Jon Miller joins Alex Pavlovic and Cole Kuiper on the Giants Talk podcast to discuss Seiya Suzuki and how he could fit into the Giants’ offseason plans.
The Giants were busy the final week of November, but their offseason plans have been put on hold for the last six weeks, keeping them from continuing to add to a roster that has some glaring holes, even after a 107-win season.
The most obvious one heading into the offseason was in the rotation, but that's changed after new contracts for Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood, along with the addition of Alex Cobb. The Giants need lineup help, and on this week's Giants Talk, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jon Miller discussed the hole he sees on the current roster.
"I don't know what the Giants' plans are. I know they need a hitter. I think most people agree -- and I don't know if that's where you guys are coming from or not, and Alex I know you talk to a lot of people behind the scenes -- but there seems to be a feeling that the Giants need a right-handed power hitter, somebody with some experience," Miller said. "And maybe another right-handed starter, or at least another starter -- righty or lefty, a guy with veteran proven ability. Could (Seiya) Suzuki be that guy? I know people are pretty high on him and he put together phenomenal numbers."
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SIGN UP HERE Suzuki, a superstar coming over from Japan, is one of several big names still on the market who could fill the biggest hole on the roster. The Giants know they'll enter 2022 without Buster Posey, who retired the first week of November, and it has seemed likely all offseason that they'll need to replace Kris Bryant, too.
Posey and Bryant were Gabe Kapler's two most dangerous right-handed hitters at the end of the year, and Donovan Solano is also a free agent. Of the seven Giants who got at least 300 at-bats in 2021, Wilmer Flores is the only one who is still on the roster and bats right-handed. The Giants hope to get a full season from Evan Longoria and they have Darin Ruf, Austin Slater, Joey Bart and likely Thairo Estrada in their everyday mix, but they do need some help from the right side.
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The good news is that it could be a position that's relatively easy to fill once the lockout ends.
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Bryant remains on the market and a reunion is possible. Nick Castellanos and Trevor Story also remain on the market, along with Suzuki, a 27-year-old who has a .943 career OPS in Japan. The Giants showed interest in him before the lockout started Dec. 1, but Suzuki and others cannot talk to teams until this labor situation is settled.
Whenever that is, the Giants will have a lot of options to fill a need that stood out at the start of the offseason and became more important after Posey's retirement press conference.
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