At his introductory press conference in November, new president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi spoke of a desire to begin improving the Giants one move at a time.
For the first couple months of Zaidi's tenure, that mindset manifested itself in a series of relatively minor transactions aimed at strengthening the overall depth of the organization. The Giants claimed outfielder Mike Gerber off waivers, selected left-handed reliever Travis Bergen and outfielder Drew Ferguson in the Rule 5 Draft and acquired utility player Breyvic Valera.
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The Giants' first free-agent addition came in December with the signing of switch-pitcher Pat Venditte, and they later stabilized their rotation with deals for left-handed starters Derek Holland and Drew Pomeranz.
While Zaidi's initial activity tempered expectations that the Giants would pursue high-profile free agents this offseason, it's clear that he remains opportunistic and will consider bolder moves at the right price. Case in point: The Giants have reportedly met with superstar Bryce Harper, who remains available less than a week before pitchers and catchers are due to report to Spring Training.

Cost considerations aside, Harper would fit the Giants' need for an experienced outfielder, add much-needed thump to the lineup and bring buzz to an organization that has lost 187 games over the last two years.
Adding the 26-year-old Harper may not be enough to thrust the Giants to the top of the National League West in 2019, but he'd certainly accelerate their timeline and is young enough to headline the next core of players to lead San Francisco back to contention.
Regardless of the outcome, 2019 will represent a transitional year for the Giants as they adjust to new leadership and find ways to get younger and inject more talent into their roster. That objective opens the door for a wide range of possibilities, from making a run at Harper to weighing trade offers for ace Madison Bumgarner.
As Zaidi said during the Winter Meetings in December, "Everything is going to be on the table for us."