San Francisco Giants See Two More First Base Targets Find New Teams

The San Francisco Giants lost two potential first base targets on Saturday night as Josh Naylor and Carlos Santana.

Sep 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana (30) celebrates his solo home run as he runs the bases during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Target Field. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have been among the teams around Major League Baseball looking for a first baseman. This winter is the ideal time for the Giants to need a first baseman, but options are starting to run low after Saturday.

Shortly before 6 p.m. Eastern time, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Josh Naylor was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-hander Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B pick.

Cecconi, a young starter, will have an opportunity to pitch for a Cleveland Guardians team that's gotten the best out of their arms. He was once considered a big-time prospect in the high school ranks and should benefit from pitching in the Guardians' organization.

About 25 minutes after Passan announced the deal between Cleveland and the Diamondbacks, he reported that Carlos Santana had reached an agreement with the Guardians.

The deal is for one-year, $12 million, pending a physical.

Naylor, viewed as a trade candidate, and Santana, considered a free agent target for San Francisco, are now off the board.

The Giants don't have to add a first baseman this winter, but Lamonte Wade Jr. hits free agency in 2026. If San Francisco doesn't believe it has a chance to re-sign their left-hander, trading him would be the logical thing to do.

Wade is a decent player, but his lack of power out of the first base position is a bit worrisome. He's posted OBP numbers throughout the last two campaigns, finishing with a .373 OBP in 2023 and a .380 OBP in 2024.

On the contrary, he's yet to hit more than 18 home runs in a season.

The Giants could keep Wade for one more year and bide their time hoping that their top prospect at the position and in the organization, Bryce Eldridge, is ready to take over either sometime in 2025 or to start 2026. Eldridge soared from Class-A to Triple-A this past season and the 2023 first-round pick did some time in the Arizona Fall League.

There are more options on the market for the Giants. Landing Santana or Naylor would've been a positive, but the offseason has still been an impressive one, and if they add another starter and grab one of the first basemen on the market, things could be better next year.