The SF Giants should claim OF Estevan Florial off waivers

The New York Yankees designated former top prospect Estevan Florial for assignment. Should the SF Giants try to acquire the young outfielder?

The New York Yankees have designated outfielder Estevan Florial for assignment to clear a roster spot for recently acquired right-handed pitcher Colten Brewer. Given the SF Giants aggressiveness on the waiver wire under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, it's worth wondering if San Francisco should place a claim on the 25-year-old outfielder. The Yankees could also still attempt to trade Florial before a waiver claim is executed.

New York Yankees center fielder Estevan Florial works out during spring training. (2023) / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants used some of their roster flexibility to add outfielder Bryce Johnson to the big-league roster on Saturday, but they still have some obvious moves at their disposal. Recently acquired corner bat Matt Beaty can be optioned to the minors without being exposed to waivers and could even be a candidate to be designated for assignment soon. Even Johnson could soon be headed back to the minors, possibly even waivers.

Florial was once a consensus top-100 prospect in the minors and the top prospect in the Yankees farm system. A native of the Dominican Republic, Florial has long excited scouts with an impressive combination of speed and power. His prospect stock peaked after 2017, when he hit .298/.372/.479 with 13 home runs and 23 stolen bases as a 19-year-old between Single-A and High-A.

In the years since evaluators have been waiting for Florial to make enough contact to establish himself as a big leaguer. However, his long left-handed swing has been unable to do that against big-league competition.

Florial has only received 63 big-league plate appearances in his career but has struck out 21 times with a .185/.302/.278 triple-slash. While he hit .283/.368/.481 with 15 homers and 39 stolen bases at Triple-A last season, he still struck out in 30.4% of his plate appearances.

Out of minor-league options, the Yankees were forced to either keep Florial on the big-league roster or designate him for assignment. With Florial recording a 38.8% strikeout rate and .548 OPS during spring training, New York has decided to move on.

Florial's struggles to put the ball in play would suggest the Giants may not be as interested in giving him an opportunity. With that said, the young outfielder also has a patient approach, consistently walking in more than 10% of his plate appearances throughout his career, something Zaidi has prioritized. Moreover, he remains a plus runner with plus power potential.

Trying to acquire a fringe roster piece with the Yankees is nothing new for Zaidi and the Giants front office. San Francisco has previously tried to capitalize on the fringes of the Yankees roster by acquiring outfielder Mike Tauchman and infielder Thairo Estrada in minor trades with the Bronx Bombers. Both Tauchman and Estrada were in similar situations to Florial, buried on the Yankees depth chart.

With the SF Giants lacking athleticism and young players, taking a flier on someone with Estevan Florial's potential seems well worth a try. Moreover, with Austin Slater, Mitch Haniger, and Luis González all on the injured list, they have a prime opportunity to give Florial some opportunities. Since both Beaty and Johnson can be optioned to the minors, finding a spot on the roster should be doable.