Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB Trade Talk: Running through best fits for Mike Foltynewicz

By Jack Trent Dorfman

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 09: Mike Foltynewicz #26 of the Atlanta Braves is removed from the game against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning in game five of the National League Division Series at SunTrust Park on October 09, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 09: Mike Foltynewicz #26 of the Atlanta Braves is removed from the game against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning in game five of the National League Division Series at SunTrust Park on October 09, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco Giants

As an avid Dodgers fan, I take ̶a̶b̶s̶o̶l̶u̶t̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶n̶o̶ pleasure in reviewing the absolute mess of a pitching staff up north in San Fran. The Giants have cobbled together a post-Bumgarner rotation that is led by washed-up former-studs Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. Following that duo is Kevin Gausman, a 2020 offseason acquisition with a big arm and great prospect pedigree.

Sound familiar?

Gausman and Folty are fairly comparable in my eyes, but I’ll delve into that more in a bit.

San Francisco follows that not-so electric top of the heap with prospect Logan Webb and a regular who’s who of cheap grab-bag arms from the past offseason. Andrew Triggs and Tyler Anderson, cast-offs from the A’s and the Rockies respectively, serve as long-relievers alongside Shaun Anderson. Plus, Drew Smyly, the pitcher with the best chance to stand out of the mix, hit the IL on August 2 with a left finger strain.

I don’t really see any reason Foltynewicz can’t just waltz onto the alternate site, make one convincing outing, and join the big league club in the Bay. He has a better and deeper track record than any of the arms listed above save Cueto and Shark, and realistically, he carries higher upside and much less financial strain than the pair at a significantly younger age.

Now, to compare him to Gausman. The main offseason acquisition for Farhan Zaidi after the 2019 campaign, Gausman came to SF from Cincinnati, though he pitched poorly in Atlanta earlier last year. Another tall, righthanded, former-first-round pick, Gausman is a 29-year-old reclamation project that could pay off big for the Giants.

In 8.1 innings for San Fran this season, Gausman has allowed just one homer and one free pass while punching out ten. His most recent outing on July 30, saw him strikeout 8 San Diego Padres’, one of the most disciplined teams in the majors, without a single walk. He’s continued to allow a lot of hits, but his BABIP is high and his stuff looks strong.

Gausman could provide a perfect mold for Folty and the pair could provide a lethal punch for SF in their spacious ballpark. Both of their problems have stemmed from allowing too many long balls. In 2019, Gausman had a 1.32 HR/9 rate while Folty sat at 1.77 HR/9. Playing at the newly-dubbed Oracle Park will certainly help limit home runs, which could allow the pair to thrive.

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