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On Wednesday, Giants beat reporter Maria Guardado held an Ask Me Anything on Reddit with fans at r/sfgiants. This mailbag features questions and answers from there. The full AMA can be read here. Questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Do you expect the Giants to go all in on Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai or focus on other less costly options instead?
I know Buster Posey and Zack Minasian took a scouting trip to Japan during the regular season, so I’m sure Imai has been on their radar for a while. He’s definitely an intriguing target, but it remains to be seen whether the Giants will be shopping at the top of the pitching market this offseason.
Greg Johnson told John Shea of the San Francisco Standard that the Giants would be “very cautious” about signing free-agent pitchers to contracts over $100 million, so unless they’re willing to go outside their comfort zone, it could be difficult for the Giants to land a coveted arm like Imai. I think it’s probably more likely they go after some pitchers in the next tier, such as Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Zac Gallen or Michael King.
Have you heard anything suggesting the Giants will pursue Justin Verlander? I’d be happy to see him back, but haven’t seen a thing since he entered free agency.
Posey has said the Giants will have interest in bringing him back, but I think Verlander will have multiple suitors since he finished the season on a high note. Verlander is the type of pitcher who would make a lot of sense for the Giants — he’s a veteran arm that will be looking for a short-term deal — but I think the club’s bizarre struggles to get him wins could work against them in free agency. Verlander also lives in Florida and just welcomed a baby boy in June, so it’s possible he could prefer to stay a little closer to home next year.
Who should the Giants’ biggest free-agent target be?
They definitely need at least one, if not two, starting pitchers. Scherzer figures to be an obvious target given his connection to Tony Vitello, who coached him at the University of Missouri. I know Gallen is friendly with Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, his former D-backs teammate, so he could also be a good fit for San Francisco. Gallen received a qualifying offer, though, so the Giants would have to sacrifice a Draft pick to sign him.
Right now the Giants have a bunch of potential right-field options (Drew Gilbert, Luis Matos, and Jerar Encarnacion). Who in your eyes is the starting right fielder on Opening Day?
I think if the season started tomorrow, it’d probably be Gilbert. I’d expect them to bring in some more competition over the offseason, though.
What were some of the moments from last year that you’ll always remember? And what is your favorite food at the ballpark?
Who are some of the Minor Leaguers in our system that we should be paying attention to throughout the offseason and heading into Spring Training?
Right-hander Blade Tidwell and catcher Jesus Rodriguez seem like they’ll have a lot of chances to contribute next year, so they’re probably the two prospects who are closest to making their Giants debuts. Outfielder Bo Davidson reached Double-A this year, so he’s another name to watch. The Giants also have a ton of promising young players in the lower levels of their system, most notably shortstop Josuar Gonzalez, who is often compared to a young Francisco Lindor.
What piece of writing from the last year are you most proud of?
