The Giants got clarity on several option decisions on Monday that will inevitably impact their approach to this offseason.
Left-hander Sean Manaea is a free agent after opting out of the final year of his two-year deal with the Giants. Outfielder Michael Conforto and right-hander Ross Stripling, on the other hand, will be back after declining the opportunity to re-enter the open market this winter. They’ll be owed $18 million and $12.5 million, respectively, in 2024.
The Giants also picked up Alex Cobb’s $10 million club option, though the veteran right-hander is expected to be out until at least May 2024 after undergoing left hip surgery last month.
Conforto’s decision had been the trickiest to gauge heading into Monday’s deadline, as he batted .239 with 15 homers and a career-low .718 OPS after returning from the right shoulder surgery that forced him to sit out the entire 2022 campaign.
While Conforto managed to avoid shoulder trouble this past season, he battled hamstring issues that limited him to 125 games and caused him to miss three weeks down the stretch. The 30-year-old also struggled to consistently tap into the elite power he flashed earlier in his career with the Mets, as he didn’t homer after Aug. 13 and finished with a 99 OPS+ that put him a tick below league average.
Even with a thin class of free-agent hitters, Conforto ultimately elected to stay in San Francisco and try to put together a stronger platform season next year. His return will further crowd the Giants’ outfield mix, which is already projected to feature holdovers like Mitch Haniger, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater, Luis Matos, Tyler Fitzgerald and Heliot Ramos.
Giants outfielders tied for 25th in the Majors with a combined 3.5 Wins Above Replacement in 2023, according to FanGraphs, and ranked 28th with -13 Outs Above Average, so they’re unlikely to run the same group back, particularly given their desire to upgrade their defense and athleticism this winter.
