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SF Giants: Farhan Zaidi hints at a more aggressive approach to free agency

Farhan Zaidi joined MLB Network Radio and hinted that the SF Giants could be more aggressive at the top of the free agent market this offseason.

Marc Delucchi

SF Giants: Farhan Zaidi hints at a more aggressive approach to free agency
SF Giants: Farhan Zaidi hints at a more aggressive approach to free agency /
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All eyes are going to be on the SF Giants heading into this offseason. Amidst a disappointing 2022 campaign, fans are clamoring for Giants president of baseball operations to make his first big splash this winter. Given San Francisco's recent history as one of the biggest spenders in MLB, front offices around the league are wondering if Zaidi will finally use the Giants payroll flexibility to add a big-name free agent. During an appearance on The Front Office on MLB Network Radio on Sunday, Zaidi hinted that the Giants could be leaning in that direction.

Through three offseasons as San Francisco's top decision maker, Zaidi has yet to sign a player to a contract worth at least $45 million. Zaidi was asked about this seemingly tentative approach to free agency. "I always viewed the last offseason and this offseason as a time of big transition for our organization. We had a bunch of veteran players when I came in whose contracts were going to be up last offseason and this coming offseason and with the success we had last season... it made sense for us to not be too aggressive," he explained. However, Zaidi acknowledged that with the Giants far underperforming compared to last season, "Everything is on the table for us [this winter], including going out and being aggressive at the top end of the free agent market."

If the Giants do pursue a star this offseason, there are several enticing potential targets. It will be very interesting to see if they do make a significant financial commitment this winter. If they do, all eyes will be on the first major signing of the Zaidi era.

Here's the full clip of Zaidi's answer (the full interview is not available online):

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Marc Delucchi
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).

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