For every Carlos Rodón, there's often a Tommy La Stella. The San Francisco Giants got a career year out of Rodón in 2022, but they also suffered through injuries and underperformance from like likes of La Stella and others. Who on the 2023 SF Giants are the candidates to have a career year? And who will underperform? By definition, it's a hard question to answer, but the Giants have a lot of candidates to have big seasons and not many who are likely to play poorly. Youngsters Joey Bart and David Villar still have a lot to prove, however.

What are the rules for Rule 5 picks? Specifically, what is going to happen with Blake Sabol? Sabol was a Rule 5 pick by the Reds, and the SF Giants traded for him minutes later. Sabol must make the Giants' 26-man roster—and stay there all season—or be offered back to the Pirates. He's part of the catcher competition with Bart, Roberto Pérez, and Austin Wynns.

Will the SF Giants be buyers or sellers at the deadline? Unless they're totally out of the race, which is unlikely, expect them to be either buyers or somewhere in between. Even when they've "sold" under Farhan Zaidi, the moves have been relatively minor. He famously held onto Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith in 2019, and Rodón last year. When they've been in their best buying position, the Giants acquired Kris Bryant. Expect those trends to continue depending on where the Giants are in late July.

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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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