With Correa in tow, what's next for Giants?

It's been a roller coaster month of December for the Giants and their fans. 

They just barely missed out on luring the big fish of the free agent market into town during the Winter Meetings but landed perhaps the better fit just a week later.

We've heard a ton over the last week or so how Carlos Correa was a huge get for the Giants and a must-add after they came up short on Judge. No need to go over the optics and explain how important it was for this franchise to get this player. Plain and simple, they now have a 28 year-old superstar shortstop who can rake, play top-end defense, thrives in the spotlight and has the pedigree to improve further as he gets deeper into his prime.

Not to mention, the Giants will be paying him an average salary just south of $27 million per year over the course of this contract while the Yankees are paying Judge $40 million. 

It was a great move, one I think 95% of the fan base is happy with, but it can't end here.

The Giants are still a little ways behind the Dodgers and Padres in this division, at least on paper. I don't know that they can do enough this offseason to surpass those teams, but there are still a couple moves they can make that will improve their odds.

With Correa on the roster, the Giants infield is pretty much set. Whether Brandon Crawford winds up at second base or third base, they have in-house options to step in to whatever position he does not fill. I like the idea of Crawford going to third and letting Thairo Estrada and David Villar battle it out for time at second base. 

That being said, if the Giants do indeed want the strongest possible defense up the middle, it would make sense to put BCraw at second. It wouldn't surprise me to see Kap try out a few different combos in the spring.

Now, as far as first base, there are a number of things they could still do here. Right now it looks like Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade will form a platoon on most days, with JD Davis also in the mix. I doubt we see a Brandon Belt return at this point, but someone who they could look to is Wil Myers if he is still floating around come late January. 

Myers is a solid defensive first basemen, has always hit pretty well at Oracle Park and has the versatility to play all over the diamond, something which the Giants covet. If someone like that falls into their laps on one of those one-year "prove it" deals then maybe it makes some sense, but I don't think they're actively seeking out further infield help right now.

One of the places where they are still active is the outfield market, particularly center field. If they do plan on adding someone to play center, it will likely have to be via trade. 

There are a few guys out there that could make sense in filling that outfield void. 

Bryan Reynolds is the best available, but he seems like a long shot unless the Giants are ready to deplete the top-end of their shallow farm system. 

The one name I do keep circling back to is Ramon Laureano. He's coming off a down year but he's always shown good instincts in center and has the wheels to cover ground in this spacious outfield. He's got some tools they could work with and refine. Plus he's only 28 and would fit into their plan of getting younger and more athletic up the middle. The A's are getting rid of everyone it seems, and I'm sure Laureano could be had, although the elusive Giants-A's trade doesn't happen very often.

Michael A. Taylor from KC is one of the better defensive outfielders in the game but doesn't have the offensive potential that Laureano has.

They could also opt to add someone to come in and play right field, slot Mitch Haniger into left and continue using Mike Yastrzemski in center. That would alleviate having to use Wade, Joc Pederson and Luis Gonzalez in the corners, which would be an improvement over last year in itself. 

Aside from the improving the defense in the outfield and potentially first base, the area they must address is the end of their bullpen. It's an area that I really felt they overlooked last winter and they can't make the same mistake twice.

They have depth now in their rotation and front end of their bullpen, but they could use another arm at the back-end to set-up and assist Camilo Doval with closing duties. Luckily for them, this is an area where the free agent market is still pretty deep. Although, with the numbers being thrown at relievers right now, Farhan could wait it out and see which options are still sitting there in a month.

The two most intriguing names are Taylor Rogers and Corey Knebel. Both of them have closed successfully and would help shorten games in late inning roles. 

The Giants witnessed Knebel up close in 2021 and saw his effectiveness while he pitched for the Dodgers. He got hurt towards the end of last season with the Phillies and I'm not sure what his current status is but if/when he's healthy he's one of the nastier right-handers in the league.

Rogers is a guy who could still get a deal to close full-time somewhere and may require a bigger commitment than the Giants would like. However, he has ties to the organization and could be enticed to team up with his twin brother and come pitch in this ballpark.

There are other options too, including former Giants' closer Will Smith, Seth Lugo, Mychal Givens, Brad Hand, Andrew Chafin and perhaps the most polarizing, Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman actually would make some sense for both parties in a lot of ways. The Giants love those reclamation projects with exceptional stuff and pitchers have done very well for themselves coming here for a year or two and re-finding/realizing their potential. They aren't usually at the back end of their careers like Chapman is, however. I'm also not sure that the flame-throwing lefty is the type of personality that would fit into this clubhouse. 

Carlos Correa is now the centerpiece of this team and his signing has made the additions of Haniger, Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea look even better. It's been a successful winter for the Giants, even with this rotation losing Carlos Rodon. They are a better team today than they were in October and we still have a lot of offseason left. Hopefully they're not done just yet.