San Francisco Giants Crack ‘Realistic Threats’ List To Steal Yankees Star

How far down the 'realistic threats' list is the San Francisco Giants to land this New York Yankees star in free agency?

Jun 2, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants already made one major splash this offseason by shaking up their front office.

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was relieved of his duties and replaced by former star catcher, Buster Posey.

The three-time World Series champion has his work cut out for him to bring his team back to prominence. For most of the last decade, the level of performance Posey was a part of during the Giants' run of world championships has not been achieved. It's on him to change it.

The Giants have the money to spend on big-time players, but convincing people to come to the Bay Area is a challenge. Not only is the cost of living expensive, but the 13.3 percent tax on high earners turns a lot of people away.

On top of that, Oracle Park is far from a hitters' haven. Pitchers may line up to call the stadium home, but it is a place batters want to avoid. Look no further than J.D. Martinez, who took less money last offseason so he wouldn't land in San Francisco.

That is why it is hard to envision the Giants being real players for someone the caliber of Juan Soto in free agency. But, MLB insider Jon Heyman has reported they are legit contenders in the race to land him.

They also barely cracked the top eight of the realistic landing spots list that Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report put together recently.

If they were to land Soto, it would be a welcome change to how recent free agent pursuits have gone. The Giants took swings at Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, Giancarlo Stanton, Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper and Martinez, to name a few.

The Giants can afford to sign these kind of players. But convincing them that San Francisco is the place to be, given some of the noted obstacles, has proven incredibly tough to overcome.

It will be interesting to see if things change with Posey leading the front office. He reportedly played a key role in third baseman Matt Chapman’s extension with the team that he agreed to in September. 

Could that have been the first domino to fall and change the perception of the franchise? Only time will tell, as there have been some warnings that expectations this offseason need to be tempered as spending may not be as free-flowing as originally thought.