgers have been the team to beat in the NL West since 2013. They’ve brought home a division title 10 times over the last 11 seasons. After committing more than $1 billion to player salaries this winter, winning the NL West again is a near certainty according to projection systems.
Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA standings have Los Angeles running away with the division with 102.1 wins and 59.9 losses. No other NL West squad is projected for more than 86 wins. Here’s what the standings look like:
- Dodgers: 102.1-59.9
- Arizona Diamondbacks: 85.3-76.7
- Giants: 81.0-81.0
- San Diego Padres: 79.5-82.5
- Colorado Rockies: 57.8-104.2
San Francisco’s current chances of making the playoffs are just 34.7%. While signing both Chapman and Soler wouldn’t theoretically help them compete with the Dodgers at the top of the division, it’d help their overall postseason chances quite a bit.
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