We're officially two weeks away from the MLB trade deadline and Farhan Zaidi and company will have some tough decisions between now and then.
The Giants have gotten back to their winning ways lately, sweeping the Pirates over the weekend after they won their last two heading into the all-star break. They're back over 10 games above .500 and at the moment definitely look like legit playoff contender.
Now the only question surrounds how aggressive they plan to be during these next couple of weeks.
One of the areas that needs the most help right now is the middle infield. They're hoping Thairo Estrada returns in a couple weeks, but even if he does return and bounces back to his early first half form, this team could still use some depth up the middle.
Brandon Crawford has bounced back modestly after a horrendous first couple of months, but he's still barely hitting over .200 and is entering the second half of his age-36 season. Having someone who can help shoulder some of the load with him could be ideal down the stretch. The hope was that Casey Schmidt would become that guy but his struggles at the plate are making him harder to put in the starting lineup.
Now the issue with getting some infield help is their simply doesn't seem to be many options out there.
Tim Anderson is probably the biggest rumored name available, but his season thus far has actually been worse than Crawford's. The 30 year-old former batting champ is slashing just .227/.264/.266 with zero home runs. His bWAR is sitting at -1.6 and his OPS+ is at 47. Maybe a change of scenery would do him wonders and he's not far removed from some big time numbers, I just don't see the Giants being in on him.
The one guy who hasn't been mentioned much but may be made available after the Cardinals have essentially waived the white flag on their 2023 season is Tommy Edman.
He himself is having a bit of a down year, but his versatility, age and team control beyond this season make him intriguing. He hits from both sides, plays both middle infield spots as well as the outfield and he's solid at each of them. He perfectly fits Farhan's desire to upgrade the team speed and athleticism. The Giants have no lock for the shortstop position in 2024 and Edman could step into that role adequately. As long as his wrist injury isn't anything serious (currently on IL and hasn't resumed baseball activity yet), he'd be the guy at the top of my list if I'm Farhan.
Things do seem to be getting a little better in the rotation.
Ross Stripling is back and has looked like a different pitcher since returning from his extended IL stint. Anthony DeSclafani, who looked so good that first month of the season but so bad ever since, is supposedly healthy, rested and ready for the second half. Alex Wood is healthy. Sean Manaea, although looking much better out of the bullpen than as a starter this year, is always an option to start games if needed.
There are rookies Keaton Winn and Triston Beck who are capable of eating up chunk innings either out of the pen or as a starter. And last but not least, they still expect Kyle Harrison to arrive at some point this season.
It would be nice to grab someone like Marcus Stroman or Lucas Giolito to come in and help at the front of this rotation, but those guys will be tough to get. And if they aren't getting a front-rotation starter, what's the point of getting another back-end guy when they have five or six guys who can already fit in there?
The bullpen has been a huge strength for the team, and they themselves haven't had the healthiest run. With Luke Jackson and John Brebbia on their way back however, that will be like adding two much needed fresh arms to the mix. The only thing I worry about with this group is them breaking down a little down the stretch do to them being used so much thus far.
There's also the philosophy of making your strength stronger and going out and getting another late-inning guy to help Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, but I don't think it's a necessity.
Much like the rotation, the outfield has dealt with plenty of injuries over the first half, but I think they have enough depth there to ride it out.
Michael Conforto, Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater are all healthy at the moment. Mitch Haniger is expected back in September and should give them a nice jolt of offense down the stretch. In the meantime, Luis Matos maybe hasn't lit it up quite like we were hoping but he looks like he belongs and I think the run production will come with time.
Aside from the guys on the big league roster, they have Heliot Ramos hitting well in AAA and Luis Gonzalez starting his rehab assignment. Of course, Joc Pederson and LaMonte Wade can always slide out to one of the corners in a pinch. I just don't see any room for another outfielder.
With how their needs stack up, and looking at what's available, it wouldn't surprise me if the Giants fly under-the-radar this trade season. If they do make a move, my guess would be for that middle infield help I talked about earlier. It may be tough to lure Edman away but two guys, for example, who could fit that mold are Boston's Christian Arroyo and Kike Hernandez.
For those of you holding out hope for a huge Shohei Ohtani trade, I highly doubt the Giants would do that. The cost for Shohei will be steep, even if it is for just two months of his services. It would likely cost at least two of Kyle Harrison, Marco Luciano, Carson Whisenhunt and probably more. If the Giants are serious about getting Ohtani, they have to make their push in a few months when he hits the open market. I could be wrong, but I sincerely hope they don't gut the top end of their farm system just to get him here for a couple months.
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