San Francisco Giants Predicted to Sign Veteran Lefty in Free Agency

The San Francisco Giants were recently predicted to sign a former New York Mets starter in free agency.

Oct 17, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jose Quintana (62) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game four of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants are heading into the offseason after another disappointing year, as the franchise was once again under .500 and missed the playoffs. 

Besides one year in 2021, the Giants have struggled for a good part of the last decade. With just two playoff appearances since 2015, San Francisco has to find a way to get more consistent year after year. 

During the season, the Giants made the decision to hire Buster Posey as their new president of baseball operations. Posey won’t be inheriting a great situation, as they are lacking talent in their lineup and could really use a face of the franchise. 

This offseason, the top priority for the organization will be to try and lure one of the top free agent hitters to the Bay Area. That hasn’t been something the team has been able to accomplish in recent years, but early reviews on Posey have been good. 

One area that the team will also have to address is their starting pitching. Blake Snell decided to decline his player option, making him a free agent. While Snell pitched well for the Giants in the second half of the season, he is likely to receive offers well over $100 million.

That might be a bit steep for San Francisco, as its money would be better spent on hitters this winter. 

However, they will need to replace the southpaw. Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicted that San Francisco would sign Jose Quintana to a two-year, $24 million deal. He's seen as an effective left-hander that doesn't require a significant commitment.

Quintana seemed cooked as a viable starter back in 2021, but so much for that. In the last three years, he's made 76 starts and been highly effective with a 3.39 ERA. The lefty's upside is not to be mistaken for a top-of-the-rotation starter. Yet even at his age, he's a solid bet for 150-plus innings that will mostly be filled with ground balls. He notably landed in the 79th percentile with a 48.2 GB% this year.

The 35-year-old free agent actually had a cup of coffee already in his career with the Giants, as he appeared in five games for them during the 2021 season. However, despite some struggles that season with San Francisco and the Los Angeles Angels, he has pitched very well since. 

Last year with the New York Mets, Quintana had a 10-10 record and 3.75 ERA in what was a very solid campaign. 

Signing the southpaw would be a solid move for the Giants, as he is a capable starter and would allow them to spend more money elsewhere.