The San Francisco Giants don’t currently have an everyday third baseman. Right now, Pablo Sandoval is penciled into that spot, and that’s something that will have to change this offseason if San Francisco hopes to turn things around in 2018.
The Giants have already been linked to a number of notable potential replacements, including the Orioles’ Manny Machado, but over the weekend two more names popped up according to various reports. Via the Tampa Bay Times, the Giants are one of three teams “interested” in three-time All-Star Evan Longoria, while Jim Salisbury of NBC Philadelphia says San Francisco was “sniffing around” on Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco.
This might be why Giants were sniffing around on Maikel Franco at meetings. Moore https://t.co/VkES3ZYHLU
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) December 16, 2017
Longoria, 32, is expected to be dealt before he gains no-trade status in April according to the Times. His current contract is guaranteed through 2022 and gives an average payout of $16.2 per year until that time. Longoria is coming off a bit of a down year by his standards at the plate (.261/.313/.424), but was awarded the third Gold Glove of his career for his performances on the diamond.
Franco, 25, is also coming off a bit of a down year with career lows in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging in 2017. In 2015, he posted an impressive line of .280/.343/.497, and blasted 25 and 24 home runs in 2016 and 2017 respectively. He does not become an unrestricted free agent until the 2022 season.