The San Francisco Giants needed a right-handed power hitter, and they finally went out and got their man.
Well, that’s not exactly what the Giants did on Tuesday morning when they agreed to terms on a one-year deal with backup catcher Nick Hundley, but it is true that Hundley hit more home runs at AT&T Park than any other right-handed hitter in the team’s lineup last season.
As one of the most reliable and consistent reserve catchers in the league, Hundley brought good value to the Giants in 2017, even if the club won just 64 games. His presence was lauded throughout the Giants’ clubhouse, as teammates rewarded Hundley with the prestigious Willie Mac Award during his first year with the organization. His dependability behind the plate was critical in a lost season, as it allowed manager Bruce Bochy to rest Buster Posey during the second half of the year and play Posey at first base more frequently, which became even more important after the team lost Brandon Belt to a concussion.
While the Giants struggled to a last-place finish this year and had every reason to switch up the dynamics of the club’s roster this offseason, general manager Bobby Evans hasn’t been afforded much flexibility. In fact, Hundley was the team’s only free agent, and the Giants made it clear during the second half of the season that they hoped to bring him back in 2018.
Though terms of Hundley’s deal were not announced by the franchise, Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle reported Hundley will make $2.5 million next season. Gauging the market for backup catchers is always difficult, but there was some belief that based on Hundley’s play this year that a team with a better chance to contend might be able to entice him into signing a two-year deal worth about $6 or $7 million. In all likelihood, the market for Hundley’s services probably didn’t increase the way some parties expected, and he was clearly very happy in a Giants’ uniform. If the Giants can find a way to make their roster more competitive next year, Hundley could become even more of an asset, as he brings a winning mindset to the table and has the intangibles managers yearn for from key role players.
Fortunately for the Giants and for Hundley, his deal should allow San Francisco a bit more flexibility in the coming days to make improvements to the roster. Hundley’s contract isn’t so team-friendly that Evans will be on the line with Todd Frazier or Jay Bruce in the next few minutes, but it could buy the Giants the extra million dollars they need to sign another reliever who can aid a bullpen that needs another trusted arm.
Prior to signing Hundley, the Giants had roughly $20 million to divide among new acquisitions and a checklist of adding a center fielder, a third baseman and help in the bullpen. Though Hundley doesn’t address any of those primary needs, it was a foregone conclusion that San Francisco needed to sign a backup catcher to play behind Posey this season because the team’s top catching prospect won’t be ready for Major League competition until at least the end of the 2018 season. That prospect, Aramis Garcia, was a second round pick in 2014 and has already been added to the 40-man roster, but he’s never played a game above AA-Richmond. Because Garcia has demonstrated plenty of promise in the Minor Leagues and has already made two appearances in the Arizona Fall League, the Giants probably see Garcia as a legitimate option to back up Posey come 2019, which is another reason Hundley’s one-year deal gives the franchise flexibility.
With former Giants’ pitcher Matt Moore off the payroll for next season thanks to a recent trade with the Texas Rangers and Hundley’s contract now on the books, various estimates have the team sitting anywhere between $15 and $19 million below the competitive balance tax threshold. That threshold, which rests at $197 million, is the payroll figure the Giants are determined to stay under next season, and any money the team saved on Hundley’s deal will help San Francisco do that.
The key, now, for the Giants, is determining the quickest path to filling out their roster and making the necessary improvements that would allow San Francisco to contend as soon as next season. In the coming days, expect to hear Denard Span’s name in trade talks, because any deal he’s involved in would free the Giants of the $11 million they owe him in 2018. Span could be flipped to a team like Tampa Bay for Evan Longoria, who will make $13.5 million next season and is signed through 2022. If the team pulls off a deal like this, the Giants would only add another $2.5 million to their payroll, which would free up the remaining total to go to a center fielder and a reliever, or a corner outfielder like Bruce and bullpen help.
If the Giants are unable to include Span in a trade, they might need to be more patient on the free agent market and wait for the market for certain players to come down. There’s always a chance the team brings back Eduardo Nunez at third base, but doing so at $10 or $11 million a year on a two-year deal wouldn’t make sense from a financial standpoint. If Nunez remains unsigned in a week or two, the Giants might look to bring him in at $6 or $7 million and then swing a trade for a center fielder, or they could wait on the market for certain outfielders to decline.
Ultimately, the Hundley signing was a necessary move for a Giants team that will do everything in its power to stay under the CBT threshold this offseason. If the Giants are able to swing a trade for a third baseman or outfielder and dump Span’s salary, then staying under that $197 million figure and becoming more competitive are realistic and attainable goals. If San Francisco is forced to be patient, the Giants may find that their options will shrink, and suddenly, the franchise’s mission of contending will look much more bleak.