At this point, it’s no secret the San Francisco Giants are looking to sign a big name closer this offseason.
Reports surfaced last week that general manager Bobby Evans met with both Mark Melancon and the representatives of Aroldis Chapman, two of the top relievers on the free agent market.
Despite a domestic violence issue that lead to a 50-game suspension for Chapman last season, Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow said the Giants should pursue the World Series Champion, and give him the benefit of the doubt due to the fact both the Yankees and Cubs vouched for him.
His broadcast partner Duane Kuiper isn’t as convinced, and told Murph and Mac on Wednesday that even though the Giants will consider acquiring the left-handed flamethrower, those issues will be enough to turn them off.
“Maybe in the long run the Cubs took some heat for three months, won the World Series and everybody forgot about it,” Kuiper said. “I think the Giants have a pretty good idea as to what the heartbeat is of the region, and of the Giants brand regarding how they want to go about – and I’ll use Brian Sabean’s terminology – kicking tires on a guy like him. If you have to kick the tires I think you do. But they also know what’s being written and what’s being said and how their fanbase feels and I think they take all of that into consideration. I think we all really appreciate that they do that. So I think that’s where it’s going to go and we’ll see, but I don’t think he’s going to be in a Giants uniform, I don’t.
Luckily for San Francisco, there are two other top tier closers on the open market in Melancon and the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen, in addition to other auxiliary options like former Royals closer Greg Holland who San Francisco has shown interest in.
Kuiper believes that the Cubs were also concerned about Chapman’s off the field issues when the acquired him in a trade at the deadline, but saw him as a hired hand to get them to the World Series, always planning to cut him lose at the end of the season.
“I think the Cubs when they got him, I think they said look, ‘we really hope we can win this thing, because we’re only going to keep him for two months, and then the postseason, and then we’re going to shut him. And you know what we’re gonna do, we’re gonna wear him out too. We’re not really gonna care what his arm feels like in November.’ And they did!”
Chapman posted a 1.55 ERA and notched 36 saves in 2016.
Listen to the full interview below.