Just like last offseason, the San Francisco Giants are faced with whether or not to bring back a free-agent ace. Carlos Rodón re-enters the market after one season with the SF Giants, and there's good chance the Giants let him walk just like they did with Kevin Gausman. ESPN and FanGraphs predict Rodón to receive a five-year deal worth about $25 million per year (about $125 million in total). That's very similar to the 5/$110M deal Kevin Gausman received from the Blue Jays last offseason.

If the San Francisco Giants choose to let Rodón get his big deal from another team, what should they do? They've been clear that they intend to pair Logan Webb with another top-of-the-rotation arm. Even after letting Gausman leave, the Giants managed to replace his production beautifully in the form of Rodón, who got the same AAV as Gausman but over far fewer years.

The alternatives on the market include Jacob deGrom, who's expected to land a short-term deal worth $40+ million, Justin Verlander, who's expected to come in around 2/$70 million, and Clayton Kershaw, who may be willing to accept a one-year deal but almost certainly wouldn't sign with the San Francisco Giants. Among those options, Verlander may be the most appealing because it's a nice middle ground between the absurd AAV deGrom may command and the five-plus years Rodón may command.

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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.

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