Bobby Evans is pushing in all of his chips.
After a 64-98 finish in 2017, the Giants’ general manager had no choice but to bet big.
Following a devastating downfall that featured a tumble into last place, Evans and the rest of the Giants’ front office understood that they were no longer sitting on a throne built of ice. The diamonds that glistened on World Series rings in 2010, 2012 and 2014 have lost some of their luster, and San Francisco’s fan base had little reason to expect the franchise’s current roster to reverse the club’s fortune. In other words, when the season finally ended, the seats were heating up.
Evans will take the criticism. After all, a middle-of-the-order featuring Buster Posey, Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria is so “2000-and-late.” But to Evans and the Giants, that doesn’t matter. The Giants aren’t concerned about what the team will look like in 2020, 2023 and 2025 just yet. They need to win, and they need to do it right now.
That’s why the criticism of what the Giants’ roster will look like deep into the future isn’t a primary concern. At the moment, the Giants have three faces of the franchise in a heart of the order that can still scare Major League pitching staffs. Most importantly, it’s a heart of the order that can play at AT&T Park.
The pursuit of Jay Bruce ended last week. The rumors of Carlos Gonzalez to the Giants should be tossed out the window. San Francisco didn’t need a left-handed power hitter, nor should they have wanted one. The team’s leading home run hitter from last season, Brandon Belt, can now hit in the sixth spot in the Giants order. The team’s slick-fielding shortstop, Brandon Crawford, can now hit seventh. That’s a lineup that can contend.
Longoria has rarely played in front of a home crowd featuring more than 25,000 fans. McCutchen is 31 years old and entering a contract year. Posey has never had this kind of protection in the Giants’ order. It’s a three-headed monster that is probably past its prime, and while that’s a red flag, it’s a trio that can still do damage. Longoria has hit at least 20 home runs in five straight seasons. McCutchen has reached the 20-home run threshold in seven consecutive campaigns. Posey is a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner who hit .320 last season.
The Giants’ lineup has its flaws, to be sure. Furthermore, it’s not yet clear whether McCutchen has the juice left to cover center field in National League West ballparks. But at the very least, Evans just acquired a player coming off a 28-home run campaign who can play provide pop from a corner outfield position. And he reportedly didn’t surrender a top-three prospect in San Francisco’s farm system to pull off the deal.
Should the trade for McCutchen be the final move the Giants make this offseason, Evans can rest comfortably knowing he pulled off a pair of blockbuster deals to put his club in position to contend. Sure, the Giants are coming off a last place finish and only upgraded two positions, but this is a team that’s now loaded with star power and proven winners. Though the team is still missing one full-time outfielder, all seven position players projected to start have been named to at least one All-Star team. Four of those starters –Posey, Longoria, McCutchen and Hunter Pence– are at least three-time All-Stars.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the Giants’ offseason to date is that Evans has completed two significant trades, all while holding onto three of the team’s top four prospects and staying under the luxury tax. McCutchen’s $14.5 million salary in 2018 pushes the Giants right up against the $197 million ceiling, but it doesn’t force the team over the threshold. While San Francisco might still opt to sign a center fielder or make a deadline trade, the Giants at least have the flexibility to remain under the tax if the team chooses to do so.
To make all of this possible, the Giants unloaded the contracts of Denard Span and Matt Moore, two veterans who were owed a combined $20 million, and traded prospect Christian Arroyo, who was billed as a potential third baseman of the future, but coming off of significant injuries and hand surgery. Put simply, to gain a lot (Longoria and McCutchen), the Giants surrendered very little.
Though Evans will continue to face criticism for decisions that might jeopardize the long-term success of the franchise, his focus and determination on turning the Giants into an immediate success deserves praise. If the Giants do contend for a playoff spot next season, and perhaps challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers for National League West supremacy, Evans will have a serious case to win Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year Award.
After watching his club suffer through a miserable 2017 season, Evans identified the Giants’ primary weaknesses, and added two stars who have the chance to lead San Francisco to a destination that once appeared implausible. By retaining top prospects Heliot Ramos, Tyler Beede and Chris Shaw while still providing a buffer against the luxury tax, Evans accomplished an extraordinary feat.
While the Giants still have to take care of business on the field, Evans’ offseason gambles have provided a foundation for the franchise to succeed. If in fact the club earns a coveted playoff berth next season, the Giants’ general manager will be squarely in the discussion for Executive of the Year.