The MLB’s trade deadline is fast approaching, which means it is decision time for the San Francisco Giants front office.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter looked around the league at every team’s situation and predicted whether each team would sell, buy or hold. For San Francisco, he landed on hold.
The roster is in a bit of a limbo. It’s not bad, but it’s not championship caliber. They’re in the mix for a Wild Card spot, but aren’t good enough to realistically expect a championship.
San Francisco’s current biggest trade piece is Michael Conforto. He’s in the last year of his deal and will become a free agent at the conclusion of this season.
Is it worth shipping him out and taking a bat out of the lineup while still squarely in the hunt for the playoffs? As a rental, his value is immediately lessened and given his recent play, it might not have been that high to begin with.
Conforto was a bit inconsistent while with the New York Mets, but ended his time there on a down note. When the Giants gave him his current deal, they were likely hoping he would bounce back to his normal self.
The former first round selection has been underwhelming to say the least. Across 176 games in San Francisco, he is slashing .237/.322/.394 at the plate.
Teams are even less likely to trade a lot for the 31-year-old right now, given that he is slashing an awful .089/.180/.178 since returning from injury. To his credit, he looked a lot better before going down in the middle of May. It’s been really bleak as of late, however.
The only other major expiring contract on the books is Alex Cobb. He was an All-Star last season, but has yet to pitch this year due to recovery from hip surgery.
Even if Cobb is healthy and ready to play before the trade deadline, it would be shocking to see him moved.
If the Giants were to become buyers, their needs would be another middle infielder and an additional outfielder.
Brett Wisely has cooled down from his torrid start and despite Marco Luciano slashing .375/.444/.542 through his first 10 career games, San Francisco still sent him back down to the minors.
In the outfield, both Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski are playing poorly while the only other option on the bench is rookie Austin Slater. Another veteran could vastly improve this group, LaMonte Wade has experience out there, but they will need him back at first base once healthy.
Overall, with a weak class of expiring contracts, the Giants should absolutely stand pat at the trade deadline.
Though the NL’s Wild Card race is indeed wide open, the roster isn’t in a shape worth investing additionally. A playoff spot is attainable, but it’s hard to imagine this group going very far. Any upgrades to push them over the edge would cost too much to make sense doing.
