San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants have held face-to-face meetings with agent Scott Boras regarding free-agent clients Carlos Correa and Brandon Nimmo, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Neither player has visited the Giants' home stadium, Oracle Park, as of yet.

Correa hit .291 (.834 OPS) with 22 home runs and 64 RBI for the Minnesota Twins last year. The 28-year-old shortstop is a two-time All-Star who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Houston Astros.

Nimmo hit .274 (.800 OPS) with 16 home runs, 64 RBI and an NL-high seven triples for the New York Mets in 2022. The outfielder, who turns 30 years old in March, has played all seven of his MLB campaigns with the Mets.

The Giants are clearly searching for big names in this year's free-agent market after a disappointing 81-81 season, which followed a 107-win campaign in 2021 that ended with a National League Division Series defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Giants are believed to have offered reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge a $360 million contract.

Correa is one of the top players remaining, especially after shortstop Trea Turner agreed to a $300 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Chicago Cubs are in on Correa, though, with Jon Morosi of MLB Network reporting that the two sides met Monday.

A host of teams are also chasing after Nimmo, per Heyman.

Ultimately, the Giants need to improve a lineup that posted a mediocre .705 OPS (eighth in the National League) with a .234 batting average (12th).

Correa and/or Nimmo would certainly help improve their order, and we could soon find out how everything will shake out with the winter meetings already underway.

The San Francisco Giants mean business in their quest to sign Aaron Judge.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Giants' current offer to the reigning American League MVP is believed to be in the range of $360 million.

Heyman noted the belief among rival teams is the New York Yankees remain the favorite to re-sign Judge, but they are still unsure of where things stand with their franchise player.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last week the Yankees have an offer on the table worth around $300 million over eight years, but they could increase it depending on how far the Giants are willing to push the market.

It's been expected the Giants would be New York's main competition to sign Judge. Randy Miller of NJ.com reported in October they have the 30-year-old at the top of their wish list and "won’t be underbid" by any other team.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, it's "increasingly likely" that Judge's eventual contract will be for nine guaranteed years.

Rosenthal did note the Los Angeles Dodgers are hovering around, but they would prefer to sign Judge to a short-term deal with a high average annual salary.

The Giants have been rolling out the red carpet to let Judge know how much they want him. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry met with the four-time All-Star during his visit with San Francisco last month, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Judge is from California and was drafted out of high school by the Oakland Athletics in the 31st round in 2010. He elected to go to college at Fresno State and developed into a first-round pick by the Yankees three years later.

Since making his big league debut in 2016, Judge ranks second in MLB in homers (220), second in weighted on-base average (.407), fourth in slugging percentage (.583) and seventh in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (36.1).

Judge set an AL record with 62 homers during the 2022 season. He also led MLB in on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686) and total bases (391).

After winning 107 games in 2021, the Giants came back to earth with an 81-81 record last season. They have missed the playoffs five times in the past six seasons.

The Aaron Judge sweepstakes appears to be a two-horse race between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Giants are a "very realistic possibility" for Judge, and the odds for both teams are "very close to 50-50" (starts at 4:55 mark):

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Wednesday that the Yankees have offered around eight years and $300 million for the 2022 American League MVP, but they could increase it.

The Giants' offer to Judge isn't known, though Morosi noted if they make an offer in the range of $40 million per season, they have a "legitimate chance" to sign him.

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout is the highest-paid player in MLB based on the total value of his contract ($426.5 million) and the highest-paid position player by average annual salary ($35.5 million).

While it doesn't sound like Judge will approach the total value of Trout's deal, he could pass his average annual salary. An eight-year, $300 million contract would pay $37.5 million per season.

Pitchers Max Scherzer ($43.3 million) and Gerrit Cole ($36.0 million) are the two highest-paid players in MLB by AAV.

The Giants have long been seen as the biggest threat to sign Judge away from the Yankees. One person who met with members of the team's ownership group told Randy Miller of NJ.com in October they "won't be underbid" for the four-time All-Star.

Judge met with Giants officials for two days in San Francisco last week. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported the Giants connected Judge with representatives for Stephen Curry, hoping the Golden State Warriors superstar could help their free-agent pursuit.

The Yankees have remained confident since free agency began that they will re-sign their superstar slugger. It seems unlikely they will make any other significant moves before he makes a decision.

According to Passan, Judge could make his pick during the winter meetings that begin Sunday in San Diego.

Judge hit the market at the right time after a historic 2022 season. He set an AL record with 62 homers and led MLB in on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686) and total bases (391).

Carlos Rodón's time in the Bay Area has potentially come to an end after one season.

According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, Rodón declined the $22.5 million option on his contract Sunday to remain with the San Francisco Giants. He had signed a two-year, $44 million contract with the Giants this past offseason after spending the first seven years of his career with the Chicago White Sox and emerged as one of the better free-agent signings of 2022.

Rodón earned his second successive All-Star selection as a replacement for reliever Josh Hader, but he didn't pitch in the game. In 31 starts last season, he finished with a 14-8 record with a 2.88 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 237 strikeouts.

The third overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft, Rodón made his major-league debut the following year for the White Sox. After a strong rookie season in which he notched a 3.75 ERA with 139 strikeouts, Rodón's career took a turn as he finished with an ERA above 4.00 in each of the next five years from 2016 to 2020.

Rodón underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2019. He was limited to four appearances in 2020 and went 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA.

The 2021 season was a bounce-back year for Rodón, as he went 13-5 in 24 starts and notched a 2.37 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and 185 strikeouts. He proved that season wasn't a fluke with his strong performance this past year.

Rodón declining to stay in San Francisco for another year is a significant loss for the Giants, as they are losing a No. 1 starter atop their rotation. The team will be in search of a new face of its pitching staff in 2023 if it decides against negotiating with Rodón for a long-term contract.

If Aaron Judge makes his free agency decision based solely on money, he may end up on the San Francisco Giants.

Randy Miller of NJ.com reported Tuesday that the National League West team is "prepared to spend whatever it takes" to land the New York Yankees star.

“Judge is at the top of the Giants list and they won't be underbid," a person familiar with the team's approach said. "If they miss out, it won't be because of money."

It's going to cost a lot of that money.

Miller suggested the pursuit of Judge could become "a bidding war that figures to surpass $300 million" with the Los Angeles Dodgers expected to be involved and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman saying the plan is to make him an offer far above the seven-year, $213.5 million one he turned down in April.

Yet the Giants could have more than just the financial angle working in their favor.

Judge grew up a San Francisco fan in the Northern California town of Linden, where his parents and in-laws still live. Signing with the Giants would be something of a homecoming, and someone close to him even said "it's going to be looking good next season for the orange and black."

It should come as no surprise that San Francisco wants to make a major move this offseason.

After all, it competes in the NL West with the loaded Dodgers and San Diego Padres, who both made the playoffs this past season while it finished in third place at 81-81. This is a franchise accustomed to competing for titles after taking home the World Series championship in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

It came close last season with 107 wins just to lose in the Division Series, and Judge is someone who could help it return to the playoffs.

He is coming off one of the best seasons in MLB history with a .311/.425/.686 slash line, 62 home runs and 131 RBI and is still in his prime at 30 years old. He is missing a World Series crown from his resume, and he may be chasing it in a new league next season.

The San Francisco Giants are expected to be among the most aggressive teams in the free-agent market this winter, with Aaron Judge and Trea Turner among their targets.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote the Giants are "willing to do anything for a return to the postseason."

“We do have the flexibility to be involved in every possible option on the table," Giants president Farhan Zaidi said.

The Giants were 13th in payroll for the 2022 season and finished the year with baseball's highest salary total on the injured list. Carlos Rodón ($21.5 million), Brandon Belt ($18.4 million), Evan Longoria ($14.5 million), Alex Wood ($12.5 million) and Anthony DeSclafani ($12 million) all finished the 2022 campaign out of the lineup.

The salaries of Belt and (likely) Longoria will be coming off the books, giving an already-lean salary sheet an even bigger opportunity to improve.

Judge and Turner are the crowned jewels of the MLB free-agent class, with both almost certainly looking at $300-plus million in guarantees on the open market. Judge set the American League record with 62 home runs during the regular season and grew up in California.

"There's a pot of gold there," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters of Judge. "It's yet to be determined what the gold—how much it weighs—but it's a pot of gold, no doubt about it. So good for him. It was already a big pot and, obviously, it'll be bigger."

Turner is arguably the sport's most complete shortstop, posting back-to-back 20-20 sesaons before hitting free agency for the first time. Nightengale noted Turner may be interested in returning to the East Coast, which may raise his price among the West Coast teams looking to ink him to a long-term contract.

The Giants have holes across their roster, so it would not be a surprise if they switched gears and focused on adding depth across the roster if they strike out on the biggest names.

Major League Baseball's single-season home run record holder is rooting for Aaron Judge to surpass his mark and leave the New York Yankees in free agency.

In a phone interview with Barry M. Bloom of Sportico, Barry Bonds said he would like Judge to "go for" his record of 73 homers and then see the San Francisco Giants land him via free agency in the offseason.

"I hope he signs here," Bonds said. "Can it happen? I don't know. It depends on what the Yankee payroll is. But we would love to have him, I'll tell you that."

Judge has hit 60 home runs with 13 games remaining in the regular season. He became the sixth player in MLB history to reach 60 homers with his solo shot in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 9-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bonds set his mark in 2001. The seven-time National League MVP didn't seem like he was too protective of the record in his interview with Bloom.

"The way [Judge] swings, he might as well hit one a day and get past me," Bonds said. "I don't care. Why not?"

Judge needs to hit two more homers to break Roger Maris' American League record of 61, which the Yankee set in 1961. While Judge's pursuit of history is on everyone's mind right now, his pending free agency is hovering over the Yankees.

There's no doubt Judge has increased his value and leverage with his performance. The four-time All-Star is the favorite to win the AL MVP Award and could command $300 million.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters before the start of the season that Judge had rejected the team's contract offer of $213.5 million over seven years. The deal would have been paired with the $17 million the team offered in arbitration for 2022.

Per Spotrac, the Giants have $103 million in allocated payroll next season. They could look to make a splash this offseason after a disappointing 2022.

After winning an MLB-high 107 games last season, the Giants are 73-77 and trail the San Diego Padres by 7.5 games for the final NL playoff spot.

The San Francisco Giants announced Wednesday that franchise legend Buster Posey joined the MLB club's ownership group as a principal partner and member of the board of directors.

"I feel deeply connected to the Giants and the San Francisco Bay Area and hope that my perspective as a former player will be beneficial in growing the game and assisting the organization to build the next championship team both on and off the field," Posey said. "I have always had such great respect for the ownership group, many of whom I've gotten to know through the years, who provided the support for me and my teammates to achieve the successes we did. I also believe that I can learn so much by surrounding myself with business leaders who have been at the top of their respective industries."

The 35-year-old former catcher played his entire career with the Giants, who selected him with the fifth pick in the 2008 draft. His list of accolades includes seven All-Star selections, three World Series titles, the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year Award and the 2012 NL MVP award. His on-field career ended with his retirement last November.

Posey's decision to hang up his cleats came as somewhat of a surprise since his final season was one of his best. He compiled an .889 OPS, the second-highest mark of his career, with 18 home runs across 113 games in 2021.

The Georgia native also accomplished the rare feat of remaining a primary catcher while playing into his mid-30s. Many backstops switch to first base or designated hitter in the latter stages. He made 106 appearances behind the dish for San Francisco last year.

He should be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame shortly after he becomes eligible in 2026, perhaps even on the first ballot.

"The reason I'm retiring is I want to be able to do more stuff from February to November with my family," Posey told reporters when he announced his retirement.

He added: "Physically, it's much harder now. And to be honest, it's hard to enjoy it as much when there's physical pain that you're dealing with on a daily basis."

Now he'll be tasked with helping the Giants regain their status as a perennial championship contender. Since winning three titles in a five-year span (2010-14), they've qualified for the playoffs just twice in seven years, and they'll soon be eliminated from this year's postseason race barring an unprecedented late-season surge.

"Upon his retirement last year, Buster said that he would always stay involved with the organization and when he approached us to express his interest in joining the ownership group, we were thrilled that he wanted to make this type of commitment," Giants chairman Greg Johnson said. "It is rare for a former player to join his own team’s ownership with the desire to have an active role."

Posey becomes the 31st principal partner in San Francisco Baseball Associates LLC, the club's ownership group. Spotrac estimated the catcher earned $153.9 million during his playing career.

In March, the Giants ranked fifth on Forbes' annual list of MLB team valuations with a projected value of $3.5 billion, a 10 percent increase from 2021.