The San Francisco Giants were one of the top free-agent suitors in pursuit of Paul Goldschmidt. The veteran Goldschmidt has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the New York Yankees.
What should the Giants do with one of their top first-base options off the market?
FanSided’s Zachary Rotman recently pitched an interesting idea. Rotman suggested the Giants could add free agent Justin Turner. Turner spent nine seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in his career.
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“LaMonte Wade Jr. had a down year power-wise this past season but still had a .380 OBP in 117 games played. Wade also boasts a rock-solid .790 OPS against right-handed pitching in his career, compared to a .564 OPS against lefties,” Rotman wrote. “With that in mind, keeping Wade in the lineup regularly against righties and adding an upgrade over Wilmer Flores, who had a dismal year in 2024, to perform against lefties could make sense. That’s where Justin Turner would step in.”
While adding Turner wouldn’t be a flashy move, it would be an affordable one. The Giants are likely to be the top suitors in the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes which, if he signed, would tie up well over $200 million of the Giants’ money. That would handicap them financially in the pursuit of a star first baseman.
Let’s not act like Turner is a horrible option, though. As Rotman states, this would be a platoon option. Turner has been above average his entire career against left-handed pitching, even as he’s aged.
Adding him as a platoon option could make sense, especially given how much Lamonte Wade Jr. has struggled against lefties.
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