PHOENIX -- The lockout may have kept Farhan Zaidi from his usual stream of roster moves, but it did not rob him of his sense of humor. When he was asked Friday what he thought of the deal reached between MLB and the Players Association, Zaidi smiled.
"I'm going to miss having the lockout to hide behind as a reason to ghost all of your texts," he joked to a group of beat reporters.
Zaidi, the reigning MLB Executive of the Year, had not spoken about the direction of the Giants since Dec. 1, a few hours before the lockout started. For nearly 30 minutes on Friday he talked about the new rules -- he likes a universal DH but not the limit on optioning players -- and gave hints about the front office's plans now that those cell phones are allowed to return to their usual workload. A few minutes later, he made his biggest move to date.
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 Giants have reached a two-year deal with Carlos Rodón, who fills out the rotation and gives them one of the NL's better one-two punches -- along with Logan Webb -- on paper. Rodón is the fourth player to get a multiyear deal from the Giants this offseason and all four have been starting pitchers.
Rodón is a perfect fit, but his status as the first big strike after the lockout was a bit of a surprise. Once the dust settled on the additions (Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood and Alex Cobb) in late November, it seemed that the biggest remaining hole for the organization was in the lineup. Buster Posey is a full-time dad now, Kris Bryant is likely to sign elsewhere, and Donovan Solano is also a free agent.
Zaidi knows it appears the Giants need a right-handed bat. He doesn't necessarily agree.
"I've heard that discussion out there over the last few months and I think our group of right-handed hitters is a little bit underrated. We have more options on that side than I think maybe we're being given credit for," Zaidi said. "Obviously Buster is a big loss, but Joey (Bart) has always hit left-handed pitching well, so we think he's going to be a threat. The same with Curt (Casali) -- he had reverse-splits last year but he has always hit lefties well. I think the catching spot, we're in a good position against left-handed pitching.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
"Having Austin Slater, Darin Ruf, Wilmer Flores, Evan Longoria, and then having guys like (Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt) who are so good defensively that they're going to be in there often against lefties as well, I think we actually have a pretty good set of position players versus left-handed pitching. While we're still open to adding a bat, I don't think we're going to be totally fixated on that side. If there's a left-handed bat that makes sense for us, I think we can find a way to fit that, as well."
Zaidi pointed out that the Giants have always valued versatility, and he did make a subtle reference to how the 107-win roster was built. Zaidi would like another bat, but it has not been his style to make a nine-figure splash. The Giants shocked the baseball world last year by relying on their depth and players who had been overlooked by others.
The top of the market still includes guys like Bryant, Carlos Correa, Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, but Zaidi pointed out that there are "some really interesting options" that might not be at the "top of everybody's best available free agent lists."
The Giants did it their own way last season and did it better than anyone, and Zaidi said he would continue to look for opportunities to get some of those contributors more involved. He mentioned Thairo Estrada and Steven Duggar as two in-house candidates for a lot more playing time and said there will be a balance between giving opportunities to those types and bringing in newcomers.
RELATED: Giants to make rare opening day appearance at home
The process restarted on Thursday afternoon, and Zaidi and Scott Harris went right back to working the phones, putting the finishing touches on a Rodón deal they had 99 days to think about.
For one of the game's busiest executives, that has been a breath of fresh air after months of having discussions internally. Zaidi said the last 24 hours have reminded him of how interactive free agency and the trade market really are.
"It's so much more dynamic than you sitting in your office and creating a plan," he said.