As the sun rose Thursday morning and dawn broke on Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers' World Series celebration, for the other 29 teams, it merely marked the commencement of Major League Baseball's offseason.
Seven Giants officially became free agents: Brandon Crawford, Joc Pederson, Alex Wood, Jakob Junis, John Brebbia, Scott Alexander and Roberto Pérez. They will be eligible to sign with any team beginning Monday, when the free agent market opens following the five-day window at the conclusion of the World Series.
Until then, the Giants have exclusive rights to negotiate extensions, as the Dodgers did with Max Muncy.
But they also have other decisions to worry about in the meantime.
[ ICYMI: Key dates, decisions, questions ahead for SF Giants' offseason ]
In addition to filling out new manager Bob Melvin's coaching staff — those names should begin to trickle out soon — the Giants will be waiting to hear whether or not Michael Conforto, Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling will be back next season. They all possess player options, which must also be decided by Monday.
The Giants also face the same deadline for an option of their own, on Alex Cobb, who recently underwent hip surgery and will miss the start of next season.
So, let's break down all four decisions, in order of each player's likelihood to be back in black and orange next season.
Alex Cobb, RHP
Club option: $10 million ($2 million buyout)
Back in 2024? Almost certainly.
Before Cobb opted for surgery to address the impingement in his left hip, it was a lock that his option would be picked up by the Giants. His production has far exceeded the value of his original two-year, $20 million contract, and a $10 million salary for 2024 looked to be just as much of a bargain.
Picking it up remains the most likely scenario, but with the news that Cobb will miss at least the first month of next season, would Farhan Zaidi attempt to find a reciprocal discount? They could buy him out for $2 million and negotiate a salary that splits the difference. But why pinch pennies Cobb has already outperformed his contract?
A first-time All-Star at age 35, Cobb was one of the Giants' only two reliable starting pitchers last season, despite pitching with the issue in his landing hip for the majority of the season. Zaidi's time will be better spent filling out the rotation around him and Logan Webb.
Ross Stripling, RHP
Player option: $12.5 million
Back in 2024? Almost certainly.
Stripling's first year in a Giants uniform was so frustrating that it led the typically mild-mannered right-hander to publicly complain about his usage with about a month left in the season. But it was also so bad that it led Stripling to admit only a few days later that he would almost certainly be back in 2024.
That salary is likely to look like an albatross unless Stripling is able to fix his home run problem. He surrendered 20 in 89 innings, leading to a 5.36 ERA, the worst of his career in a 162-game season, and became the first pitcher in Giants history to throw as many innings without earning a win (0-5).
Michael Conforto, OF
Player option: $18 million
Back in 2024? It depends.
A client of Scott Boras, Conforto has a history of betting on himself, and the superagent tends to prefer his clients test the open market.
However, Conforto's previous bets haven't paid off. He turned down a nine-figure extension with the Mets before the 2021 season, then went on to post the worst statistical year of his career before injuring his shoulder and missing all of 2022. On the heels of that, Conforto took a prove-it deal in San Francisco.
Conforto earned the right to opt out by logging 350 plate appearances, but he didn't perform well enough to make it an easy decision.
While staying mostly healthy, Conforto batted .239/.334/.384, almost identical to the .232/.344/.384 batting line he compiled in his last healthy season with the Mets. Entering his age-31 season, Conforto will be three years removed from the last time he was an above-average hitter over the course of a full season.
With Mitch Haniger, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater and Luis Matos all in the picture for next season, and the Giants keen on upgrading their outfield defense, they might even be nudging Conforto toward free agency. With his track record and a thin outfield market, Conforto could likely command a multi-year deal at an annual rate comparable to the one on the table for him in San Francisco.
Boras played his cards close to his chest when asked about Conforto on a recent episode of "The Show," a podcast hosted by New York Post MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman.
"One thing I know is that Michael has a decision to make, and he has actually told me what he is going to do," Boras said. "Actually, he's told me that he's going to make his decision on the day of the opt out."
Sean Manaea, LHP
Player option: $12.5 million
Back in 2024? It depends.
The Giants were happy to attach player options and opt out clauses to the contracts they handed out last offseason, and their two starting pitcher signings (well, they were at least starting pitchers when they signed them) exemplified the little upside in those contract provisions.
If a player underperforms, like Stripling, the team is on the hook for an engorged salary. If a player performs up to expectations or exceeds them, like Manaea over the second half of the season, there's little reason for them not to opt out and seek another deal at fair market value.
After a rocky start to the season, Manaea posted a 3.44 ERA (and 3.15 FIP) from May 17 onward, a sample size of nearly 100 innings, while maintaining the uptick in velocity he flashed in spring training, and will likely try to parlay that into an assured spot in a team's starting rotation.
One wild card: Will the Giants' new manager sway Manaea's decision? In eight big-league seasons, last year was Manaea's first time playing for anybody but Melvin.
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