The Giants are on a mission to add talent this offseason. Agent Scott Boras is confident he represents more than a few intriguing free-agent options.
On Wednesday, Boras told San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea that he views five of his clients as good fits for San Francisco.
The list? Starting pitchers Sean Manaea, Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell, as well as outfielder Cody Bellinger and third baseman Matt Chapman.
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“The whole group,” Boras told Shea.
The Giants have three spots set in their 2024 starting rotation: ace Logan Webb – an NL Cy Young Award finalist – along with veteran Alex Cobb and 22-year-old budding prospect Kyle Harrison.
Cobb, who posted a career 3.87 ERA in 28 starts last year, will be out until at least April due to hip surgery this offseason. Youngsters Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn, as well as veteran Anthony DeSclafani, figure to be in the mix.
Long story short, there’s plenty of room for president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to make a big splash in the rotation.
San Francisco Giants
Snell joins Webb as one of three NL Cy Young Award finalists after posting a league-best 2.25 ERA and 5.8 hits allowed per nine innings across 32 starts for the San Diego Padres. The Giants witnessed his dominance firsthand, as they failed to score a single run against Snell across 18 innings (three starts).
Montgomery logged a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts for the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers this season. He started six games for the Rangers in the playoffs en route to winning a World Series title.
Manaea declined his player option for 2024 on the contract he signed with the Giants last offseason. The 31-year-old lost his spot in the San Francisco rotation after early struggles last year, but he found his rhythm again in the bullpen and was back in the rotation to close the year.
The Giants' lineup, which ranked 24th in runs scored last season, also could use a boost.
Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP, rediscovered his swing in a one-year prove-it deal with the Chicago Cubs, batting .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers last season. That will set him up for a big pay day this offseason.
Chapman, the longtime star for the Oakland Athletics, hits the open market at 30 years old. The Victorville, Calif., native batted .234/.327/.429 with 44 homers over two season with the Toronto Blue Jays while continuing to be one of the best third basemen in the league. Chapman won his fourth career Gold Glove in the hot corner this year.
Boras isn’t shy about hyping up his clients. He’s also not shy about hiking up the prices in free agency. But if the Giants are ready to take out the checkbook, they’ll have plenty of options this winter to bulk up the roster for new manager Bob Melvin.