The San Francisco Giants could have one more move left in them before Opening Day, but after coming up short in their pursuit of some marquee players this winter, it seems like their roster is pretty much set.
With Corbin Burnes and Roki Sasaki both choosing division rivals over the Giants, those are the latest names who can be added to the long list of targets the franchise has missed on.
It’s certainly frustrating to be the bridesmaid and never the bride when it comes to the superstars available on the market, but it would also be unfair to say San Francisco hasn’t been able to land high-profile players in recent history since Willy Adames and Matt Chapman will be manning the left side of their infield in 2025 and beyond.
Nobody is going to feel bad for the Giants, though, so they have to quickly turn the page.
Chapman made sure to do that with his comments regarding the divisional battle and what the goals are of this team heading into the season.
With that mentality coming from the players, the fan base should also look at the positives currently in place, and when it comes to rising star Tyler Fitzgerald, history suggests he could become the next great player for San Francisco.
In 2024, the utilityman became just the fifth Giants rookie ever to have 15 homers and 15 stolen bases in a singular campaign.
He joined the likes of Bill White (1956), Orlando Cepeda (1958), Dave Kingman (1972), and Chili Davis (1982) to accomplish that feat, per Grant Brisbee of The Athletic.
Between that group of four players, they had 25 All-Star Game selections, an MVP Award, Rookie of the Year Award, five World Series rings and a Hall of Fame induction.
If Fitzgerald can add to those marks, then San Francisco will have a real talent on their hands.
There’s reason to think that can happen, too.
After a cup of coffee in The Show during 2023 when he got into just 10 games, he exploded onto the scene at different times this past season to finish with a slash line of .280/.334/.497, 15 homers, 34 RBI and an OPS+ of 134 across his 96 contests and 341 plate appearances.
While his age of 27 means his shelf life could be shorter than some of the other rising stars in the sport, he’s also been given a clear direction by the organization with him taking over second base full time which will allow him to focus on one singular defensive area while improving his hitting.
Fitzgerald will get more at-bats this year if he can stay healthy, so he’s going to have a real opportunity to showcase his ability and reach his ceiling which looks high after what he was able to do in 2024.
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