The Giants currently have your neighbor, brother-in-law and cousin penciled in as their starting outfield right now, so yeah they’re in desperate need of some MLB depth. They have a new front office, a bunch of veterans making a lot of money who aren’t that good, so who really knows what their plan in the short term is.
But one thing is certain, the Giants need outfielders.
The Giants have need for 2-3 outfielders, and continue to monitor market prices on veterans. They don’t have a lot of financial flexibility if they intend to avoid CBT tax.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 29, 2019
And apparently one possible option to get another outfielder is to do a bad contract swap.
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As SF has canvassed the market for OF help, they've talked about Jacoby Ellsbury, probably would be open to a bad contract swap. For example, speculation: Cueto owed $68m, coming back from TJ surgery; NYY could recoup insurance in '19. Ellsbury owed $48m. $ would have to even out
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 4, 2019
NYY, SF could benefit from an Ellsbury-Cueto swap.
SF could swap a player who won't help them in '19 for somebody who can play OF role, with CF experience. NYY, overloaded with OF, could move Ellsbury off roster and get insurance relief on Cueto. Again, $ would have to work.— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 4, 2019
Did someone say a bad contract swap for an outfielder?!?!
I mean, as long as the Giants are considering contract swaps the Cubs have to be an option with Jason Heyward, right? For one, Jason Heyward is only 29-years-old compared to Jacoby Ellsbury, who’s 35-years-old and missed the entire 2018 season after having hip surgery.
Ellsbury has two years left on his $153 million guaranteed contract. He’s still owed $42.3 million plus another $5 million buyout on a 2021 option. Meanwhile, Heyward is owed $106 million over the next five years.
In any trade that involves Heyward, the Cubs would definitely have to eat some of the money with the amount depending on other players they add to a package and the return they get.
Yeah, Heyward is owed more money, but the Giants would at least be getting an average player in return, who still has some possible upside at 29-years-old and can still play gold glove defense, which is important in San Francisco. I know Cubs fans look at Heyward and just view him as a complete disaster, but he was an average hitter in 2018. For some reason there’s the perception that Heyward’s Terrance Gore at the plate. He’s not.
And yes, Heyward has a limited no-trade clause this year, but we don’t know the teams on his list, but obviously a deal would be very complicated. However, the end goal would have to be then signing Bryce Harper for the Cubs.
If not, then what’s the damn point.
Oh, and by the way, Giants, Heyward is really good in San Francisco.
Well, with the idea popping up today a reminder that Jason Heyward has awesome numbers playing in SF.
.397/.482/.740, 7 HRs, in 85 plate appearances.
Oh, and .966 OPS in COL and .914 OPS in SD.cc: Giants
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) December 14, 2018
So, as long as the Giants are in limbo, trying to figure out what they are, we can speculate on a possible Heyward trade, although it would be highly unlikely at this point.
