Even if the San Francisco Giants’ deal with Carlos Correa hadn’t fallen through, they were only ever going to be the third-best team in the NL West in 2023.
Oh sure, it’s baseball. Surprises are why we watch. It wouldn’t take too much breaking right for the team to steal the second spot, and after 2021, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the front office’s program push them to the front of the pack with some skillful scouting, sequencing, and a little luck.
Without Carlos Correa, the chance for a surprise becomes infinitesimal.