San Francisco Giants Listed as Potential Fit for Ace from Division Rival

The San Francisco Giants were recently listed as a potential fit for a pitcher from one of their divisional rivals.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty (0) pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have entered free agency as a very intriguing team to keep an eye on after some years of struggles. 

It was another disappointing season for the Giants in 2024, as they finished under the .500 mark. With new President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey in charge, he will have his work cut out for him trying to improve a team that has been stuck in mediocrity. 

So far this offseason, San Francisco did suffer a tough loss as Blake Snell went to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a massive deal. The Giants losing Snell shouldn’t have been too surprising, as he was going to be highly-sought after a great second half of the season. 

The southpaw going to the arch-rival is a tough pill to swallow, and San Francisco will now be exploring ways to try and replace him. 

Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report updated his Top-25 free agents available and their best potential fits. For the Giants, they were linked to starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. 

“Flaherty is more of a mid-rotation type than a No. 1, and even that is assuming good health. To this end, his track record is iffy. And even if they didn't cost him substantial time on the injured list, the issues he had with his back this year are worth worrying about. Even still, there's a real chance of Flaherty parlaying the one-year, $14 million deal he took last winter into a nine-figure contract.”

Pursing Flaherty would be a nice little punch back to the rivals who just signed their ace, as the right-hander just recently won a World Series with the Dodgers. While Snell is obviously a better pitcher than Flaherty, the Giants would be getting him at a far cheaper price, which will allow them to spend elsewhere. 

The 29-year-old had a really strong 2024 campaign, as he totaled a 13-7 record and 3.17 ERA with both the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

It was an excellent bounce-back season for the right-hander after a tough 2023, and he is set for a nice contract this winter. 

For the Giants, adding a mid-tier starter like Flaherty at a decent price would be a good replacement for Snell. While he likely won’t be as good, they need to upgrade in multiple other areas. 

With the National League West being one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, San Francisco is going to have to make some impact signings if they want to keep up.