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The first question Farhan Zaidi answered in his introductory press conference when the San Francisco Giants signed him as president of baseball operations was whether the team was in winning mode now, in retooling or in reconstruction.
Here is part of his response:
I think when you have that attitude and you’re too short-sighted about “we’re rebuilding, that means we’re not going to sign free agents, that means we’re not going to acquire veteran players,” you going to leave a lot of opportunities on the table. So I just think where we are as an organization right now, we need to cast as wide a net as possible and not put too many labels on what this process is going to be, other than trying to take smart and wise decisions.
I think about this quote a lot.
I thought about it when the Giants made only the smallest of moves in Zaidi’s first year, as they looked to improve on a 73-win squad. I thought about it when they pushed all their chips to the middle of the table chasing Bryce Harper. I thought about it this offseason, when they made their biggest moves from the Zaidi and Scott Harris era – like offering Kevin Gausman the qualifying offer and signing Tommy La Stella for a three-year deal – but still weren’t doing it. that browse their change. Stock Exchange.
And I thought about it on Sunday, when they selected Mississippi State right-hander Will Bednar with the No.14 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
There are many MLB war rooms that have distinct personalities. Some teams avoid preparing players like the plague, while others seek high school students. Some organizations are consistent in pursuing high-ceiling prospects, while others stick strictly to high-level recruits. Some teams are still trying to go under the slot in the first round, as was posted on Sunday.
But the Giants don’t seem to have a type or lean. Whether or not they make smart and smart decisions is debatable and needs a few more years to simmer, but it’s certainly the process attempted when draft day arrives.
In 2019, in Zaidi’s first draft with the Giants, they selected college outfielder Hunter Bishop in the first round. It wasn’t until round eight, with the No. 226 pick, that the Giants took a pitcher (that pitcher, Texas Tech right-hander Caleb Kilian, looks like a smart pick now).
Last year, Harris’ first with the Giants, San Francisco shocked many when it selected North Carolina state receiver Patrick Bailey with his first-round pick. While some have criticized the Giants for selecting an older receiver when one of their top prospects, Joey Bart, was an almost ready receiver for MLB (not to mention Ricardo Genovés who was waiting backstage), Zaidi and Harris and the whole organization made it clear: They believed Bailey was the best player to pick, and Bart had nothing to do with the equation. Neither the state of the MLB team nor the state of the farm.
Although they took another varsity bat, they didn’t wait until the eighth round – which is good since there wasn’t one – to draft a pitcher. Four of their seven picks in 2020 were pitchers, but they went under the slot on more than one occasion to make room for prep left-hander Kyle Harrison. Now, a year later, Harrison is the team’s best prospect in the 2020 Draft on the boards of many.
Which brings us to 2021.
After making college pitchers the lowest priority in the last two drafts, it was a college arm that was called in when the Giants picked Bednar at No.14, just after being named the College World MVP. Series.
As of now, hardly any first round selection is 100% about the player, as the money almost always comes in. The Giants can probably go slightly under the slot with Bednar, opening up opportunities for later rounds. The drafter doesn’t mean the Giants necessarily thought he was a significantly better player than preparation shortstop Kahlil Watson, one of the top five draft talents who was still available, but the Giants should have gone past the slot for .
But the Giants are obviously pretty high on Bednar, and given his age (21.1) and performance in the highest amateur stage, we might see him sooner rather than later.
This anecdote is interesting, but it is not part of the equation. Bednar – both his talent and his slot machine situation – was chosen because the Giants thought it was a smart and wise move. They weren’t looking for an experienced college player because they are competitive now and want quick returns. They weren’t looking for a pitcher because their farm is light on them and they feel the need to balance things out.
They were just looking for a good baseball player at an intriguing price, and they think they’ve identified one.
Now we are waiting to be able to put on our reversing glasses.
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