SF could make big upgrades
With four days to go until MLB reaches the July 30 trade deadline, the vast majority of clubs around the league have a clear direction.
At the outset of the regular season, many expected the Giants to be in position to sell at the deadline and unload a handful of players finishing up oneyear contracts. Yet with the deadline only days away, Farhan Zaidi’s club owns the best record in the majors and is still in front of the Dodgers and Padres in a National League West race that figures to come down to the wire.
For the first time since 2016, the
Giants are locked in as buyers. CHICAGO CUBS: KRIS BRYANT >> Closer Craig Kimbrel is also an excellent fit for a club that’s had one of the best bullpens in baseball this season, but Bryant might be the best possible upgrade the Giants could find on the rental market because he’s so versatile.
A former MVP who has posted an .853 OPS with 17 homers this season, Bryant could help the Giants in a variety of ways because he’s played five different positions this year and is comfortable moving around the diamond. Acquiring the pending free agent would be a huge boost for the lineup, but it also may give the Giants an upper hand in signing Bryant to a long-term deal this offseason. COLORADO ROCKIES: JON GRAY >> Pulling off a trade within your own division is difficult at the deadline, but it’s not impossible.
A deadline deal the Giants made with the Rockies in 2012 brought Marco Scutaro to San Francisco and Gray might be able to have a similar impact in the starting rotation that Scutaro had in the lineup. Over his last six outings, Gray has struck out 41 batters in 35 innings while posting a 2.57 ERA.
A left-handed starting pitcher may be preferable for the Giants to create more balance in a possible postseason rotation, but Gray has great upside and may not cost much in terms of prospect capital because he’s a rental.
TEXAS RANGERS: KYLE GIBSON >> The name most fans want to see here is outfielder Joey Gallo, a power-hitting slugger under team control through 2022, but acquiring Gallo would almost assuredly force the Giants to part with catching prospect Joey Bart.
It’s more realistic to look at another player under team control through next season, Gibson, as the likeliest addition from the Rangers as the right-hander is in the midst of a career year and is only slated to make about $7.7 million next season. Low strikeout totals (7.5 per nine innings) are a concern that Gibson may regress, but he’s only given up 0.7 home runs per nine innings this year. MIAMI MARLINS: STARLING MARTE >> Former Giants outfielder Adam Duvall is another player the Marlins are reportedly shopping, but Marte is the slugger San Francisco has been tied to for the last week or so.
With a 135 OPS+ and an on-base percentage above .400, Marte has the offensive profile that suggests he’d be a good fit in the Giants’ outfield, but he also has a surprisingly low average exit velocity (17th percentile) and a middleof-the-road chase rate (44th percentile) that might make a front office wonder if his high on-base clip is sustainable.