The San Francisco Giants have had a peculiar ongoing trend in the MLB since 2010: win the World Series and then miss the postseason the following year. They've done that three consecutive times now, but perhaps they're looking to be more consistent in 2016 and beyond, according to the latest rumors.
That may involve reinforcing their starting rotation with two soon-to-be free agents.
"There is a ton of industry speculation that the Giants are going to take a serious run at [Zack] Greinke after the right-hander opts out of his deal with the Dodgers," writes ESPN Insider Buster Olney. "If so, San Francisco's rotation theoretically could be comprised of Madison Bumgarner, Greinke, Mike Leake, Jake Peavy and Matt Cain, with Chris Heston and other young starters providing depth."
"The Giants have to feel very good about their stars Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, plus their fine infield, but they will seek to bolster the rotation with one or two arms. Greinke and Mike Leake are among those on the docket," adds Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Leake and the Giants have expressed mutual interest in a long-term deal, so that likely won't be the difficult part for San Francisco.
Greinke, who is expected to opt out of his current contract with the Dodgers, will be the more tasking acquisition because he's expected to garner a ton of attention around the MLB and rumors indicate he could land a five-year, $125 million deal.
What's problematic is that the Giants have $121 million already committed to the 2016 payroll and Posey, Matt Cain and Hunter Pence will be earning at least $18.5 million per season through 2017. Adding Greinke for $25 million per season as well as Leake at about $12 million-$15 million annually would drastically increase their payroll for the foreseeable future (among other voids they need to fill on the roster).
However, the Giants have a lot of contracts coming off the books after next season, so they might figure out a way to make the financials work for 2016 if they're serious about landing both right-handers. Additionally, the investment on Greinke could prove to be invaluable despite the expected high annual salary.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke with eight MLB personnel (scouts, managers, GMs) and here's what they had to say about Greinke:
"Our group thinks age (32) could be a deterrent, but one manager told us, 'With his delivery, ability to pitch, a long-term deal won't be a factor for him. He'll be able to pitch into his late 30s even if he loses velocity.' One GM said Greinke is the closest current thing to Greg Maddux," Cafardo wrote.
San Francisco could make the bold move and snag Greinke from Los Angeles and immediately become the favorites to win the NL West in 2016. (Keep in mind they made a run at Cole Hamels before the trade deadline and he has a similar annual salary to the one Greinke is being projected.)
We'll have to wait and see how the new Giants' hierarchy (executive VP of baseball operations Brian Sabean and general manager Bobby Evans) decide to approach free agency in a few short weeks.
