Giants a darkhorse in SP market?

I'm sure you take a look at the Giants front-three in their rotation alone and think they're set. Two all-stars in Bum in Cueto then a strong #3 in "The Shark". With those three setting the tone for a deep lineup and strong defense, you'd almost think the Giants are ready for the stretch drive as is. Well, think again!

While the Giants' front-three starters are solid, they still don't have the most ideal pitching staff come postseason where they'll really need four reliable starters (I know we're getting ahead of ourselves here but anyway...). Now, they do have three startable arms in Cueto, Bumgarner and Samardzija, but after that it's a little unclear what Bochy would do in the fourth spot. Matt Cain is currently rehabbing with the River Cats and is coming off an extremely tough outing numbers-wise, but his velocity was there and he says he' feels like he's ready to rejoin the Giants rotation. He's the real question mark at this point as Jake Peavy has really turned things around on his end and has completely locked down that fifth spot, If he continues to improve like he has since early May down the stretch then he very well may be that fourth starter in the playoffs, but I still think the Giants will keep their options open. They're really gonna want to see Cainer throw at the big league level before the deadline if possible which, again, should be the case in the next week or so, before making any decisions regarding the staff, but I still think another starter would be a helluva smart move if they have the rescources and find a reasonable deal.

I mean, there are going to be more and more names tossed abuot over the next couple weeks but the guy I'd really like to get into the Giants rotation if at any way possible is Julio Teheran. I've mentioned the young Braves right-hander here a few different times this season as he's been one of my favorite arms in the NL and knows how to use a spacious ballpark to his advantage. Plus, he's pitching for a mediocre defensive squad and one of the worst hitting teams in all of baseball so he'd probably get an immediate boost mentally just by coming over to an elite team like the Giants. A couple other guys out there who could give that Giants that insurance starter without them having to break the bank could be Oakland's Rich Hill, Chi Sox lefty Jose Quintana, Milwaukee's Jimmy Nelson and Philly's right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, just to name a few.


Of course, their search for help won't just stop in the rotation. As a matter of fact, they're gonna also be looking into relief help which, luckily for them, tend to be the easiest to obtain this time of year due to the sheer volume of options. Still, they need quality here, so they probably have just a small handful of guys they are strongly considering. I've always been a strong Andrew Miller advocate as the Giants need that lights-out left-handed late man and also a guy who can take over for Santaigo Casilla when he runs into his occasional hiccups. Whether its Miller or someone else though, they need another proven lefty and I'd like to see them get another proven right-hander too just to take some pressure off of Romo. Strickland's close but I just don't fully trust him in the 8th inning of a 1-run game with a runner on and facing a guy like a Kris Bryant or Nolan Arrenado in some intensely crucial game down the stretch in September (due to his history of surrendering the big home run late in games).

Other than a reliable late man or two, and then possibly another capable starter who could push/replace Peavy or Cain, I think the Giants are pretty well armed for the stretch drive. I mean, with guys in their system popping up left and right and legitimately contributing, they aren't at all having their hand forced in terms of needing to make a deal. From Grant Green, Ramiro Pena and Ruben Tejada to Albert Suarez and closer-in-the-making, Derek Law. These guys are probably guys (outside of maybe Law if you follow the minor league system closely) who many fans may not have heard of and/or expected much out of but each have played roles in Giants' victories while guys like Joe Panik, Matt Duffy and Sergio Romo have been sidelined. Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker have each made the impact of Hunter Pence's DL stint tolerable and alleviated the need for outside help which has been huge. I know you hear it all the time and it's somewhat cliche, but It really has been a collective effort from guys not only on the ML roster but the minor leagues as well coming up and contributing in any possible way! It really has been fun to watch.

Injury Updates: Hunter Pence was forced from his rehab game on Saturday, which is a bit worrisome, although the Giants are playing it off as no big deal at the moment. Pence re-aggravated the right hamstring in a AAA rehab game with Sacramento and will be held out until further inspection. Hopefully it's all precautionary and Pence is back on track for a pre-August return, but hammy's can be tricky and Hunter is about as "balls-to-the-wall" as they come which means it's tough for him to turn it down a notch in recovery, but he's gotta be smart here and ensure he's 100% for the final 2 months.

As far as Joe Panik's situation, the news is a little more clear as he's been cleared to get back on field after passing the concussion protocols and the Giants expect him back with the team by next weekend. Matt Duffy's situation is a bit more cloudy though as Bochy does not have a timetable for him to resume baseball activity and in two weeks if they still don't have a timetable they could be looking to obtain a third basemen as well... Needless to say, it's going to be an interesting few weeks leading up to August 1st non waiver-deadline and I expect the Giants to pull off at least one deal for a relief pitcher.