San Francisco Giants Best Free Agent Signings of All-Time
In honor of National Signing Day, let’s take a look back at the greatest free agent signings in San Francisco Giants history.
To give this list some context, we need to look at the history of free agency. San Francisco Giants greats like Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Mel Ott, Christy Matthewson and others were all technically free agents when they were signed by the Giants. However, there was also no draft yet and players could not leave teams for another unless they were traded or sold. The players had no say in the matter.
Then, in 1969, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood became the first professional athlete to fight for free agency rights. His fight took years and was not supported by all players in the game. It wasn’t until December of 1975 when Free Agency was finally granted to the players.
We will be looking at players signed in free agency by the Giants since 1975. We will eliminate all players that were traded to the Giants and those that were drafted.
To make this list, a player will have needed to sign with the team as an amateur free agent or as a major league free agent. We will not be looking at players who re-signed to stay on the Giants either. This eliminates players like Hunter Pence and Jason Schmidt who were initially traded or Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain who were given extensions.
Dec 17, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; (from left) San Francisco Giants chief executive officer Larry Baer and senior vice president/general manager Bobby Evans announce the signing of pitcher Johnny Cueto at a press conference at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Cueto was signed only one year ago on December 16, 2015. In one season, Cueto dominated lineups and helped lead the Giants to the postseason. He finished 6th in the Cy Young voting and his WAR of 5.6 is already better than the production on several Giants free agents of the past.
McGee was signed by the Giants on December 3, 1990 at the age of 32. McGee would go on to play four seasons with the Giants, slashing .301/.348/.386 for an OPS of .734. As the Giants transitioned from Will Clark‘s team to Barry Bonds team, McGee was a solid veteran the team could count on during his tenure.
Vogelsong was originally drafted by the Giants in 1998, but he was signed as a free agent on January 11, 2011. The Giants were coming off a World Series, so Vogelsong was unlikely to even make the team. By July, he was an All-Star and in 2012, he was a key part of a staff that won the World Series in 2012. They won again in 2014 and Vogelsong would finish his Giants career with 3-0 record and 2.92 ERA in the postseason. His five seasons back in San Francisco also included a Willie Mac Award and a permanent place in Giants history.
Torres signed as a free agent on January 9, 2009. One year later, Torres went from a Spring Training invite to the team’s starting center fielder. Torres would win the Willie Mac Award as the team’s most inspirational player and be the team’s leadoff hitter and center fielder on their first championship team in 2010. Torres had a long road to get to San Francisco, but his career was one of the most productive among the free agents in team history.
Casilla was signed by the Giants as a free agent on January 2, 2010. He would become an integral part of the Giants bullpen that helped the Giants win three World Series in five seasons. Casilla was a part of the “Core Four,” along with Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez. Casilla was best in the postseason, with a 0.92 ERA and 1.017 WHIP over 19 postseason innings. He also hasn’t allowed a run in his last 11.2 playoff innings over 16 appearances.
Oct 29, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval (bottom) celebrates with teammates after catching a pop out for the final out of game seven of the 2014 World Series against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Durham was one of many free agent signings during the 2002 off-season. Durham signed on December 7, 2002 and helped lead the Giants to the best record in baseball in 2003. The Giants would not return to the postseason again during Durham’s tenure with San Francisco. In an era that saw the team sign many veteran free agents, Durham was one of the few free agents who were productive for the majority of his time with the club.
Butler signed as a free agent with the Giants on December 1, 1987. He would play three seasons with the Giants from 1988-1990. His bat at the top of the Giants lineup along with his glove in center field was a catalyst for the Giants teams of the late 1980’s. He helped lead the team to the 1989 World Series. In three years, Butler slashed .291/.381/.378 for an OPS of .759.
Brenly was signed as an amateur free agent on June 21, 1976. Brenly would debut with the Giants in 1981 and would play nine seasons with San Francisco. The catcher was a leader in the clubhouse as much as a presence on the field. His numbers helped him reach the 1984 All-Star game, but his impact was far greater to the Giants resurrection in the late 1980’s.
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Sandoval was signed as an amateur free agent in 2003 as a 16 year old out of Venezuela. He made his major league debut six years later at 22 and was an everyday starter by the following season. From 2009-2014, Sandoval was a part of a core group of Giants that helped the team win three World Series championships in five seasons. He won the 2012 Most Valuable Player award during the World Series for his performance, which included three home runs in Game 1.
Maybe the greatest free agent of the modern era, Bonds signed with the Giants on December 8, 1992. Bonds was coming off of his second MVP season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was only 27 years old. He would spend the next 15 seasons with the Giants, setting several Major League records and finishing his career in 2007 as one of the greatest players of all-time.
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