The 2022 MLB season for the Giants is a forgetful one. The playoffs have become an afterthought, and now the focus for San Francisco is the offseason.
In the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have the star power to contend for years to come.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE As a result, ESPN MLB analyst Tim Kurkjian stated that the Giants must open the checkbook for New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, a pending free agent.
"They're gonna have to go out and make a massive move in free agency," Kurkjian said on KNBR's "Murph & Mac" on Thursday.
"I'm not suggesting for a second it's going to happen, but Aaron Judge is exactly what they need as a free agent. They're gonna have to pay him over $300 million to get him. But he's having an MVP season for the Yankees."
San Francisco has to keep up with their two California rivals. The Dodgers have Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman locked in at the top of their lineup with free agent Trea Turner a possibility to return; meanwhile, the Padres have Manny Machado and Juan Soto anchoring their lineup, with Fernando Tatis Jr. set to return from a suspension early next season.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
The Giants cannot continue with their lack of difference makers in their batting order if they intend to make it a three-horse race for the NL West division next season, which is why Judge is needed in their lineup.
"He's a free agent after the season; there's no telling where he's going to end up," Kurkjian added.
"So if the Giants are serious about trying to stay with the Dodgers and maybe even the Padres moving forward, they're going to have to do something major, and that's Aaron Judge certainly."
RELATED: Giants viewed as big threat for Aaron Judge in free agency, Jon Heyman says
Judge currently has 55 home runs and 118 RBI while batting .324 for the Yankees and likely is the frontrunner for the AL MVP. While the Giants have good players on their team, they don't have anyone close to what Judge can produce at the plate.
The 30-year-old is from Northern California, so the stars are aligned for the Giants to bring home an MVP-caliber player with Judge's power, which San Francisco hasn't seen in their lineup since Barry Bonds.