Giants are looking for a center fielder…again?

There are some options…none of them are that exciting.

The San Francisco Giants had found the meat of their outfield sandwich…then this happened.

They found another replacement in Luis Matos, but that rocket couldn’t stay in orbit. So they rode the Heliot Ramos wave, a mellow right break that lasted through most of the summer.

Ramos started out hot, his glove keeping up with his bat to some degree, getting him on some highlight reels especially as we mourned the passion of the Center Fielder. But the summer isn’t an endless one. Since his All-Star break return, Ramos’s lack of command at the position has shown.

A miscommunication on a late-inning fly to left-center resulted in a leadoff double that eventually scored the decisive run in a close game against LA. Two days later it happened again, a routine fly that dropped between Ramos and Mike Yastrzemski as both outfielders backed off at the same time. Erik Miller was on the mound for both instances, and his frustration was visible.

It was a wake up call. One misplay cost them a game, the other resulted in a run that was luckily inconsequential thanks to a 6-run lead at the time.

The story was, and still is, a feel good one, but it’s not a field-good one.

The metrics confirm some of the green behavior he’s exhibiting. Fangraphs rate his overall Fielding Run Value (FRV) at -4, his Outs Above Average (OAA) at -5, and Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) at -9. Like most things in life, being in the negative is not great, and if the Giants are going to make an unlikely postseason push on the backs of their starting rotation 2.0, there is little room for error.

Hence the reasoning behind the front office’s search for a center fielder.

There are some names like Brenton Doyle of the Rockies and JJ Bleday of the Athletics that feel like non-starters for both their respective clubs and the Giants. They’re well rounded players under team control, and I’m not sure the Giants are willing to pay their price for what is essentially a long-term sub job until Jung Hoo Lee returns next season.

The good news is that there are options. Excellent defenders abound! The bad news is that mostly all of them swing matchsticks.

Michael Siani, St. Louis Cardinals

FRV: 10; OAA: 13; DRS: 7

Siani is probably the best defensive center fielder in the game. In need of tightening up the screws to preserve a late inning lead, Siani is your classic DeWalt 20-volt, lithium ion cordless. He has the best success in making 5-star plays (a catch with a 0-25% chance of being made) at 36.4% If the ball has a higher catch probability than 25%, it’s pretty much guaranteed he will reel it in.

The bat tho. He’s hitting .247 which isn’t bad, but his OPS is barely over .600 with a wRC+ of 73. He’s basically Nick Ahmed.

Siani was claimed from the Reds last September and still has pre-arbitration status. A preliminary search shows little going around the mill about Siani. The Cards have Dylan Carlson, but he’s a worse defender who is also having a worse offensive year than Siani. They also just traded for Tommy Pham though, so clearly they’re looking for more thump in their lineup. Maybe they’d be willing to lose some leather to gain some lumber?

Jacob Young, Washington Nationals

FRV: 12; OAA: 15; DRS: 9

The “probably” in my first sentence above about Siani is because of Young. To the Giants, they are the same person. The only difference is that Young is right-handed. The other side of the plate appears to be only slightly kinder with a .254 average, .638 OPS and 84 wRC+.

The Nationals just traded away Jesse Winker to the Mets, and Lane Thomas to the Guardians. It seems unlikely that they’re planning on playing the rest of the season with no outfielders, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Both Young and Siani are 25 with incredible gloves and under team control. I wouldn’t count on these guys going anywhere.

The good news is that there are veteran options out there that might fit the rental bid better. The bad news is that they are equally lost at the plate.

Michael A. Taylor, Pittsburgh Pirates

FRV: 9; OAA: 8; DRS: 9

Michael Taylor was 23 when the Giants beat the Nationals in the 2014 division series. He’s been around the block, and in his 10 year career, his glove first, bat waaaaayyyyy last designation has never been more apt. He hit a 3-run homer yesterday, so his .569 OPS and 59 wRC+ are on the up-and-up.

The 33 year old is currently signed to a 1-year, $4 million deal in a back-up role to Ji Hwan Bae. A role he’s been filling in a lot since the Korean has only appeared in 11 games so far this season. Bae and another Pirates outfielder both exited yesterday’s game with injuries, their seriousness yet to be determined, but Pittsburgh might hold off on moving Taylor given the possible positional strain.

Kevin Kiermaier, Toronto Blue Jays

FRV: 8; OAA: 9; DRS: 9

Kevin Kiermaier is a more expensive Michael A. Taylor. The 34 year old veteran is currently on a 1-year deal with $10.5 million deal and plans to retire at the end of the year. Will the Blue Jays ship him off in the final months of his final year, or let him play out his swan song in peace? .

He also just did this.

I’d pay to see him steal triples at Oracle Park. He’s hitting .195 with a 53 wRC+. How much would you pay to not watch him hit?

The Blue Jays have Daulton Varsho on their roster, who is more than capable of playing center, and recently acquired some outfield depth.

Trent Grisham, New York Yankees

FRV: 3; OAA: 2; DRS: 2

Trent Grisham’s mustache is an All Star.

Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The rest of his body is not.

His glove is an improvement from Ramos but is not on the same level as the rest of the players on this list. He might have the best bat of the bunch though, which is not saying much.

He’s batting on the interstate as well, though he’s on a bit of a streak as of late, inflating his OPS to .675 which if you round up to the nearest hundredth would be .700. Not bad!

Trent Grisham also did this unspeakable thing to the Giants in 2020.

The Yankees just traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr. who was patrolling center field for Miami. They also got this guy named Aaron Judge who I heard is decent at the position…on second thought, let’s just go for him instead.