San Francisco Giants Trade Deadline Overview

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The San Francisco Giants currently have a lead at the top of the NL West, but they could still stand to improve in a few areas. Here’s a look at what they might do at the trade deadline.

Whether they’re buying, selling, or something in between, the trade deadline is full of rumors and speculation for virtually every MLB team. Even clubs that are performing well and don’t appear to have major weaknesses often pursue an improvement or two on the trade market.

The San Francisco Giants are one team that has enjoyed a fairly successful first two months of the 2016 season, but could still address several needs before the August 1 non-waiver deadline. From May 11 to May 31, San Francisco was arguably the hottest team in baseball, going 16-3 over that span while challenging the notion that the Chicago Cubs would waltz their way to the National League pennant.

June has been somewhat of mixed bag in the early going. The Giants are 3-5 since the beginning of the month and currently sit atop the NL West with a 36-26 record. They’re three games ahead of the rival Los Angeles Dodgers – a lead, but by no means an insurmountable one. A couple injuries to key players have also given San Francisco something to think about.

If the Giants want to stave off L.A. and take back the division crown, GM Bobby Evans would do well to consider making one or two upgrades to his roster. It seems like that is the general sense around the franchise as well; San Francisco Chronicle writer Henry Schulman recently stated that he believes the club will seek a “complementary player” rather than a huge blockbuster.

San Francisco’s farm system was characterized as middle-of-the-pack in most preseason rankings, so they may not be able to outbid other clubs with more tempting prospects. They should, however, be able to draw from their minor league pool to get a player they really covet.

You don’t even have to be a Giants fan at this point to be aware of the team’s even-numbered year trend. The organization has alternated World Series championship campaigns with mediocre ones since 2010. The Giants are off to a pretty good start if they want to continue that pattern, but the right deal could help them increase their chances.

Next: Banged-Up Outfield

Outfield

Injuries strike every team throughout a 162-game season, but the Giants have already had to deal with a bit more than most other clubs. Two starters in the outfield, Hunter Pence and Angel Pagan, are currently on the disabled list. Pagan has been out since May 23 with a strained left hamstring, though reports say he could begin a rehab assignment next week. Pence, of course, recently underwent surgery to repair a torn hamstring and is expected to miss at least two months.

The initial buzz was that the Giants would attempt to address these losses internally, and that’s indeed what they have done to this point. Gregor Blanco and Jarrett Parker have primarily filled in at the corner outfield spots. Neither has been particularly encouraging, though, with an OPS of .655 and .706, respectively.

In Thursday night’s game against the Red Sox, 25-year-old Mac Williamson started in left and hit his first career home run in the bottom of the eighth to seal a 2-1 victory. A third round draft pick in 2012, San Francisco might give him more opportunities to see what he can do.

The Giants have also looked outside the organization in the past couple days for other alternatives. On Thursday they signed veteran outfielder Chris Denorfia to a minor league contract. A day earlier, they reunited with utility man Travis Ishikawa, also on a minors pact. Could they also take a flyer on Carl Crawford, with their division rivals picking up the tab? Eh, don’t hold your breath.

In the event that none of these options pan out, San Francisco could explore a trade for a more productive piece. It’s difficult to imagine them going overboard. After all, Pagan’s return in reportedly imminent and Pence should be back in early August if all goes well. However, considering their history of injury troubles, reinforcements might not be a bad idea.

The Cincinnati Reds are expected to shop Jay Bruce, and he could be a potential fit. The slugger is a career .321/.391/.469 hitter at AT&T Park and would bring some needed pop to a lineup currently ranked 18th in MLB in OPS (.716). The Padres’ Jon Jay would likely be a cheaper choice, and though he doesn’t bring the power that Bruce does, he is hitting a solid .289 at the moment.

Next: Fortify the Pen

Bullpen

Pitching is typically the cornerstone of any great Giants team, but this year’s staff has run into a little trouble in the later innings. San Francisco relievers currently own a 4.01 ERA as a unit, good for just 18th in baseball. With the bullpen such a vital part of any postseason run, look for the Giants to try to improve there.

Santiago Casilla notched 38 saves last season, and on the surface it looks like the closer is having another strong year. He boasts a 2.96 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and impressive 11.5 K/9 rate over 24.1 innings. However, despite earning 12 saves so far, he has also blown four opportunities. Overall, the Giants have a 60 percent save percentage; only three major league clubs are worse.

Though every closer goes through rough patches, the Giants might consider upgrading from the 35-year-old Casilla for the stretch run. They have already been linked to the Yankees’ Andrew Miller. The lefty has been absolutely lights-out this year, allowing only three earned runs (1.01 ERA) on 15 hits and three walks (0.68 WHIP) in 26.2 frames. As is his trademark, Miller has also been mowing down hitters at a rapid clip, 48 in total for a 16.2 K/9.

With experience as both a setup man and closer, Miller could slip into whatever role the Giants want to put him in. And he might not be the only elite reliever the Yankees put on the market either. Flamethrower Aroldis Chapman‘s name has come up frequently as well, and as an impending free agent, he might not cost quite as much as Miller, who is still under contract for two more years at $9 million each.

All things considered, the bullpen might be the Giants’ most pressing need if they’re serious about their World Series aspirations. Fortunately for them, this year’s trade deadline should feature a fairly deep relief market.

Next: Another Starter?

Rotation

From a macro-perspective, the Giants wouldn’t seem to need much help in the starting pitching department. San Francisco starters have managed a 3.51 ERA, the sixth-best mark in baseball. However, that has a lot to do with the top two guys in the rotation.

Madison Bumgarner has been his usual dominant self, spinning off a sparkling 1.88 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 3.96 K/BB ratio in 13 starts. Free agent signee Johnny Cueto has seemingly put his erratic Royals tenure behind him, posting a 2.16 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 4.26 K/BB in 13 outings.

Jeff Samardzija, another offseason addition, has done a respectable job keeping pace, sporting a 3.33 ERA after 12 trips to the hill. However, over his last two starts the right-hander has surrendered 10 earned runs on 15 hits in 10 innings. Though his early success in 2016 shouldn’t be discounted, it’s hard not to forget that Samardzija sputtered to a 4.96 ERA last year with the White Sox while allowing 118 earned runs on 228 hits – both MLB highs. While he might not completely turn back into a pumpkin, he certainly could regress somewhat from his sterling first two months.

The back-end of the Giants rotation has been filled by veteran Jake Peavy, who owns a bloated 6.41 ERA, and Matt Cain, who landed on the disabled list a couple weeks ago with a hamstring strain. He could return as early as next week, but when he was on the mound, he wasn’t very inspiring either, throwing to a 5.20 ERA in 10 starts.

More from Call to the Pen

26-year-old Albert Suarez has made a couple spot starts this month and not embarrassed himself, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in a total of 11.1 frames (3.97 ERA). With an eye on a postseason berth, San Francisco could decide to aim a little higher and target a more dependable arm to slot into the middle of its rotation.

Unfortunately, there isn’t exactly a plethora of enticing options. The White Sox traded for James Shields from the Padres this week, and though his first outing in the Windy Cindy couldn’t have gone much worse, pitcher-friendly AT&T Park may have been a good place for him if the money could have been worked out.

Instead, the Giants could turn to someone like Jeremy Hellickson, who the Phillies are reportedly willing to deal. The 29-year-old righty owns a 4.34 ERA and is fanning hitters at a career-high 8.6 K/9 rate. He’ll be a free agent in the offseason. As the Rays fall further out of the AL playoff picture, they could be persuaded to move Jake Odorizzi, who was the subject of trade rumors last winter. The 26-year-old righty sports a 3.47 ERA in 72.2 frames this season and is arbitration-eligible next year.

If San Francisco is feeling more ambitious, they could see what it would take to get Julio Teheran from Atlanta, or look into bringing Sonny Gray over to the other side of the Bay. Gray has a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings since coming off the DL. The Braves and A’s would surely demand more in the way of trade packages, though.

Next: Dodgers Trade Deadline Overview

Bumgarner and Cueto are a formidable one-two punch, but when you’re talking about winning playoff series and going deep into October, having a third legitimate starter as well can make all the difference. That might be easier said than done, especially with this summer’s market, but the Giants would do well to try.

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