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MLB Hot Stove: 5 potential free agent targets for the San Francisco Giants

By Dave Stevenson

Aug 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; General view of a San Francisco Giants hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; General view of a San Francisco Giants hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke (21) pitches during the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Zack Greinke

If the San Francisco Giants want to make a huge free agent splash, they could look to their arch nemesis: the Los Angeles Dodgers. Zack Greinke is a pretty incredible pitcher and he’s likely going to win the NL Cy Young after a season that saw him post a 1.66 ERA in 222 2/3 innings. He also opted out of the deal that he signed with the Dodgers before the 2013 season. Greinke would not only make the San Francisco Giants better, he’d also make their division rival Dodgers weaker.

Greinke is 32 years old. That’s a little concerning, but going to a pitcher’s park like AT&T Park could help extend his usefulness by at least a season or two. Greinke, like Cueto, is a right-handed pitcher. Signing Greinke would allow the San Francisco Giants to have that coveted lefty-righty combo at the top of their rotation. Greinke has a solid 3.55 ERA in the postseason during his career, so he’d be a good fit for a Giants team that is setting up for another even year World Series run (and several after that).

35.5% of the balls in play against Greinke in his career have been flyballs. That should play well at AT&T Park. He tends to allow more groundballs than flyballs. That works with the Giants thanks to Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford and the Giants newly discovered infield defense. Second baseman Joe Panik is above average defensively and Matt Duffy was impressive defensively in his rookie season.

The Giants best option to solve their top of the rotation issue is signing Greinke. Cueto is a very nice fallback option, but Greinke is clearly the superior pitcher.

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