SAN FRANCISCO -- A year after losing 98 games, the Giants lost 89. There's plenty of work to be done rebuilding this roster, and with their best minor leaguers still at least a year away, help will have to come from the outside.
Free agency begins the day after the World Series and will really kick into gear as December's winter meetings approach. The Giants hope to have a new head of baseball operations in place in time for that person to start making the first phone calls. Here's an early look at some potential targets:
The big fish: Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are superstars hitting free agency at the age of 26, and both hope to shoot past Giancarlo Stanton's $325 million record deal. Machado is a Gold Glove third baseman who can also handle shortstop, which makes him a fit for most teams, but not the Giants. Brandon Crawford isn't going anywhere, and Evan Longoria is locked into a long-term deal. Harper, though, will be a target. The Giants have long planned to go after Harper, believing the Las Vegas native can hold up in their ballpark and would be open to spending the rest of his career in San Francisco. But they are, realistically, a long shot, because of the ballpark and the fact that most other suitors will be able to offer a much more direct path to the postseason.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The outfielders: Barring a trade or surprise non-tender of Joe Panik, the Giants are set at every infield position. Steven Duggar should be the opening day center fielder, but this team needs serious help in both corner spots. Here are some of the best outfielders available once you get past Harper:
Andrew McCutchen
A.J. Pollock
Michael Brantley
Carlos Gonzalez
Marwin Gonzalez
Adam Jones
Lonnie Chisenhall
Carlos Gomez
Nick Markakis
It's, uh, not a real inspiring group. The Giants would be open to a reunion with McCutchen, who liked San Francisco, but running back the 2018 Giants may not be the best idea. Pollock has a lot of fans in the organization, but this team has a brutal history with center fielders in their thirties, and Pollock has been injury-prone his whole career. Brantley is a talented hitter, but left-handed power doesn't play at AT&T Park. Marwin Gonzalez could be an intriguing selection at the right price; he had a down year but posted a .907 OPS in 2017. When you look at the above list, you realize that the best path in the outfield is a trade.
The starting pitchers: The Giants had a solid rotation this year and expect Jeff Samardzija back, so perhaps the best move will be to trade a young starter for an outfield bat and bring a veteran into the friendly confines of AT&T Park. The ballpark, coaching staff and Buster Posey worked wonders with Derek Holland, who would like to return. That could be duplicated.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
There are all different levels to choose from here. Patrick Corbin is at the top of the class, but the Giants don't need another $100 million starter. But what if Dallas Keuchel (3.74 ERA) finds a lukewarm market and seeks fewer years at a high annual salary? He could be a great fit. Same with Charlie Morton, who had a 3.13 ERA alongside Keuchel in Houston.
J.A. Happ, Matt Harvey, Nathan Eovaldi, CC Sabathia Drew Pomeranz, Hyun-jin Ryu, Gio Gonzalez and others will flood the market with veterans who have had plenty of past success, and someone is going to be standing around in January looking for a soft landing spot. (The Giants should probably just re-sign Holland, though.)
Oh, and if Clayton Kershaw opts out, the Giants need to request a meeting. Just because.
Relievers: There are two ways to look at adding to the bullpen. One, you're strengthening a group that you hope can help keep you in contention. Two, you're adding a July trade chip.
The Giants definitely shouldn't spend a lot on relievers, but given how much money they have coming off the books -- about $30 million from Hunter Pence and Andrew McCutchen alone -- they should bargain-hunt. A good bullpen can make up for issues elsewhere (see the A's).
Cody Allen, Jeurys Familia, Kelvin Herrera, Joe Kelly, Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Miller, Bud Norris, Adam Ottavino and Brad Ziegler headline a deep class. The Giants were patient last year and scooped up Tony Watson in February. They should replicate that strategy.
The Wild Card: The roster does not currently have much flexibility, but a new head of baseball ops may shake things up. The Giants could try to move Brandon Belt, although the first base class is awful. If they move on from Panik, there are more options. Marwin Gonzalez, Brian Dozier, DJ LeMahieu, Jed Lowrie, Daniel Murphy and Freddy Galvis are among the available players who could potentially play second base.
It's an older group, but that's the reality of free agency once you get past Harper and Machado. You have to be careful, and the Giants have a month to figure out how they want to attack this.