San Francisco Giants’ miserable offseason takes yet another ugly turn

Feb 28, 2023; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Mitch Haniger (17) hits against the San Diego Padres in the first inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2023; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Mitch Haniger (17) hits against the San Diego Padres in the first inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Murphy’s law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. And arguably no team has embodied this age-old principle over the last few months more than the San Francisco Giants.

After a brutal offseason that saw the team whiff on major free agents Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, the Giants moved quickly to secure outfielders Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto in order to avoid a total shutout on the open market.

But if having to settle for consolation prizes wasn’t unfortunate enough for San Francisco, this latest injury update might do it.

San Francisco Giants’ Mitch Haniger sidelined with an oblique injury

The injury was caused by an “awkward swing” in a Cactus League game against the Colorado Rockies, and hardly the news SF Giants fans want to hear about one of their free agent signings.

Typically, oblique injuries take a while to heal. Harrison Bader of the Yankees just suffered a similar blow and will more than likely miss Opening Day and more. Expect the same fate for Mitch Haniger now.

It’s not exactly surprising to see Haniger on the shelf, as that narrative has sadly become the norm throughout his career. The Seattle Mariners, his most recent former team, notably did not extend him a qualifying offer this winter. That has come to light even more in the wake of this injury.

San Francisco’s lineup is weak enough as presently constructed, so they can ill-afford to absorb a blow to one of their major upgrades. The consequences of missed opportunities from the winter are seemingly becoming more evident by the day for the Giants.

Perhaps they sold their souls for that fluky 107-win campaign in 2021, or just chalk these events up to bad luck. Regardless of what you believe, an already failed off-season just took yet another ugly turn for the San Francisco Giants this spring.