San Francisco Giants DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

MLB.com's Maria Guardado writes that San Francisco Giants outfielder Luis Matos' impressive stint in winter ball should make him the favorite to serve as Mike Yastrzemski's platoon partner in right field to open the 2025 season. However, the Giants could also take a long look at former infield prospect Marco Luciano, who is expected to make the transition from the infield to outfield this year. Matos, 23, went back and forth between the big-league club and Triple-A Sacramento six times in 2024 and ended up hitting just .213/.237/.347 with five home runs and 25 RBI in 45 games for the Gigantes in his second year in the big leagues. He made plenty of contact and limited his strikeouts, but the quality of his contact was weak. Unless Matos develops more power and starts hitting the ball harder, he'll remain a fourth outfield type for San Fran.

Free-agent left-hander Tyler Matzek is signing a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees on Monday after he recently impressed scouts in a showcase. The 34-year-old veteran southpaw will head to the American League East after appearing in only 11 games out of the bullpen for the Atlanta Braves in 2024. In his 11 outings over 10 innings, Matzek gave up 11 earned runs on 16 hits (three homers) while walking three and striking out 10. He didn't pitch at all in the big leagues in 2023 due to injury but has a decent 3.72 ERA (3.81 FIP) and 1.36 WHIP in 285 1/3 career major-league innings while also posting a 272:142 K:BB in his 168 appearances (24 starts). Matzek will be looking to impress the Yankees coaching staff in spring training to try and win an Opening Day bullpen spot for the Bombers as a lefty specialist.

According to Andrew Baggarly and Grant Brisbee of The Athletic, San Francisco Giants catcher Tom Murphy is not guaranteed to open the season as the backup catcher. While Baggarly and Brisbee noted his contract would suggest he has a firm grasp on that role, the team will instead opt to have an open competition during spring training on who will be Patrick Bailey's backup. Max Stassi and Sam Huff will likely compete alongside Murphy for that position. Last season, Murphy was limited to just 13 contests due to a knee injury. During this small stint, Murphy posted a .117/.211/.235 line. However, during the 2023 season, Murphy posted a strong .290/.335/.538 slash line across 47 contests. He hit 12 doubles and eight home runs. Even if Murphy can bounce back from his injury, he should not be targeted in any formats as he will not see consistent starting opportunities.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Mets have offered outfielder Mark Canha a non-guaranteed contract. Canha spent time with the Mets during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and the team is interested in a reunion. Last season, the 35-year-old spent the 2024 campaign with the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants. Across 125 contests, Canha posted a .242/.344/.346 line with 20 doubles, seven home runs, and seven stolen bases. Under the hood, he generated a poor .212 xBA and a .306 xSLG, suggesting he will likely face some regression this season. Canha performed well against southpaws, posting a .275 AVG compared to the .229 AVG against right-handers. If Canha were to sign with New York, he would likely be in a platoon role.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the Cincinnati Reds are finalizing a trade on Wednesday to acquire left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers from the San Francisco Giants, according to sources. The 34-year-old southpaw is owed $12 million in 2025. He will lade a late-inning left-handed arm to the Reds' bullpen for the upcoming season. It's unclear what the Giants will receive in exchange. It doesn't come as a big surprise that San Fran is shedding Rogers' contract after they placed him on waivers last August. He was a solid piece of their bullpen last year, though, sporting a 2.40 ERA (3.75 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 64 strikeouts and 22 walks in 60 innings pitched over 64 relief appearances. Rogers' 25.7% strikeout rate was down from his career mark of 28.2% in 2024. Although he'll be a valuable left-handed setup man, the absence of save chances will continue to make him forgettable for fantasy purposes.