Few teams ended the 2024 Major League Baseball season with a more sour taste in their mouths than the San Francisco Giants.
For the third straight season, the Giants came into the spring with high hopes of playoff contention and finished in the middle of the pack. Worse still, they finished in fourth place in the National League West for the second consecutive year, solidifying their new spot in the pecking order.
Every winter, the Giants seem to fail in their pursuit of marquee free agents, from Aaron Judge to Shohei Ohtani to Carlos Correa. As a result, the offense always seems to lack punch, as 2024 marked the 20th consecutive year no Giants hitter managed 30 or more home runs.
Clearly, the Giants will be looking for offense again this winter. And one recent prediction sees them adding a former Most Valuable Player to bolster their languishing lineup.
Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report predicted that the Giants would sign former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, the 2022 National League MVP who had a rough final season in a Redbirds uniform.
"There are plenty of franchises that would still take on a 20-homer first baseman who has a career .289 batting average and .892 OPS," Tansey said.
"The Giants need an everyday first baseman and someone who can provide support in the middle of the order alongside (Matt) Chapman. They could be an intriguing fit for Goldschmidt as they try to push their way back up the National League West hierarchy."
The 2024 season was an alarming sign of decline for Goldschmidt, who turned 37 last month. His OPS+ dipped below league average for the first time ever (98, so only just below), and he tied a career-high with 173 strikeouts.
However, no one should make the mistake of forgetting that two years ago, Goldschmidt was getting ready to accept his first career MVP trophy. While every aging slugger eventually reaches the point of no return, there's still a chance Goldschmidt could have one last resurgence.
If the Giants are counting on Goldschmidt to be the only missing piece in their quest for the playoffs, they're likely still in trouble. But if other moves are coming and Goldschmidt is a low-risk reclamation project, it's a move that could pay huge dividends.
More MLB: Cubs linked to Orioles $88 million All-Star in search for much-needed 'big bopper'
