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3 Moves the Giants Should Make Before the MLB Season Starts

By Jason Schandl

Giants roster moves before Opening Day could include trading a veteran like Brandon Belt.
Giants roster moves before Opening Day could include trading a veteran like Brandon Belt. / Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
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To say the San Francisco Giants aren't expected to be World Series contenders in 2020 might be an understatement. They're tied for the worst World Series odds in the MLB heading into the season.

That doesn't mean there's nothing going on in San Francisco, though. Getting the team positioned to be back in contention in the future is a gradual process, and one that can start before the season kicks off.

Here are three moves the Giants should make before Opening Day.

1. Trade Brandon Belt

Brandon Belt at the plate against the Pirates.
Brandon Belt at the plate against the Pirates. / Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

The Giants aren't lacking for depth at first base, and it seems like a trade could be on the horizon at the position. Brandon Belt has plenty to offer teams, still in his prime at 31 years old and having notched a weighted on-base average (wOBA) north of .350 in three of the last five seasons. Also a solid fielder who isn't a free agent until 2022, Belt can contribute more for a current contender than he can for the Giants, and he should fetch a reasonable return in a trade.

2. Sign Domingo Santana

Domingo Santana follows through on a swing against the Astros.
Domingo Santana follows through on a swing against the Astros. / Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

There aren't many spots the Giants' don't need help, and they could be looking to add some more power to their lineup. Domingo Santana swatted 21 homers in 2019 and 30 in 2017, and his career .194 isolated power (ISO) shows plenty of pop. His batted-ball profile looked especially good last season, with career-high marks (for seasons with at least 10 games played) in fly-ball rate (30.8 percent) and hard-hit rate (41.9 percent). Turning just 28 years old during the season, Santana also still has plenty of prime years ahead of him.

3. Sign Victor Alcantara

Victor Alcantara throws a pitch against the Twins.
Victor Alcantara throws a pitch against the Twins. / Mark Cunningham/Getty Images

The Giants can use young arms in their rotation and bullpen, and after hitting free agency in October, Victor Alcantara is an intriguing option. He had a disappointing 2019, struggling to the tune of a 4.85 ERA across 42 2/3 innings. He flashed some serious promise at the Triple-A level in 2018, though, with a 2.81 ERA and 2.83 xFIP across 51 1/3. He's forced swinging-strikes on 10.5 percent of his major league pitches, suggesting his strikeout stuff may be a bit nastier than his career 5.6 strikeouts per nine innings suggests. That's the kind of upside worth targeting in a 26-year-old righty.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.