UPDATE:
With Alex Gordon off board, markets for Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes should become more defined. #SFGiants have interest in both.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 6, 2016
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It's been a convenient offseason for the San Francisco Giants. They had over $50 million come off the books, which helped them sign Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto. The team has another big need in the outfield, and the number of available established outfielders is also heavily in their favor.
Rumors have linked the Giants to high-profile options such as Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton and Alex Gordon, but it's been said the team doesn't want to add another enormous long-term deal to their payroll. All three aforementioned names are looking for annual salaries in the $20 million range. Their prices may decrease, but perhaps it won't be enough to entice San Francisco.
As a result, the team may have another idea in mind.
"The Giants probably don't have their starting left fielder for 2016 on their roster yet, but by the time spring training begins seven weeks from now, they presumably will have somebody else lined up -- and it's almost certainly going to be somebody really good, like Dexter Fowler, because of all the available choices," writes ESPN's Buster Olney.
"With [Angel] Pagan penciled in to play center field with [Gregor] Blanco as a backup, the Giants could target a corner outfielder to play left field. But they also could go after one of the free agents capable of playing center field, like Fowler, and either shift Pagan to left field or use Fowler in left and have him available for center field in the event that Pagan's past injury problems pop up again."
Let's not forget Pagan will be a free agent after 2016, so if they sign Fowler then he could shift back over to center permanently next year.
Such a scenario has already been speculated because late in December it was reported the Giants were "carefully monitoring the outfield market," but were "more likely to make a trade or sign a lesser free agent." Compared to the $100 million-plus contracts that Cespedes, Upton and Gordon may sign, many MLB experts have pegged Fowler at four years and $60 million, which could be considered a bargain given his athleticism on defense and his impressive showing on offense in 2015 (.250/.346/.411 with 102 runs scored, 17 home runs, 46 RBI and 20 stolen bases).
Additionally, while the Giants could use a middle-of-the-order bat, the emergence of Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford as power hitters may have the team shifting its attention to acquire a leadoff man since Nori Aoki is gone and Pagan will be out after 2016.
Olney also noted the Giants won't be deterred by any player with draft-pick compensation tied to them after the team surrendered a first-round pick for Samardzija earlier in the offseason. Fowler rejected the Chicago Cubs' qualifying offer, so the Giants would have to give up another draft pick if they sign him.
San Fran doesn't have any outfield prospects ready to make their MLB debut, so look for them to make one more big signing before the 2016 season.
