San Francisco Giants Linked to Possible Reunion With Free Agent Former All-Star

The San Francisco Giants could turn back the clock and bring back a former All-Star slugger.
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While fans might not like it, the San Francisco Giants are not necessarily expected to make a massive splash in free agency this offseason.

Everyone wants to land Juan Soto, but the chances for the best hitter in baseball to be playing in San Francisco next season appear slimmer by the day. Willy Adames or another major shortstop addition is still in play, but if the Giants strike out on the cream of the crop type players on the open market as they have frequently in the past, where will they turn?

There will be quality options out there for San Francisco in the second, third, and even fourth tier of free agents who can help the team in 2025 coming off seven missed postseasons over the last eight years, but finding the right fit as to where to stretch the budget will be the biggest challenge of Buster Posey's first offseason at the helm. One interesting option proposed by Spencer Tracy of Just Baseball is a potential reunion with a former fan favorite All-Star in current Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson.

"Pederson had a 1.052 OPS with RISP this past season while hitting .301. This was another issue for the Giants hitting .234 as a team with RISP position which was 24th in the league. A major issue that cost the Giants a handful of games this season," Tracy wrote. "Another attraction for Pederson is at 32 years old and only seen as a platoon power bat, it won’t break the bank. This would allow Posey to fill other holes in the roster while simultaneously getting more outfield depth and power."

Pederson's 2022 season with the Giants was one of the best of his career and just the second time in 11 years in the big leagues he was named an All-Star. After his numbers dropped the following season, San Francisco moved on.

After the team let him walk last winter, Pederson responded with a 2024 season in Arizona in which he set career highs in batting average, OPS, and OPS+ while raking for a divisional rival.

Pederson is not expected to receive a large contract and would certainly not light the world on fire in terms on an injection of excitement to the fanbase, but he would be a quality signing who already has experience with the team and is capable of delivering quality at bats next season at a bargain.


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