2012 MLB Free Agency: A Realistic Offseason for the San Francisco Giants

When the MLB free agency period arrives in early December, what moves will the San Francisco Giants make in order to bolster their inept offense?

Sure, every Giants fan would love to see Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder or even Jose Reyes sporting an orange San Francisco Giants hat come late April. However, acquiring any of those players is simply unrealistic for the Giants due to their current financial situation.

Their $118 million team salary is the eighth-highest in MLB, and it isn't expected to be going down anytime soon. This holds especially true since players like Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Brian Wilson are expecting long-term contract offers within the next year or so.

With that being said, it's highly unlikely that the Giants will become major players for the top-tier free agents in the market.

But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

There is an abundance of middle-of-the-pack free agents who would be considered first-class if their contracts didn't expire at the same time as Pujols and Fielder's.

So on top of resigning a few of our key free agents, here's the ideal offseason the Giants can have in 2012.

Resign Ryan Vogelsong: 2 Years, $10 Million.

Resigning Ryan Vogelsong would be a risk, but it's a risk that the Giants need to take.

Who knows if he'll be able to carry his success from 2011 over to the 2012 season, but the Giants remember all too well what it's like to not have a legitimate fifth starter in the rotation.

Todd Wellemeyer anyone?

Vogelsong pitched phenomenally this year by posting a 2.71 ERA, the fourth-lowest ERA in the National League. His ERA was also the lowest among the Giants rotation, topping aces like Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

Will Vogelsong be able to duplicate his success in 2012? Probably not, but it'll be worth the risk to find out.

Who knows, maybe the Giants really did catch lightning in a bottle this time.

Resign Javier Lopez: 3 Years, $13 Million

Javier Lopez was the most important piece of the Giants' bullpen in 2011. However, one could argue that Sergio Romo deserves that recognition, and it would certainly be a valid argument.

Both were equally meaningful in their own rights, as Lopez was the lefty specialist, and Romo was just the opposite.

With Lopez's contract up this offseason, the Giants must find a way to retain him if they have any hope of remaining one of the top bullpens in baseball, even if it means overpaying.

Resign Jeff Keppinger: 2 Years, $4 Million

Whether or not Jeff Keppinger wants to return to the Giants is currently up in the air. Due to his clutch hits down the stretch and the lack of depth the Giants have at the middle-infield position, the Giants will push hard to retain him.

Brandon Crawford is likely to amount to nothing more than just an above-average defender. Freddy Sanchez has problems staying healthy. And lastly, Mike Fontenot's contract is up and will unlikely return to the Giants.

Keppinger is a utility player who can play a multitude of positions, and would likely take upon the role that Fontenot has played the last two seasons.

However, Keppinger is capable of being an everyday player elsewhere, so he might not want to return to the Giants if he isn't assured a starting spot.

Pick Up Club Option on Jeremy Affeldt

Jeremy Affeldt has had his ups and downs during his time with the Giants.

In 2009, he was one of the best middle relievers in baseball. Then in 2010, he just simply wasn't the same.

Affeldt then returned to his original form in 2011 by posting a 2.63 ERA.

His presence in the clubhouse is paramount, and he can go through stretches where his curveball is nearly unhittable to both righties and lefties alike.

Affeldt's club option shouldn't cost the Giants a fortune, so expect the Giants to bring him back in order to keep the majority of the bullpen from 2011 in tact.

Resign Mark DeRosa: 1 Year, $1 Million

This may surprise you, but Giants fans never got to see the player that Mark DeRosa was supposed to be when he signed a two-year, $12 million contract in 2010.

DeRosa sat out the majority of the 2010 season with an injury, and it was practically the same story in 2011. However, DeRosa did exhibit his worth down the stretch in 2011 with some timely hitting.

DeRosa is a class act, and he undoubtedly feels guilty about seeing the trainers room more than the baseball field during his two years with the Giants.

Much like what Pat Burrell did before the 2011 season, don't be surprised to see DeRosa take a considerable pay cut in order to repay the Giants for the past two seasons.

Sign Marco Scutaro: 2 Years, $9 Million

In today's age, legitimate shortstops who are readily available are few and far between. A couple of big-name players should be hitting the free agent market like Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins, but both are unrealistic options for the Giants.

Reyes will be demanding a $120 million contract, and Rollins, who is well past his prime at 33 years old, will be demanding a five-year contract.

One name that the Giants should inquire on is Marco Scutaro, a 35-year-old shortstop who just batted a shade under .300 for the Boston Red Sox.

Even though he's on the wrong side of 30 years old, Scutaro hasn't shown any signs of slowing down since his past three seasons have arguably been the best of his career. Since 2009, his batting averages of .282, .279 and .299 have all been career highs.

However, whether or not Scutaro actually becomes a free agent in 2012 will largely depend on the Red Sox, who could potentially pick up his $6 million option for the upcoming season.

Sign Coco Crisp: 3 Years, $19 Million

One thing the Giants lineup lacked in 2011 was a leadoff hitter who could get on base and reek havoc on the base paths.

Coco Crisp is a prime candidate to fill both of those holes.

His .264 batting average and .314 on-base percentage were just a tad bit lower than normal, but his 49 stolen bases left his previous record of 38 in the dust. 

Crisp is a leadoff hitter who utilizes his blistering speed to perfection by putting the ball in play and limiting his strikeouts. In his 10-year career, Crisp has not stuck out over 85 times in a single season. 

It's safe to say that Andres Torres played out of his mind in 2010, and even then wasn't a prototypical leadoff hitter. Even though he had an incredible year both offensively and defensively for the Giants in 2010, 128 strikeouts is something you don't want to see from the leadoff hitter.

Crisp is exactly what the Giants lineup has been missing, and he certainly won't have any trouble trying to cover the spacious center field in AT&T Park.

Plus, imagine how many afros the Giants marketing team could sell along with the countless panda and giraffe hats!

Sign Michael Cuddyer: 4 Years, $55 Million

Michael Cuddyer will be the big fish the Giants catch this upcoming offseason.

The Giants already expressed interest in Cuddyer before the trade deadline, but the two teams were unable to come to terms since the Twins were unwilling to part with their slugger. 

At 32 years old, and in the midst of his best years of his career, Cuddyer will be the more affordable alternative to replace Carlos Beltran.

It is unlikely that Beltran will return to the Giants since an AL team like the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox will be willing to offer him the five-year deal that he's currently seeking.

In his past three seasons, Cuddyer has averaged 22 home runs, 82 RBI and a .277 batting average.

Another appealing aspect of Cuddyer's game is his versatility. He can play both of the corner-outfield positions, as well as second base if need be.

With Freddy Sanchez and Buster Posey coming back from injuries, and the presence of Brandon Belt in the lineup everyday, adding Cuddyer to the mix could be just what the Giants need.

Projected 2012 Starting Lineup

1. Coco Crisp (CF)

2. Freddy Sanchez (2nd)

3. Buster Posey (C)

4. Pablo Sandoval (3rd)

5. Michael Cuddyer (LF)

6. Brandon Belt (1st)

7. Nate Schierholtz (RF)

8. Marco Scutaro (SS)

9. Tim Lincecum (SP)