The Giants’ surge up the standings this month has turned them from surefire trade deadline sellers to potential buyers. To that end, the Giants have “inquired” about Blue Jays infielder Eric Sogard, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets.
Considering the 33-year-old Sogard is a pending free agent, acquiring him would be a win-now move by the Giants, who have climbed to 52-51 and within 3 1/2 of a wild-card spot. Sogard is primarily a second baseman – a position that has that has been problematic this season for San Francisco. Main Giants option Joe Panik has struggled to a .235/.309/.317 line with a 69 wRC+ and three home runs over 369 plate appearances. Sogard, meanwhile, has slashed a far superior .299/.363/.480 (124 wRC+) with 10 HRs in 317 trips to the plate.
As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd explained a couple weeks ago, Sogard’s production doesn’t look sustainable – especially factoring in that he has seldom approached it over a career consisting of 2,000-plus trips to the plate. Nevertheless, Sogard’s 2019 offensive output, defensive versatility and league-minimum salary should make it easy to for rebuilding Toronto to find a taker in the next few days.
Whether the Giants should buy Sogard or anyone else is up for debate, depending on how much you’re convinced of their sudden brilliance. If the club goes the other way by the 31st, it still has several useful trade chips it could unload, including reliever Tony Watson. The Cardinals, who are seeking another left-hander for their bullpen, have done their “due diligence” on Watson, according to Mark Saxon of The Athletic. However, the Redbirds are leery of the escalator clauses in his contract, per Saxon.
Watson’s current salary has skyrocketed from a guaranteed $3.5MM to $8.5MM with the help of incentives, and it could increase to $10.5MM if he accrues 50 appearances. That seems inevitable for the 34-year-old, who has already piled up 44 this season. Along the way, the typically reliable Watson has thrown 41 innings and pitched to a 2.85 ERA (with a much less dominant 4.20 FIP) while posting 6.8 K/9, 1.1 BB/9 and a 46.9 percent groundball rate.
Regardless of whether Watson finishes the season in San Francisco or elsewhere, a trip to free agency looks probable for the winter. Watson’s pact features a $2.5MM club option for 2020, though it’s likely he’ll turn that down in favor of a $500K buyout. Meantime, it’s iffy at best the Giants will trade Watson, let alone to a wild card-leading Cardinals team they’re trying to chase down.
Problems w Panik at 2nd, yes. But Solano is great and no mention of him? We should be starting him over Joe
flipping their roles would be incredibly helpful
No on Watson.
they are chasing the Chicago cubs who are a wild card-leading team.
I see what you did there. Go birds
Solano has a more sketchy track regard than Sogard. Don’t want him of it’s going to require anyone on our top 30 prospects list. I don’t think his play will work in SF.
Solano is already on the Giants. Trading Watson for Sogard is ludicrous. A top line reliever for a 33 year old rental? Farhan isn’t that stupid.
Wild Card leading Cardinals? Last time I checked the standings, they were the NL Central leading Cardinals.
How can Watson turn down a club option? That’s the club’s decision, not the players.
Yeah, I was wondering about that too. Then I checked BB Ref which has it as a player’s option, not a club option.
Not keen on Sogard, if they want him just sign him in the off season, he’s not going to be the piece that fuels the Giants the rest of the way.
No. But he may be a win or two better when compared to Panik. That’s could be huge down the stretch. And it’s only going to cost a lottery ticket type prospect deep in your system.
Solano = Sogard and he’s already on the Giants.
Yeah I don’t think a trade will happen between Cards and Giants. Cardinals should have made something happen 3 weeks ago. Should be talking to KC. Matheny owes the Cards a few favours.
In all honesty they should have made it during the winter. They were asking about both Smith and Watson, but didn’t want to pay the price. Boston is in the same boat. So is everyone else wanting Bumgarner. Apparently the Giants were looking to trade Bum in May and everyone was lowballing them so they decided to stay put.
Why Do the Giants seem to always be interested to take on other Peoples Problems in making a Trade?For the Last Couple of Years they always tend to sign Players that are over the hill! It is high time they sign they should sign People that are Young and have Potential to Produce Runs and Hits For Years To Come!!!!!
when was the last time they “signed” someone over the hill?
Longoria. (Well, that was a trade, but a really bad one.) The point is not to take on aging, ineffectual players. Sograd fits that description, no matter what he’s done this year.
Right. Minor league contract for a 2 month portion then s free agent. That description?
He’s a free agent after the year. His age has no bearing, just his performance now.
Perhaps a better idea; Blue Jays are looking at the Yankees with a potential Stroman trade. Yanks may deal Frazier. Because the Blue Jays have an influx of OFs, perhaps the Jays and the Giants can help one another.
Jays deal Freddie Galvis and Randal Grichuk to San Fran. Giants deal Brandon Crawford and a prospect.
Nice idea, but unlikely. No one’s taking on Crawford—certainly not Toronto—and the Giants won ‘t/can’t trade Crawford because he’s a fan favorite AND has a no-trade clause. Plus Toronto would be overpaying in your scenario.
When does defense become non-essential? Trade that defense? Check out his offense in July. I’ll bet, wereall without an apostrophe, that Farman has every intention of trying to move Crawford. Jeez
*Farhan
If you checked your numbers Freddie Galvis has been an upgrade defensively over Crawford. Brandon’s defense has taken a step back. Galvis would be an upgrade offensively also.
I understand you like to attack and criticize many posters on this site. Please come with a real argument. It would help make your point.
I “attack” people for having lousy suggestions. I also commend people with good suggestions. Yours, trading Crawford is a bad suggestion and has 0% chance of happening. And you’re we’re, not were.
watson could hit the 50 games, just in st. louis
Sogard is trash. I’ll be pissed if they get him. They don’t need him at all and he definitely isn’t worth any of our young prospects
I’d be ok with Steven Duggar for sogard swap. But not any of the young up and coming prospects.
That’s a horrible deal. Sogard is an established poor hitter. Duggar may have some upside. Giants would never do that.
Duggar is not a good hitting everyday outfielder. He’s a pillar with less pop. The Giants have a lot of outfield prospects they could get rid of Duggar who is a 4th outfielder anyway. Trust me I hope they don’t get him and I hope they don’t give up canario, labour, matos, Ramos, pomares, torbino, etc.. I be happy with Solano and panik. Sogard isn’t the key to Giants being a playoff team.
The Giants should be sellers, and certainly NOT give up anything for Sograd, a lifetime .247 hitter (mostly thanks to this year’s outlier season). Even with Panik’s poor average and low OBP, he’s still a reliable contact hitter with a great glove.
I disagree with this idea that the Giants should sell. It’s based upon the idea that this “surge” started in July. It actually began on May 30, the day they broke a 7 game losing streak. However, I’ve been tracking it since mid-June. Since June 1 they have a .670 WP. The pythagorean WP is .600 over that time. (That has fallen in the last week, but they faced the Mets and Cubs pitching at home over that week.) They have a positive 47 run diff over that time.
If there wasn’t anything that could explain this I’d be dubious. But they have added 3 outfielders in that time who have improved the production from the corners in that period.
Going forward, they have adequate rotation combined with a shutdown pen. That is a proven commodity in October.
It’s still a question if they can make it to October, I freely admit that. But it does give them leverage. They are a large payroll team so selling at a discount to shave payroll isnt a motive. So the deals have to be good. Now that they are winning, that just became even more true.
Interesting side note would be reuniting Pillar and Sogard. Have to believe that would be an emotional boost. Sogard gets out of the cellar, Kevin gets a buddy.
Bochy would platoon putting Panik in when late innings roll around and team ahead for obvious reasons.
The money is irrelevant for any two-month rental.
Giants farm just took a mighty leap in the right direction, not likely Farhan wastes that effort on washed up or ineffective players.
The Giants are a large payroll team so selling just to shave payroll was never a huge motive. So, there were never going to be discount trades in the first place regardless of record. But now that they are playing well they have much more leverage. They also have the fanbase engaged again.
If the Yankees start feeling the heat they may give up enough for MadBum and I believe Farhan would make the deal. The Cardinals and Dodgers would also have to pay dearly for a bullpen arm.
Sogard isnt worth a big time prospect. Since MadBum and Smith are still Giants at this moment it seems Farhan gets that.
No way Sogard is an upgrade over Panik. Panik and Crawford are the best double play combo in baseball and Panik is bound to start hitting soon plus Solano and Panik already are a solid platoon (albeit Panik clearly has not held up his part of the bargain with his bat but he does already have more extra base hits and walks than last year).
Panik hasn’t hit in over a year and his defense has been spotty.
Sogard would be a typical rental for the Gints: an over-the-hill, has-been, never-was 33 year old without much record of success. Taking playing time away from a prospect.
Brilliant!