SF Giants: Zaidi sees 'several avenues' to add a top starting pitcher

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters on Friday that the SF Giants have multiple pathways to upgrading their rotation via free agency.

As the National League West continues to establish itself as one of baseball’s best divisions, the SF Giants will be tasked with finding different tactics to remain competitive. Following the introductory press conference for center fielder of the future Jung-Hoo Lee at Oracle Park on Friday, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi reiterated to reporters that he feels good about the team's chances to reach their goal of upgrading the starting pitching. 

Team Japan pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches during the 2020 Olympics. (2021) / Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

“We still feel good,” Zaidi said. “We’ve talked about that being a goal of ours. It’s going to have to be the right pitcher. We think there are several avenues for us to get there. … We’re having active conversations.”

This isn’t the first time Zaidi has expressed interest in adding additional arms to their current mix of veterans and young players. At his end-of-the-season press conference, Zaidi shied away from the idea of adding rotation depth –– the type of moves the Giants have previously made in past offseasons when they committed to innings from Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani, Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling.

Instead, they’ll likely shift to established arms who could compliment Logan Webb as an additional leader on the staff. Such a move would also allow breathing room for Alex Cobb to recover from his recent hip surgery and let several of the Giants young starters –– like Kyle Harrison and Keaton Winn –– fall into more of a back-end role as they continue to develop against big league hitters.

A few options that fit the bill are looming on the free agent market. The obvious one is Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto (#2-ranked free agent), whom the Giants have already met with. Yamamoto, 25, could be the next big domino to fall with multiple teams –– including the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees –– involved in the sweepstakes.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently predicted that San Francisco will land 2023 NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell (#6-ranked free agent), a left-hander who also fits the ideal description. If they’re still looking for quality on the free agent market, Marcus Stroman (#16-ranked free agent) and Jordan Montgomery (#5-ranked free agent) have proven to be reliable options for a few teams during their careers.

Aside from signing free agents, the Giants could also trade for a top-end starter –– similar to the Dodgers’ recent acquisition of Tampa Bay right-hander Tyler Glasnow. However, Zaidi mentioned that current discussions aren’t trending down that specific road.

“We’re having more active conversations about acquiring starting pitchers via free agency than trade,” Zaidi said.

If they were to trade prospects for an arm or two, there are a few options that would make sense. Chicago White Sox righty Dylan Cease has been a perennial Cy Young candidate in the American League for a few years now, even despite his down 2023 campaign. The 27-year-old is under club control for two more seasons. Cleveland’s Shane Bieber and Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes are also viable pieces that could fit San Francisco’s plans.