The San Francisco Giants are one of the National League’s better teams, but they’re still a few steps behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. In fact, also chasing the San Diego Padres.
As a result, the Giants will need to make some more moves in the coming weeks, especially after whiffing on Ranger Suárez. The best way they could close the gap on the Dodgers is by stealing players from their rival.
Michael Monreal of Just Baseball predicted the Giants would sign Dodgers pitcher Michael Kopech to a two-year, $15 million deal in free agency.
“San Francisco has already been in touch with Kopech, and it’s a deal that makes sense for both sides. Kopech has shown a lot of promise since becoming a full-time reliever but is still looking for that true breakout season,” Monreal wrote. “In 2024, he threw just under 70 innings with a 3.46 ERA and 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings. It was arguably the best season of his career from a production standpoint.”
Kopech is one of the more under-the-radar pitchers in the NL whenever he’s healthy. He flashed dominant potential with the Dodgers, but the righty struggled with command.
The Giants could land him on a short-term, team-friendly deal in free agency. This would give the Giants a high-potential option for the backend of games. If the righty can find consistency in the zone, he could develop back into a closer for a contending team. It’s worth a $15 million risk for the Giants.
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