In 2014, the Boston Red Sox stole a third baseman from the Giants and now it’s time to return the favor. Eduardo Nunez is on the free agent market and it makes too much sense for the Giants not to sign their former utility man.
During his time in San Francisco, not only did Nunez build a good relationship with the organization, he also proved his versatility in the field and strength in the batter’s box, swatting .293 on the year with eight home runs and 31 stolen bases.
Most notably with Nunez, despite only playing parts of two seasons with the Giants, the bond between he and his teammates showed in the moments following his mid-game trade to the Red Sox last July.
Eventually, the man fondly known as “Nuney” played his way into the role of Giants’ everyday third baseman, a role with a giant question mark at this point in the offseason. Pablo Sandoval made an impression at the end of last season and Christian Arroyo deserves a second chance, but Nunez is a proven player in his prime and the clear best option of those three players.
Now to peep the elephant in the room: the injury Nunez suffered during last year’s playoffs.
On the first pitch of his first at-bat of the postseason, Nunez injured his right knee sprinting towards first base and had to be carried off the field. Considering his success at the plate continued after being traded to the Red Sox, batting .321 with eight home runs, the injury is sure to play a serious factor in how seriously teams pursue Nunez and, most importantly, how much money they’re willing to pay him.
Before the Giants paid the $3.5 million of the remaining $5.6 million the Twins owed him from 2016-17, Nunez never received anything close to a super deal in his eight years in the major leagues. Add that onto his recent injury and it’s likely Nunez’s worth on the free agent market will take a hit. If the Giants are willing to take the leap and believe Nunez will recover from his knee injury, his contract would still be manageable–something probably to the tune of $4 million over three or four years.
The other side of the blade that is Nunez’s double edged sword of an injury is that it may scare away interested parties who are not as familiar with Nunez as the Giants are. After his short time in San Francisco, the Giants already know Nunez as a key cog in their up-beat locker room and a veteran leader. If he can rebound from his injury and continue to perform at the level he has the past two years, there’s no question the Giants should find a way to bring him back to the Bay.