Grading San Francisco's Offseason

The day of joy is finally upon us. After what has seemed like an eternity, baseball finally returns. In a couple of hours, the Giants will face off against the Los Angeles Angels in Scottsdale, and all is well in the world.

While it has been a long ride since the Giants season ended last October, there have been some fireworks along the way. This offseason has had no shortage of excitement for baseball fans in San Francisco. In an effort to bounce back from a disappointing odd-year, once again characterized by injuries to key players up and down the stretch, the Giants front office spared no expense in the pursuit of accumulating some of the top talent on the free agent market, signing Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Denard Span. While Cueto, Samardzija, and Span were on their way in, more than a couple were on the way out, including more than a couple long-time Giants.

So, in these few hours before the offseason officially ends, let’s reflect on all the offseason moves that the Giants have been a part of. All of them. I would have loved to dive deep into every player, but in an effort to keep this an article and not an essay, I'll briefly go through every player.

LOSSES

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Nick Noonan

Former Giant second baseman Nick Noonan is headed to the San Diego Padres organization on a minor league contract, with an invitation to Spring Training. In 2015, the former #32 overall pick found himself in the minors, where he split time between the Triple-A affiliates of the Giants and the New York Yankees. In the minors, he had a batting average of .264 with an on-base percentage of .311. His plate discipline was subpar, with a K% of 23.4% and a BB% of 6.7%. In Noonan’s short time with the Giants, he struggled at the plate, striking out 33.3% of the time and batting a dismal .091, finishing with a -0.2 WAR in 14 games. Noonan will have to compete in spring just to make it to the majors. His main competition, Cory Spangenberg, is coming off of a solid rookie campaign, in which he bat .271 with a .333 OBP over the course of 108 games. Backing up Spangenberg is Jose Pirela, whose contact-oriented approach and speed could find put him in a position to be Spangenberg’s backup for the 2016 season.

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Jackson Williams

On February 11th, Williams, the #43 overall pick in the 2007 draft, signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies organization that included an invitation to Spring Training. With the Giants organization, Williams has been a shaky hitter in the minors, only batting above the .250 mark once in his career. In 2015, Williams bat .228 for the Giants Triple-A affiliate before being called up in September. In his brief stint in the bigs, Williams only had two hits in 14 plate appearances. Even with the invitation to Spring Training, it is unlikely that Williams will find himself in Colorado to start the season catching. The Rockies are expected to start Nick Hundley, who is coming off an excellent year in which he bat .301, an OBP of .339, and had the lowest K% of his Major League career at 19.5%. Backing up Hundley are Dustin Garneau and Tom Murphy. Murphy is the more interesting of the two, an offensive-minded catcher with some pop in his bat and a great arm.

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Juan Perez

Speedy outfielder Juan Perez is now on his way to the Chicago Cubs organization on a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training. The former 13th round pick served mostly as a utility man for the Giants in his three years with the team, whether it be as a pinch runner or defensive specialist. Most Giants fans remember Perez because of his first major league game when he made a wonderful basket catch to rob Paul Goldschmidt of extra bases. Perez got off to a hot start in his first couple of games in 2013 following that play but was a below-average hitter for the duration of his career in San Francisco. The main problem with Perez was his free-swinging tendency. During his three-year career, he had a BB% of only 4.9%, including an incredibly low 2.5% in 2015. Chicago has one of the best outfield cores in the big leagues, featuring Kyle Schwarber, Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward, and Jorge Soler, with Ben Zobrist when necessary, so it is unlikely Perez makes the team out of spring.

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Justin Maxwell

From a physical standpoint, no one stood out on the Giants more than Justin Maxwell. Standing at 6’5 and weighing in at 225 pounds, Maxwell embodied the name of a Giant. While Maxwell was imposing physically, he wasn’t imposing at the plate. The Giants were hoping to get the version of Maxwell that slugged 18 home runs with the Houston Astros in 2012, but Maxwell failed to meet that level of production, only hitting seven home runs while batting .209 with a .275 OBP in 100 games. For what it’s worth, Maxwell had a career-low K% of 27.7%, but that number, in and of itself, is still atrocious. This past offseason, Maxwell signed a minor-league contract with the Miami Marlins organization with an invitation to Spring Training, and an opt-out if he does not make the Marlins’ Opening Day roster. The Marlins have a young core in Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and, of course, Giancarlo Stanton, all three of whom have well proven their value and should be the key for the Marlins’ success. Off the bench, the Marlins have an aging Ichiro, who, while on his last legs, will be the primary option off the bench, so it is unlikely Maxwell makes the team out of spring.

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Hector Sanchez

Previously known as the personal catcher for both Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito, Sanchez, the 26-year old catcher out of my Venezuela, is headed to the Chicago White Sox organization on a minor league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training. During his career in San Francisco, Sanchez served primarily as the backup to Buster Posey, allowing him to either transition to first base or to give him the day off altogether. At the plate, the Sanchez was below-average, having a career batting average of .240 and an OBP of only .274. Sanchez had a couple bright spots in his time as a Giant, including multiple walk-offs, but he was far too inconsistent in San Francisco when the game wasn't on the line. Behind the plate, Sanchez held his own, but he only threw out 26% of the runners who tested his arm in his career in San Francisco.

Sanchez will more than likely find himself in the minors to start the year, as the White Sox’s depth chart currently features Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro. Both are projected the same value offensively, so the job will most likely go to whoever has a better spring. With Avila and Navarro fighting for the starting role, it is unlikely that Sanchez will sniff the bigs this year, barring an injury.

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Joaquin Arias

Since 2012, Joaquin Arias, the two-time World Series Champion, fan-favorite, and subject of “Talkin’ Joaquin,” found himself in that gray area between starting and coming off of the bench. Arias has, for the most part, met expectations as a utility man. His best year came in 2012 when he bat .270. In 2015, Arias saw less and less playing time due to the rise of Matt Duffy at third, and on July 27th, he was designated for assignment. Arias had one shining moment in 2015, in which he became the first Giant to collect three hits against Clayton Kershaw. However, through 40 games, Arias had a career-low batting average and OBP, both of .207. While Arias never found himself in any MVP headlines, he was a character that everyone loved for a reason unbeknownst to the masses. It may be the fact that he embodied the phrase “speak soft, carry a big stick,” or that the bench would, hilariously, yell out “KOBE” every time he made a play. Arias and the Arizona Diamondbacks organization agreed to a minor-league contract which includes an invitation to Spring Training. He will be fighting to find his way onto a major league roster this spring.

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Alejandro De Aza

Due to Hunter Pence injuring his left oblique midway through 2015, the Giants traded Luis Ysla for Alejandro De Aza on August 31st to round out the outfield. De Aza was a solid outfielder for the Giants in his brief time in San Francisco, batting .262 with an OBP of .387 while showing a little bit of speed. On the downside, De Aza’s K% was at career-high at 23.0% in 2015, and his glove was suspect as well. On December 23rd, the New York Mets and Alejandro De Aza agreed to a 1yr/$5.75 million contract, his sixth team in three years. With the trio of Michael Conforto, Yoenis Cespedes, and Curtis Granderson, De Aza will serve primarily as the backup. De Aza’s main competition on the bench will be the slick-fielding Juan Lagares, who struggled a bit in 2015, batting .259 with an OBP of .289 in 2015, compared to 2014, in which he batted .281 with an OBP of .321. Lugares likes to swing the bat, as reflected in his BB% of 3.4% and an O-Swing of 37.1%. Lugares has a little bit of power and speed, but his glove far exceeds that of De Aza. Strangely enough, De Aza is already finding himself in trade speculation. If De Aza wants a starting role, New York isn’t going to be the place to get it. There is a clause in De Aza’s contract that allows him to decline a trade until June 15th.

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Nori Aoki

Although ironic that he ended up on the same Giants team that beat his Royals in 2014, Aoki fit right into the scheme of things in 2015. The 34-year old was a fantastic addition to the lineup and instantly becoming a threat to set the table. Aoki found his niche with the Giants and was having a wonderful season until a fastball to the head knocked him onto the disabled list and force him to miss a significant amount of time. In the injury shortened season, Aoki bat .287 with an OBP of .353 and swiped 14 bases.

On December 3rd, 2015, Aoki signed a 1yr/$5.5 million contract with an option for 2017. Aoki is projected to start in left field for the Seattle outfield, along with Leonys Martin in center field and Seth Smith in right. Although he suffered a concussion due to the errant fastball, Aoki appears to be healthy and should continue to be productive in the 2016 season. Aoki’s presence will bring more fear to the Mariners’ lineup, especially if he can set the table for Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager.

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Yusmeiro Petit

Following a couple of wonderful seasons in the orange and black, Yusmeiro Petit now finds himself in the Nation’s Capital on a 1yr/$3M contract with a team option for the 2017 year. In Petit’s three years with the Giants, the Venezuelan has been one of San Francisco’s most reliable pitchers. Petit’s versatility allowed Bochy to turn him into a swingman, and Petit was fantastic in both roles, turning out a 3.24 FIP and 3.62 ERA while having three of the best WHIP years in his career. Petit was no stranger to great moments as well. In 2013, Petit came one out away from a perfect game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2014, Petit not only set the MLB record for most consecutive batters retired, but he got a single in the World Series off Jason Vargas; a single! Most of his success on the mound can be attributed his relationship with Dave Righetti that went into the development of his otherworldly curveball, one of, if not the best, in baseball.

Petit and his dominant curveball have been a staple for the Giants’ pitching staff the past three years, including 2013 in which he came out away from a perfect game, and 2014 in which he set the record for most consecutive batters retired. In 2013 and 2014, Petit was fantastic, striking out 9.52 per nine innings, only allowing 1.53 walks per nine innings, and putting up an FIP of 2.82. In 2015, Petit slightly regressed, striking out 6.99 per nine innings with an ERA of 3.67 and an FIP of 4.09. In addition, while Petit’s curveball has been steady, his fastball velocity has dipped and the movement on his changeup, which may hinder him in Washington. Petit is projected to be a staple in the Nationals’ bullpen as well, and improve his SO/9, ERA, and FIP in the 2016 season, according to Steamer.

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Ryan Vogelsong

Following a five-year stint with the Giants, in which he revitalized his career, fan-favorite Ryan Vogelsong and the Giants have decided to part ways as Vogelsong has signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a 1yr/$2 million contract. In 2015, Vogelsong started to show signs of age. Although he was a part of the Giants starting rotation in the beginning of the year, Vogelsong found himself in the bullpen by the end of the season. The 38-year old’s control began to diminish, resulting in a career-high BB% of 3.87% and an ERA of 4.67 in 135 innings. At this point in his career, Vogelsong’s breaking pitches, especially his changeup, simply don’t have what it takes to consistently strike out batters and he only got batters to swing at pitches outside of the zone 26.7% of the time. In the Steel City, Vogey is expected to be the Pirates’ number five starter and round out the rotation. He will be under the tutelage of Ray Searage, one of the best pitching coaches in the business, who has done a phenomenal job with starting pitchers in recent years. The Pirates should have Vogelsong focus more on keeping the ball down in the zone in order to induce ground balls rather than go for strikeouts in order to maximize what’s left in the tank.

After pitching in Japan from 2007 to 2010, Vogelsong reunited with the Giants, who drafted him in 1998, and the two were a match made in heaven. In 2011, Vogelsong had an ERA of 2.71, 139 strikeouts over 179.2 innings, and made his first and only All-Star appearance. In 2012, Vogelsong continued to give the Giants quality outings, throwing 189.2 innings with an ERA of 3.37 and 158 strikeouts. During the Giants playoff run in 2012, Vogelsong was rock solid, going 3-0, averaging six innings and only three runs over the four starts. Vogelsong missed time in 2013 due to a broken hand and threw only 103.2 innings, but he bounced back in 2014, throwing 184.2 innings with the second highest K% of his career. He was again a key to the Giants postseason run in 2014, throwing 5.2 innings of quality ball while only allowing one run against the Nationals in the NLDS.

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Tim Lincecum

The Freak. The Franchise. Big Time Timmy Jim. These were words once used to describe the man, the myth, the legend known as Tim Lincecum, but as Giants fans have known for quite a long time, the years of the Freaky Franchise are long gone, and 2015 was another year in a streak of bad years for the former two-time Cy Young award winner. In last year’s campaign, Lincecum had a 4.13 ERA, the lowest SO/9 of his career at 7.07, and the highest BB/9 of his career at 4.48. Lincecum pitched a career-low games due to a hip injury midway through the year, leading to a career-low in innings pitched as well. Lincecum has been set to showcase his stuff for quite a while, but with the dates being pushed back further and further, his hip injury may be worse than expected. At least 20 teams have shown interest in Lincecum, and how he performs in the showcase will dictate his future.

During the years in which the Giants struggled to buy runs, Lincecum gave Giants fans a glimmer of hope to look forward to every fifth day. After a promising 2007 campaign, Lincecum pulled out the fireworks in 2008, going 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA and striking out a league best 265 batters on his way to winning the Cy Young. Lincecum continued his dominance in 2009, improving his ERA to 2.48, an FIP of 2.34, and 261 strikeouts. He continued to put up solid seasons in both 2010 and 2011 on his way to helping the Giants claim their first World Series in San Francisco, throwing 429.1 innings with an ERA of 3.08, an FIP of 3.16, and 451 strikeouts. 2012 was the first year the wheels starting off for Lincecum, and from 2012 to 2015, Lincecum averaged 153 innings and a 4.60 ERA.

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Tim Hudson & Jeremy Affeldt

2015 marked the end of the careers of both Tim Hudson and Jeremy Affeldt. Since he signed with the Giants in offseason before the 2009 season, Affeldt was a leader in the Giants bullpen. A double-play generating machine in his prime, Affeldt’s greatest performance in a Giants uniform arguably came during the 2010 National League Championship Series; while the benches cleared when Jonathan Sanchez plunked Shane Victorino, Affeldt stayed in the bullpen instead of running down to the infield and he pitched two scoreless innings, and his effort set the tone for the Giants bullpen going forward in that game. During Affeldt’s seven-year career in San Francisco, he had a 3.29 ERA over the course of 361.2 innings.

Although his career in San Francisco was short, there is no doubt that Hudson’s impact in San Francisco was felt. After sustaining a freak ankle injury with Atlanta, Hudson took his talents to San Francisco, the very same team who crushed his World Series hopes in the 2010 NLDS. Hudson showed glimpses of his prime form with the Giants during 2014. In his strong season, he tossed 189 innings with a respectable 3.57 ERA, which earned him an All-Star appearance. Hudson pitched a gem against the Nationals in the National League Divisional Series, going 7.1 innings, striking out eight, and only giving up one run. While he struggled in the NLCS and World Series, he finally able to claim the World Series win that he so longed for.

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Mike Leake

In response to injuries of starters Matt Cain, Tim Hudson, and Jake Peavy, on July 30th, 2015, the Giants traded for the services of Mike Leake in exchange for Keury Mella and Adam Duvall. Leake was just what the doctor ordered, consistently providing five to six strong innings while only giving up a couple of runs. His solid run with the Giants was capped off by a complete-game shutout in his last start of the year against the hated Dodgers. In nine starts, Leake averaged six innings and had a career-best 1.161 WHIP while giving up 2.7 runs per game. The downside of his time in San Francisco was that he had a high FIP of 4.83, so as to say he received a lot of help from the Giant defense, and a low SO/9.

Many Giants fans were high on Bobby Evans to re-sign Leake, especially considering that going into the offseason the Giants were losing Tim Hudson to retirement and Tim Lincecum, Yusmeiro Petit, and Ryan Vogelsong to free agency. In addition, the question of what Matt Cain could provide, given his track record of injuries in the past three years, remained a question. Instead of re-signing Leake, Evans went out and reeled in two of the biggest fish in the free-agent market in Cuteo and Samardzija. The Giants’ rotation, now composed of Bumgarner, Cueto, Samardzija, Peavy, and either Matt Cain, Chris Heston, or Clayton Blackburn, looks like one of the best since 2010, and if Heston and Blackburn continue to develop, allowing Leake to test flee may have been the best course of action.

On December 22nd, the Cardinals signed the former #9 overall pick to a 5yr/$80 million contract, with a full no-trade clause and a 2021 mutual option. Over these next five years, Leake will be earning an average of $16 million per year. Due to the injury of Lance Lynn, the Cardinals were forced to make a move and slightly overpaid to lock down Leake. Cardinals fans should not abandon all hope because Leake, as of now, has not shown any signs of breaking down. According to FanGraphs, “Leake just threw his hardest-career average fastball. Also, hardest cutter, hardest curveball, and hardest changeup. Leake is up about two miles per hour from when he was younger.” The California-native is also one of the most athletic pitchers in the game, and his glove is one of the best at the position. According to the 2016 ZiPS Projections, Leake is expected to throw 176 innings with an ERA of 3.77 and an FIP of 3.83 with a K% of 15.2%.

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Additions

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Gorkys Hernández

On the same day that the Kansas City Royals bested the Toronto Blue Jays in Game Six of the ALCS to advance to the World Series, the Giants signed 28-year old Gorkys Hernandez to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. San Francisco will be his 7th different destination in his many years, and with the exception of 60 games with the Pirates and Marlins, he has been a career prospect that has never really had to tools to prosper in the bigs. The Venezuelan is known for his exceptional glove and arm, but the offensive aspect of his game lacks. While he has hit for average in the minors, he does not hit for power nor does he have exceptional plate discipline. With the Giants outfield of Pagan, Span, and Pence, and Blanco available to make spot starts or fill in if anyone falls to injury, it is unlikely Hernández will make the team out of spring.

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Grant Green

A former 13th overall pick for the Oakland A’s in 2009, second baseman Grant Green now finds himself in Scottsdale fighting for a major league spot after agreeing to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Over the course of his minor-league career, Green has hit well in a hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but his great numbers have not translated to success in the Majors. After five games with the A’s in 2013, Green was dealt to the Angels, where he bat .280 with an OBP of .336 after 137 PAs in for the rest of the season. In 2014, he batted .273 with an OBP of .282. Green struggled in his 21 games with the Angels in 2015, batting only .190, and he and the team parted ways following the season. Green will have to compete with backups Ehire Adrianza and Kelby Tomlinson if he wants to make the team out of spring. In a small sample size, Tomlinson was great for the Giants in 54 games, batting .303 with a .358 OBP. Tomlinson is incredibly versatile, and could fill in at third, short, or second when necessary. His speed is an incredible asset as well; in 2014, between rookie ball and Double-A, Tomlinson swiped 57 bases over the course of 144 games. Green will have a better time competing with Adrianza who, despite his great speed, has not generated much offensively in the majors. In his time in the majors, Adrianza has bat only .215 with an OBP of .290 over the course of 114 games. Outside of speed, Adrianza does not bring much to the table, so with a great spring and the Giants looking to find some infield depth Green could find his way trumping Adrianza in the pursuit of making the majors.

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Kyle Blanks

A 6’6 giant of a human being who has made a career mashing balls in the minors, Kyle Blanks now finds himself competing for a bench spot for the Giants after signing a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. It’s no secret that Blanks has power, and the former prospect once showed a lot of promise in the minor leagues for the Padres, including when in 2008, when he bat .325 with an OBP of .404, 20 homers, and 107 RBIs in 132 games in Double-A. What has hindered Blanks has been his injuries, including one against the Giants in 2013, in which he ran right into the leftfield wall saving an extra-base hit from the bat of Joaquin Arias. Blanks also strikes out a lot. In his major league career, he has struck out 29.5% of the time. There are only 36 players who have struck out at a rate similar after 900 plate appearances, and one-third of the members of that group are pitchers. Despite these setbacks, Blanks is still a very intriguing player that, with some Even Year Magic, could be a huge impact player for San Francisco. Although a small sample size, Blanks has shown signs of progress in the Majors in 44 games in 2014 and 2015, batting .311 with five homers. He is more than unlikely to dethrone Brandon Belt at first, who has consistently improved every year and slugged a career-high 18 dingers last year, but Blanks gives Bruce Bochy someone who could run into more than a couple off the bench. If able to stay healthy, Blanks, due to his awesome power and ability to play both first and left, has a very good chance of making the Opening Day roster.

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Conor Gillaspie

​Following a five-year run that left a bad taste in the mouths of the Giants, Gillaspie now finds himself back in the Giants organization competing for an Opening Day spot. The 28-year old had a good run with the Chicago White Sox, when in 2013 he slugged 13 home runs and had 40 RBIs and in 2014, he hit .282 with an OBP of .336 while hitting seven homers. He regressed in 2015 and was traded to the Angels halfway through the season. Gillaspie is a free-swinger for the most part, and, with a UZR/150 of -10.4, his glove at third does not do him any favors, so if he is to be utilized at all, he will have to make the transition to first. Gillaspie will have to compete with fellow additions Kyle Blanks and Grant Green, along with Adrianza and Tomlinson, if he has aspirations of cracking the Opening Day lineup.

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Denard Span

After going out and signing aces Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, GM Bobby Evans refined the San Francisco outfield by signing veteran outfielder Denard Span to a 3yr/$31 million contract. Although he’s coming off of a hip injury that led to an injury shortened season, it’s not hard to see why the Giants looked to sign Span this past January. For one, Span has been the ideal man to put at the top of the lineup. Over the course of his career, Span has hit .287 batting average and a .352 OBP with a BB% of 8.7. In addition, Span still has his legs under him and he knows how to use them. In 2014, Span stole 30 bases, while in an injury-shortened 2015, Span stole 11 bases in 61 games. Span is also a triples machine, twice having led the league in both 2009 and 2013 with 10 and 11, respectively. In AT&T, Span will feast on Triples Alley just like his predecessor and teammate, Angel Pagan, just like in 2012 when he hit 15. And just like Pagan, if Span thrives, the offense will thrive. Span also carries around a veteran presence that is hard to come by. He never has been one to make noise and is the perfect role model for some of the Giants younger prospects.

No free agent signing is perfect, and the same goes for Span. For one, he has not shown the same glove since the days of being in Minnesota, and there has been a noticeable regression in the past couple of years, especially due to injury. In 2014, Span had a UZR/150 of -4.5 and in 2015, he had a UZR/150 of -10.3 There is one big question mark that surrounds Span: his body. Span just turned 32, and in addition to his age, he has had problems with his back, hernia, hip, and wrist. With his history of injury in the past couple of years and an aging body, it is going to be key for Bochy to manage Span’s healthy as well as his game. Unless he’s traded, Span is going to be on board with San Francisco until 2018, so maximizing the amount of games he plays and maximizing his production while minimizing the chance of injury is going to be a challenge, but that’s the risk that his run. If Span succumbs to injury in the following year, the components of his game that the Giants had high hopes for might follow him off the field and stay off. But, if Span stays healthy and provides the Giants with something around a .280 average, and a .350 OBP, then the Giants will are creating arguably one of the best lineups in baseball. With Span and Panik setting the table and Posey, Pence, Belt, Crawford, and Duffy there to knock them in, the Giants the offense are putting out could be the best since the days of Bonds, Kent, and Aurilia.

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Jeff Samardzija

I already covered Jeff Samardzija in a previous article, but I’ll run through my points again. Samardzija is coming into San Francisco on a 5yr/$90 million contract despite a horrid 2015 season. Last year, he had a 4.98 ERA and led the league in hits and home runs allowed. His horrid numbers were mainly due to the fact that he had difficulty controlling his breaking pitches. In 2014, opposing hitters bat .211 against in his breaking pitches, while in 2015, they hit .294. Despite his numbers, Samardzija is now coming into a more favorable situation. Last year, the White Sox defense was one of the worst in baseball while the Giants’ defense was one of the best. In addition, Samardzija is now pitching in the pitcher-friendly AT&T Park, the single toughest park to knock one out of the ballpark. Samardzija is likely to bounce back in 2016, and, with Bumgarner and Cueto, will help propel the Giants pitching staff to one of the best in the league.

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Johnny Cueto

Arguably the one of the biggest pieces in the free agent frenzy, Johnny Cueto now finds himself coming to San Francisco. Cueto has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in the past couple of years. With Cincinnati, Cueto has shined, and his 2.71 ERA over the course of the last five seasons would be the best in baseball, if not for a guy named Clayton Kershaw. His best season, 2014, was not too long ago, where over 243.2 innings, which led the majors, he had a 2.25 ERA and struck out a career-high 242 batters. He would have won the Cy Young, if, again, it had not been for Kershaw. Cueto had a 2.62 ERA over 130.2 innings for the Reds in 2015 before being traded to the Royals for prospects. Cueto didn’t exactly shine as a member of the World Champions. Over 81.1 innings, Cueto has a 4.76 ERA and a career-low K/9. Cueto was clutch when it counted for Kansas City, where in Game Two of the World Series, he went the distance, only allowing one run and two hits.

While Cueto did have a drop in production during the 2nd half of the year with the Royals, that trend is unlikely to continue with San Francisco. Cueto was thrown into the mix midway through the year, therefore leading to some noticeable communication problems between him and Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez. In contrast, Cueto now will get the entire spring to mesh with Buster Posey and Dave Righetti. It should also be noted that Cueto was dominating in the hitter-friendly confines of Great American Ball Park. Now that he is back in the National League and will be pitching at AT&T, Cueto will return to his old self and revert back to Cincinnati form. Cueto did have a couple minor injuries during 2015, but they never landed him on the disabled list, and he should remain healthy for the stretch run in 2016.

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FINAL GRADE: A-

There is no reason at all why any Giant fan should hate the offseason that they have put together. While they did lose a significant amount of key players, they were able to sign some of the best available talents on the market, and they have done so in a fashion that has not only refined their strengths, but that has geared them up to be one of the best teams in baseball going forward. Heck, they’re tied with the Cubs with 6 to 1 odds to win it all. The additions of Cueto and Samardzija give Bumgarner some much-needed help and give the Giants three dependable pitchers who can easily go out and dominate throughout the year and come October. Denard Span, if healthy, could easily be the second coming of Angel Pagan whether it be roaming the outfield or hitting an absurd amount of triples. The Giants did lose a key bullpen presence in Yusmeiro Petit, a solid inning eater in Mike Leake, veterans Tim Hudson and Jeremy Affeldt, and table-setter Nori Aoki, but the additions that the Giants have made outweigh the subtractions.

The one point that I must bring up is that the Giants are putting their depth in the hands of prospects who have yet to produce consistently at the big league level. This is not really a critique, as I love the possibilities that come with prospects such as Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson. In fact, it may even be a positive if these guys can consistently contribute at the major league level. They key word there: if. And I guess that word can summarize the 2016 San Francisco Giants as a whole. If everyone stays healthy and we avoid some freakish 2011 Buster Posey type incident. If Cueto and Samardzija can bounce back. If Span can still consistently shag down fly balls and set the table. That question of if will be determined in October.

#analysis