Winners and losers of the 2015 MLB Winter Meetings

Dec 7, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred answers question from the media after naming Cal Ripken Jr. (right) Senior Advisor to the Commissioner on Youth Programs and Outreach during the MLB winter meetings at Gaylord Opryland Resort . Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser – San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants came into the winter with money and two clear cut goals; improve the rotation and add a big bat in the outfield. The money gave San Francisco the ability to set their aim high and they focused initially on landing Zack Greinke. However, like the Dodgers, the Giants came up well short in the bidding and instead watched him better a division rival.

Unlike the Dodgers though, San Francisco immediately went to plan B and may have jumped the gun a bit quickly. The Giants signed right-hander Jeff Samardzija to a five-year deal, worth $90 million.

While the pitching market itself is sky-rocketing, many were shocked to see Samardzija land such a hefty payday. After all, we are talking about a pitcher that gave up more hits (228) and more earned runs (118) than any other pitcher in baseball last season. Yes, he is just 30-years-old and owns a career 8.2 K/9 ratio, but the results to date haven’t really belied a pitcher worth $18 million annually.

It’s a curious move for San Francisco, which would have been an attractive destination for Johnny Cueto and others, and comes off feeling a bit forced. Perhaps they’ll funnel some of those savings into Alex Gordon or another outfielder, but until that happens, this was a questionable choice to say the least.

Next: Winner - Chicago Cubs

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