Carlos Rodón was the latest example. The San Francisco Giants signed the high-octane lefty to a two-year deal with an out-out, and it seemingly went exactly as planned. The SF Giants got a year of an ace, and then they moved on without having to make a long-term commitment. We saw the same thing with Kevin Gausman, who played for the Giants on two straight one-year deals. Michael Conforto could be next, and Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea also have opt-outs after 2023.

For the Giants, this is an effective strategy, but it's not what fans should expect in all cases. Fans want players to stick around for a while, and there are two ways that happens: homegrown talent, and superstars. The San Francsico Giants offered nine years, $360 million to Aaron Judge. They agreed to a 13-year deal with Carlos Correa. They offered 13 years to Bryce Harper. They're willing to go long-term for the best of the best, but not really for anyone else. And homegrown players come with six-plus seasons of team control.

Switching gears, is there any chance Casey Schmitt takes over third base with a good spring and a poor one from David Villar? Is this a make or break season for Farhan Zaidi? Is Marco Luciano really someone who deserves to be on the back end of top 100 lists as opposed to the front? Will MLB's new rules make holding runners more or less important? Who has a longer leash: J.D. Davis or LaMonte Wade Jr.? And is there any chance Stephen Piscotty makes the team?

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

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