SF Giants set offseason priority list: Here’s how team will approach building for 2022

SAN FRANCISCO — Farhan Zaidi compared watching the NLCS to being an actor who chose to attend a movie anyway after being passed over for a role.

“You’re watching that game and you sort of feel like that should be us,” Zaidi said. “It feels a little bit like so close and yet so far. It’s like we could be playing that game but I’m at home watching this game in my sweats.”

For most of the summer, Zaidi’s Giants looked like they would be the stars of October’s latest underdog script. A team that was projected to finish under .500 for the fifth consecutive season won 107 games and ended the Dodgers’ eight-year run as National League West champions.

In the first modern era playoff series between the rivals, the Giants took a 2-1 series lead, but twice missed opportunities to close out the Dodgers as Los Angeles advanced to meet the Atlanta Braves with a ninth-inning rally in Game 5 of the NLDS.

In the immediate aftermath of a controversial ending, the Giants expressed anger, frustration and disappointment. Days after having more time to process their emotions, Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler took pride in the accomplishments of a team that treated its fans to an unforgettable journey.

“There was such a feeling of rebirth this season,” Zaidi said. “In terms of the city, in terms of the organization, in terms of having fans back. That was a really cool feeling. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated the ability to come to the ballpark, watch a game, see fans in the stands, see fans get excited like we did this year and I hope that carries over next year.”

Under Zaidi and Kapler, the 2021 Giants redefined expectations for what the franchise is capable of as fans have every reason to believe this season was the beginning of a new and potentially long competitive window. In a year when the Giants reestablished themselves as a powerhouse at the major league level, two of their minor league affiliates –the High-A Eugene Emeralds and Low-A San Jose Giants– won championships.

There’s a belief inside the organization the Giants are capable of sustaining a high level of success into 2022 and beyond, but to make that possible, Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris must begin the process of retooling their 40-man roster.

Aside from Logan Webb, the 24-year-old right-hander who established himself as the ace of the Giants’ staff, every member of the starting rotation is expected to become a free agent.

“It’s probably obvious looking at where our roster is going to be on paper, but that’s going to be our No. 1 priority,” Zaidi said.

Zaidi acknowledged it’s difficult to know what the free agent market for starting pitchers will look like, particularly with the league’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire December 1. But the Giants do have interest in retaining Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood.

“We have a number of free agents in the rotation and we have interest in retaining all of those guys, but this is probably the segment of the free agent market that’s hardest to predict or pin down because it’s a need team every team has and every team tries to address pretty aggressively,” Zaidi said.

After extending Brandon Crawford with a two-year, $32 million deal in August, the Giants also sound eager to continue building around Buster Posey and Brandon Belt. Posey, 34, has a $22 million club option Zaidi sounds willing to exercise, but if Posey is open to renegotiating a longer extension, the Giants are clearly open to doing whatever they can to make their franchise cornerstone happy.

As for Belt, 33, who is set to become a free agent, Zaidi suggested the Giants have significant interest in signing him to a new contract and would be open to extending him a one-year, $18-plus million qualifying offer if they can’t agree to terms on a longer deal in the near future.

“He’s happy here and I’m sure he feels really appreciated,” Zaidi said of Belt. “And we appreciate him. He’s been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last couple of years so he’s a big part of this team and we’ll certainly hope those are productive dialogues.”

Will Kris Bryant be considered as much of a priority? Zaidi and Kapler praised his team-first mentality, but Zaidi said the trade for the former Cubs superstar was a reflection of a desire to push as many chips in on the 2021 club as the Giants could.

The Giants have several decisions that are seemingly easy such as exercising a $3.5 million club option for infielder Wilmer Flores and a $1.5 million option for reliever José Álvarez while also paying a $5 million buyout to starter Johnny Cueto to avoid picking up his $22 million option for next season. They also have much tougher ones, such as determining which outfielders to prioritize building around from a group that includes Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Steven Duggar and which outfielders to find ways to remove from the 40-man roster to clear opportunities for younger, less experienced players who deserve an opportunity.

“We know that they are bought into our system, have succeeded in our system and whether you’re platooning in and out of the lineup, coming in to pinch-hit, we ask a lot of these guys and they’ve really come through and have fostered a really unselfish culture that we value a lot,” Zaidi said. “It’s really part of our organizational identity at this point.”

The Giants have a difficult balance to strike this offseason because they value chemistry, selflessness and continuity, but the team’s top decision-makers also realize there will be several ways to upgrade the roster that require bringing in new personnel and parting ways with popular and successful players.

The goal is to ensure the next time the cast is chosen, the Dodgers are the ones at home watching the Giants in their sweats.