SAN FRANCISCO -- The best reliever on the market came very close to being a Giant in 2020.
Will Smith told teams that he would sign the one-year qualifying offer and return to San Francisco if they did not come up with better offers, and he came pretty close to holding true to that statement. Ultimately the Atlanta Braves stepped in, giving Smith a three-year deal just before the deadline to accept the qualifying offer.
That move left the Giants with a massive hole in the ninth inning, but the bullpen issues go beyond the closer role.