Perhaps no team crashed harder than the Giants last year, whose 64-98 record tied for worst in the majors even after some prognosticators picked them to win the division.

An early-season injury to ace Madison Bumgarner didn't help. Neither did a farm system depleted by their more successful endeavors. But their biggest issue may have been that they simply got old.

Their solution this offseason? More old guys. In a gambit that seems foreign in today's game yet totally fitting for this organization, the Giants bought low on fading stars Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria, who don't produce like league MVPs anymore but offer more than the Giants had at those spots last year. If Brandon Belt bounces back from his concussion, they have the makings of a respectable offense.

And with a respectable offense backing Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija -- three pitchers who provide the length that's also becoming foreign in today's game -- good things can happen. The window may not be closed. You can't count out an organization that has so often won by defying conventional wisdom.

Giants in Scott's top 300
PlayerRoto RankH2H RankRoto Pos RankH2H Pos Rank
player headshot
Madison Bumgarner SF SP
#33 #30 #7 #7
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Buster Posey SF C
#34 #37 #2 (at C) #2 (at C)
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Andrew McCutchen SF CF
#59 #69 #15 #15
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Johnny Cueto SF SP
#98 #72 #28 #28
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Mark Melancon SF RP
#143 #166 #16 #17
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Jeff Samardzija SF SP
#174 #141 #46 #46
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Evan Longoria SF 3B
#215 #216 #20 #20
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Brandon Belt SF 1B
#231 #214 #29 (at 1B) #26 (at 1B)

Players in Scott's Top 100 Prospects

Giants prospects
71Chris Shaw
Next in the trifecta of free-swinging power hitters is Shaw, who nearly wound up going to the Marlins in the Giancarlo Stanton trade that never was, leaving him with the misfortune of having to conquer AT&T Park whenever he gets the call. That opportunity should come sooner than later, given the present state of the Giants outfield.
Scott's 2018 Fantasy impact: midseason hopeful
76Heliot Ramos
Granted, it was in Rookie ball, but rarely do you see a 17-year-old dominate a league the way Ramos did, flashing the sort of power and speed that gets prospect hounds howling. He obviously has a long climb ahead of him and will need to curtail the strikeouts at the higher levels, but he's a long-term investment worthy of your time.
Scott's 2018 Fantasy impact: don't count on it

Things to Know

  • For the Giants to win again in 2018, Johnny Cueto needs to bounce back to his 2016 numbers, which seems possible given that he pitched most of last season with blister issues that finally forced him to the DL in July. He's a younger-than-you'd-expect 32, and you may remember some (including yours truly) were eager to write him off after his disappointing finish with the Royals in 2015.
  • Madison Bumgarner's stuff looked fine after spraining his pitching shoulder in a dirt bike accident last April, and he returned to deliver a 3.43 ERA over his final 13 starts. No worries there.
  • One of last offseason's big acquisitions, Mark Melancon missed most of the second half with a strained forearm, but the Giants were so far out of the race by then that it didn't make sense to push him. Though long regarded as a top-notch closer for Fantasy purposes, he's a forgotten man now and a candidate to bounce back following offseason surgery. True, Sam Dyson did a decent job filling in, but he's no threat to a healthy Melancon.
  • Brandon Belt's concussion last year wasn't his first, and such issues have been known to ruin players even in this sport. It remains to be seen how he'll bounce back, but even in a year in which he hit .241, his on-base ability allowed him to finish just behind Justin Smoak in Head-to-Head points per game, making him a sleeper in that format for 2018.
  • The Giants took a flier on Austin Jackson after his impressive work as a part-timer with the Indians last season, and he figures to get the first crack at the center field job. But speedy 24-year-old Steven Duggar, who showed plus on-base ability in the minors, is waiting in the wings.

Lineup & Rotation

Batting order    
                
1 Joe Panik 2B
2 Andrew McCutchen RF
3 Evan Longoria 3B
4 Buster Posey C
5 Brandon Belt 1B
6 Hunter Pence LF
7 Brandon Crawford SS
8 Austin Jackson CF
Pitchers                             
SP Madison Bumgarner
SP Johnny Cueto
SP Jeff Samardzija
SP Ty Blach
SP Chris Stratton
CL Mark Melancon
RP Sam Dyson
RP Hunter Strickland