Report: SF Giants not interested in pair of top free agent shortstops

The SF Giants are eyeing an upgrade to their shortstop depth, but that will not be longtime Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, per Ken Rosenthal.

Marc Delucchi | Jan 9, 2024

Report: SF Giants not interested in pair of top free agent shortstops /

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San Francisco Giants

As the SF Giants round the corner toward the final stretch of the offseason, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has consistently said the team hopes acquiring some shortstop depth. While the team remains committed to giving shortstop Marco Luciano an opportunity to start, they lack veteran insurance. With that said, according to a report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Giants will not be signing a free agent like longtime Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson or former Los Angeles Dodgers free agent Amed Rosario.

SF Giants shortstop Marco Luciano fields a grounder by Boston Red Sox second baseman Justin Turner during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. (2023) — SF Giants SS Marco Luciano fields a grounder against the Red Sox. (2023) / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

"The additional shortstop, according to a source briefed on the Giants’ thinking, could be a flexible, multi-positional type, another young middle infielder to compete with Luciano or, perhaps least likely, a front-line player who would force the Giants either to demote Luciano or play him at second or third," wrote Rosenthal. "The only option not under consideration is a veteran such as Amed Rosario or Tim Anderson who might be only marginally better than Luciano."

Anderson is coming off easily the worst season of his career. The two-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger was only able to muster a .245/.286/.296 triple-slash this season with 21 extra-base hits (just one home run) in 524 plate appearances (123 games). His defense and speed have also taken steps back in recent years, according to Statcast metrics like Sprint Speed and Outs Above Average.

Despite coming off such a terrible season, the 31-year old Anderson still has an impressive enough track record to receive a big-league opportunity next season. After all, from 2019-2022, he hit .313/.347/.474 and was clearly one of the best players on the Chicago White Sox.

Another veteran infielder with a long history at short, Rosario hit .263/.305/.378 this past season between the Guardians and Dodgers. While his offensive numbers were right in line with his career tallies, his defensive performance at shortstop has always graded horribly by metrics like Outs Above Average. Granted, in a small-sample with the Dodgers, Rosario did grade out far better.

Nevertheless, per Ken Rosenthal, the SF Giants are not interested in signing veteran free agents Tim Anderson or Amed Rosario. Instead, Farhan Zaidi will be bringing in a different piece of insurance for Marco Luciano as he looks to supplant Brandon Crawford as the franchise's everyday shortstop.

Published Jan 9, 2024

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).