San Francisco Giants Predicted to Land Sleeper Starting Pitcher

The San Francisco Giants have been predicted to end up signing a sleeper starting pitcher.

Sep 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) walks on the field before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants are expected to be very active this offseason in MLB free agency. They missed the playoffs last season and would like to make a push to get back into contention in 2025.

As has been the case in recent years, the Giants are expected to be a team that makes a push at some big names this offseason. However, they will also be in the market for some mid-tier players.

Blake Snell is one of the first players that San Francisco will need to figure out. They would love to bring him back, but there is a long line of teams with interest in him.

If he chooses to leave town, the Giants will have to pivot quickly to fill out their rotation.

Danny Demilio of PGH Baseball Now has released his predictions for the top 50 MLB free agents. He has Snell ending up signing with the Boston Red Sox.

To help replace Snell, Demilio has predicted that San Francisco will end up signing Yusei Kikuchi.

Losing Snell would be a tough blow for the Giants. He is one of the best pitchers in baseball when he's playing to his full ability. Hopefully, they can bring him back, but pivoting to a piece like Kikuchi would be helpful if he does walk away.

Kikuchi is coming off of a dominant stretch with the Houston Astros after being acquired at the trade deadline. He pitched at an elite level himself.

After being traded to the Astros, Kikuchi ended up making 10 starts. He compiled a 5-1 record to go along with a 2.70 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, a 5.4 K/BB ratio, and 60.0 innings pitched.

No one should expect him to produce those numbers throughout an entire season, but he's certainly more than capable of being a really good No. 2 option in a rotation. Bringing him in to be a No. 1 ace might be a bit of a risk.

If this is the route that San Francisco ends up heading, they should look to add another starting arm. Simply replacing Snell with Kikuchi would be a step in the wrong direction.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the Giants are able to do this offseason.

Kikuchi would be a very solid target, especially if they were able to retain Snell. Should they lose Snell, Kikuchi would be a solid consolation prize.