Giants sign La Stella, running out of OF options

Coming off the heels of their biggest positional acquisition of the winter, Tommy La Stella, it was rumored that the Giants had added Joc Pederson to the list of outfielders they were looking into. That list included Eddie Rosario and Jackie Bradley Jr. However, as we kick off February, the month in which Spring Training is "supposed" to start, two of those three outfield options have signed elsewhere.

First off, I wanted to talk a little about the Tommy La Stella singing, as I haven't posted since that move was announced last week. It's still unclear what the exact value of the deal is, but we do know it is for 3 years, and I think we have a pretty good idea that the total worth will be in the $18-21 million range. That would fall right in line with the deal Farhan Zaidi gave Wilmer Flores last winter and La Stella compares very well to Flores. He's a left handed bat that can play all over the diamond, granted you probably don't wanna trot him out at shortstop on a regular basis. He can handle right-handed pitching very well and fits to a "T" what Farhan wanted to accomplish this winter; getting better vs. right-handed pitching and finding a left-handed hitter who can plug in at second and third base.

The 32 year-old had his breakout in 2019 when he slashed .295/.346/.486 with 16 home runs and 44 RBI in half a season with the Cardinals before going down with a fracture in his leg. He followed that up with a .303/.393/.510 line with 5 big fly's and 22 RBI in 145 AB's vs. RHP in 2020. The guy knows how to hit, can use all fields and gets on base with regularity. He also has one of the lowest strikeout percentages in baseball which proves he's a tough out. While Oracle Park will likely sap some of his home run power, we saw the ballpark play a little more lively last summer, and his ability to hit the gaps should keep his slugging percentage elevated. Most of La Stella's playing time is destined to come at second and third base as he gives Evan Longoria and Donovan Solano some breaks vs. tougher right-handed pitching. 

While the three-year deal did surprise some people, it makes sense when you look at it deeper. The Giants are going to arbitration with Solano and this very well could be his last year in San Francisco. La Stella provides insurance as a possible replacement at second base in 2022 should that happen as he's proven the last two seasons he's not relegated only to a left-handed platoon player. His salary figure also won't be handicapping them from making other bigger additions in the future.

With left-handed hitting infielder checked off the list, two new starting pitchers in the mix and a couple of bargain deals given to some good relievers, the big glaring need left on the checklist is left-handed hitting outfielder. I'd still love to see them add another starter for depth and to push Logan Webb and provide depth in that rotation as I'm sure they'll need it. I also think it would be wise to grab a late-relief option that could close for them, but that doesn't appear to be a high priority at this time. Another outfielder however, is.

They were most recently linked to Joc Pedereson, after contacting Eddie Rosario and Jackie Bradely Jr. back in mid-January, but as we hit February, only JBJ, of that bunch, is still on the market. I really liked the idea of Rosario's offense being added to this lineup and after seeing the relatively small deal he got from Cleveland, I was a little surprised that the Giants couldn't match or exceed that. It's not like Progressive Field is some hitters paradise compared to Oracle Park, but my guess is Rosario saw a chance at a more regular role there. Same with Pederson, who will finally be going to a very hitter-friendly ballpark after playing half his career games at Dodger Stadium.

Anyway, the Giants will now need to adjust to their backup plan, and that very well could be Bradley Jr. My observation between the three was that JBJ is the one guy that could command a multi-year deal as he's coming off a nice offensive year and is a proven commodity in center field. Maybe the market isn't going to shape up that way, however, and if the Giants could get him on a one-year deal similar to the deals Rosario and Pederson got, then I would absolutely pull that trigger. If they need to compete with some other team and you start getting into the three-year deal range then I honestly think the Giants should hold off and maybe see what the trade market holds as we get into spring training.

After Bradley, the options do fall off quite a bit, as they'd be looking at the likes of Brian Goodwin and Brett Gardner as the next group, and I don't think either of those options are the least bit inspiring, for various reason. I do expect them to make another move or two before spring training starts, whenever that will be. They should be able to nab another veteran starter on the cheap as there are still a bunch of those out there looking for homes in '21. When it comes to the outfield though, it looks like JBJ is about as good an option as they can get at this point, but they won't overpay or panic sign anybody, that's just not the way Farhan operates.