San Francisco Giants: Top 5 free agent targets this offseason
By Allen Settle
4: Starlin Castro
The Giants are slated to begin the season with unproven Mauricio Dubon as their starting second baseman. While the young infielder shows promise, he was a lower-level prospect (drafted in the 26th round).
He also has just 106 major league at-bats on his resume. The fact that the team has a notable lack of depth at multiple infield positions is also worth noting.
A player like Starlin Castro could fill several different needs. The four-time All-Star has experience playing at shortstop, second base, and third base.
If Dubon does struggle as a full-time starter, a player like Castro would be well equipped to take over that role. If he succeeds, Castro could still receive consistent at-bats in a super-utility role and as a pinch hitter.
He would also provide depth in the event veterans Evan Longoria or Brandon Crawford miss any time due to injuries.
Castro’s excellent production has flown under the radar as his rebuilding Miami Marlins struggled to stay nationally relevant. However, he’s 29-year-old and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career.
Castro hit a career-high 22 homers and 86 RBI last season, while also maintaining a .270 BA in 636 at-bats. He also played in all 162 games in 2019 (the second time in his career he has done so).