The Giants lost second baseman Thairo Estrada for over a month when he fractured his left hand on a hit-by-pitch two Sundays back. San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters last week that Estrada’s injury could affect the team’s deadline outlook.
“We’ve got to at least evaluate what we have in the middle infield,” Zaid said on Friday. “Kind of just keep an eye on the market and see if there’s someone that can be impactful there and weigh that against continuing to give opportunities to Casey [Schmitt] and Brett [Wisely].”
With Zaidi and his staff examining things, let’s take a look at some potential options. The middle infield market is light on apparent trade candidates. Most of the available short-term solutions are having average or worse seasons. Perhaps a longer-shot name comes available (we’ll take a look at a few potential options at the back of the list), but the likely scenario is that San Francisco sifts through stopgap types.
- Paul DeJong ($9MM salary, controllable through 2025 via club options)
A quality everyday shortstop early in his career, DeJong fell off at the plate by 2021. He combined to hit .182/.269/.352 between 2021-22. The Cards optioned him to Triple-A last summer. He’s rebounded somewhat in 2023, putting together a .231/.302/.434 line with 12 home runs in 245 trips to the plate. Paired with his customary above-average defense, he reclaimed the primary shortstop job in St. Louis.
DeJong’s profile isn’t without flaws. He’s striking out in more than 30% of his plate appearances. His production has been very platoon-dependent. The right-handed hitter is mashing southpaws at a .269/.381/.500 clip but reaching base at a meager .275 rate against righty pitching. He could step in as a short-term replacement for the righty-swinging Estrada at second base while potentially taking a few at-bats against lefty pitching from Brandon Crawford at shortstop later in the year.
- Tim Anderson ($12.5MM salary, $14MM club option for 2024)
MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald recently explored the White Sox’s dilemma regarding Anderson. He’s an All-Star caliber shortstop at his best — a threat to hit over .300 with double-digit homers and steals. That player hasn’t shown up in 2023. Anderson has been among the worst regulars in the sport, hitting .223/.259/.263 without a single round-tripper.
Where does that leave Chicago? They’re 16 games under .500 and preparing to move short-term players. Trading Anderson now would be an obvious sell-low, but this could be their last chance to get a return at all. A $14MM club option that looked like a no-brainer a few months ago is now more borderline. If the Sox are leaning towards buying Anderson out next winter, then a trade would be advisable. He only has two MLB starts at a position other than shortstop but would presumably have to move to second base if San Francisco were interested in buying low.
- Cavan Biggio ($2.8MM salary, arbitration-eligible through 2025) / Santiago Espinal ($2.1MM salary, arbitration-eligible through 2026)
Biggio and Espinal have been pushed out of the everyday lineup in Toronto. Whit Merrifield has taken over as the primary second baseman. Biggio is bouncing between right field and the keystone. Espinal is covering multiple infield spots off the bench.
Neither player is hitting well this season, though they’ve both shown better in the past. Biggio was an above-average bat from 2019-20 thanks to huge walk totals. Espinal was an All-Star a season ago and combines defensive versatility with plus contact skills. The Jays don’t have to move either but could find one of them expendable, particularly if they can bring back immediate pitching help in a trade.
- Ramón Urías (pre-arbitration, controllable through 2026) / Adam Frazier ($8MM salary, impending free agent)
Like Toronto, Baltimore enters deadline season as a buyer. The O’s have plenty of infield depth, however, so they could consider ways to deal from that surplus to address the pitching staff. Urías, 29, established himself as a regular last year when he hit 16 home runs while playing Gold Glove defense at third base. He’s hitting .261/.328/.396 with only four homers in 229 trips to the plate this season. He can play either second or third base and will reach arbitration for the first time next winter.
Frazier’s only two years older than Urías but much further along in his career. The former All-Star is actually Baltimore’s highest-paid position player at $8MM. He’s a bottom-of-the-lineup second baseman hitting .232/.299/.397 with 10 homers over 297 trips to the plate. The recent promotion of top prospect Jordan Westburg to join Gunnar Henderson in the everyday infield leaves fewer at-bats for the likes of Urías, Frazier and Jorge Mateo.
- Nicky Lopez ($3.7MM salary, arbitration-eligible through 2025)
Lopez is a light-hitting defensive specialist who can cover either middle infield spot. He’s a career .249/.312/.319 hitter in just more than 1800 plate appearances. Lopez is tough to strike out but has bottom-of-the-scale power and hasn’t homered since 2021. Public metrics consider him an above-average defender throughout the infield. He’s controllable for two additional seasons, but a last place Kansas City team could put him on the market this summer.
- Tony Kemp ($3.725MM salary, impending free agent)
Kemp is a clear trade candidate as a rental on a terrible A’s team. If Oakland can find any interest this summer, they’ll move him. A left-handed hitter, Kemp has only hit .197/.286/.283 on the season. He’s played fairly well of late after a dreadful first couple months, though. Going back to the start of June, the veteran has a .272/.359/.407 line with eight walks and only six strikeouts in 94 plate appearances. It wouldn’t be the most exciting acquisition, but Kemp could be a short-term option if the Giants want a stopgap until Estrada returns without sacrificing any notable prospect talent.
Longer Shots
- Gleyber Torres ($9.95MM salary, arbitration-eligible through 2024)
Torres is one of the few Yankees’ hitters with slightly above-average offensive numbers on the year. The right-handed hitting second baseman owns a .251/.325/.413 line with 13 homers over 375 trips to the dish. Torres has strong strikeout and walk numbers but modest batted ball marks. He has rated as an average defensive second baseman by measure of both Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast.
New York is a game back in the AL Wild Card picture. They’re likely to look for ways to upgrade the offense in the next few weeks. A Torres trade isn’t especially likely, but it’s not inconceivable. Oswald Peraza is in Triple-A and could soon be an option to step in at second base on a regular basis. The Yankees have short-term questions at third base and in the corner outfield.
The organization is also right up against the fourth luxury tax line at $293MM. They were reportedly reluctant to cross that threshold over the offseason; owner Hal Steinbrenner suggested a few weeks ago it wasn’t a firm cap but implied the team would want an impactful acquisition to go over that mark. Reallocating a few million dollars in a Torres trade could clear some flexibility for a subsequent acquisition.
- Nolan Gorman (pre-arbitration, controllable through 2028) / Brendan Donovan (pre-arbitration, controllable through 2028)
The Cardinals would have to be blown away to part with either Gorman or Donovan. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak conceded yesterday the club would probably part with short-term assets. Gorman and Donovan have the chance to be core players for years to come.
Trading DeJong is the more straightforward path for St. Louis. They have enough infield depth it’s theoretically possible another club could sway them on Gorman, Donovan or Tommy Edman — likely by dangling high-upside young pitching. That’s probably beyond what San Francisco has in mind.
Nick Madrigal
That’s help?
If you’re paying attention this year, he’s played pretty damn well around the infield for the Cubs. Plus he comes way cheaper than all the other names mentioned.
I don’t follow the Cubs closely, but wasn’t Madrigal demoted to AAA for non performance this year?
And has raked since he came back while playing good defense..but he is hurt now.
Raking in a small sample size of games doesn’t change the fact that he’s not a good hitter. He had a 587 OPS last year and has brought it up to a bit more passable 699 so far this year. He has only one homer in 360 at bats over the last two seasons. He’s a borderline major leaguer who wouldn’t even make a lot of the teams’ rosters.
You’re speaking out of both sides of your mouth complaining about “sample size”
Madrigal, last season, was coming off a huge injury and he had an awful year. That was only a 59 game “sample size”. Prior to that, Madrigal had all the makings of a throw back lead off hitter, decent speed, elite contact skills, a little pop but not much.
This season, Madrigal was hurt by inconsistent playing time. He got demoted, got his swing back and has been hitting since. His 2022 season looks like the outlier, not his current 2023 stats.
San Francisco would actually be a pretty good spot for him, a little more grass for his hits to fall, Colorado however would be the ideal spot for Madrigal (from his skill set prospective) biggest outfield in baseball and his hits would get a little more run.
My guess is Stroman and Madrigal to SF if Cubs decide to sell
Kevin Newman
Rudolpho Castro
After DeJong, I immediately thought of Newman and Senzel when I read this question. Definitely seems like a potential need for a need trade.
Glove only. Giants not interested, I don’t think.
Well, he’s better than Nicky Madrigal at least.
The Reds are in the hunt, and Newman has played well. Why would they trade him?
@windowpane Because they have a surplus of infielders and homegrown talent. They could leverage one of the best year’s of his career for some pitching help. Steer, Elly, McLain, India, and Cotton are gonna get the playing time over Newman. Friedl, Fraley, Benson, and Steer again dominate the OF with Senzel as a utility bench bat. Why let Newman go to waste?
Because he’s a veteran among a sea of unseasoned players.
Kevin Newman’s season shouldn’t overshadow the many seasons before. Good glove, not bat.
Alejo Lopez and/or Jose Barrero
TA isn’t really help
To add more to this, the Sox should just hold onto Anderson and see if he can bounce back a bit and be traded next year. The FA market for shortstops is awful after this season so might as well.
Myself, I’d be more likely to “hold onto” a hand grenade after I’ve already pulled the pin, than to “hold onto” Tim Anderson. I’d trade that dude for a ham sandwich, faster than you can say “Jackie Robinson”, if it were up to me.
I wonder if Oswaldo Peraza for Sean Manea as a basic framework might work, given New York’s rotation needs.
Although I believe the Giants need a solid #2 or #3 starter more than infield help.
like that guy in Anaheim
Well, sure, but my drug dreaming is down until offs eason.
I think any team, trading for Ohtani now would pay a very heavy price with no assurance he’d resign with them.
None of them! Thairo is a tough cookie and will be back as soon as he is able, could be only in a few more weeks. Casey and Brett need the reps in the meantime.
no one that moves the needle then? ok…
Thairo is a nice depth piece, he’s not a starter on a championship team. He’s perfect for most Giants fans though who care more about liking a dude than how they perform. I’d just prefer to watch a team win, but I know I’m in the minority. Like… I don’t go investigate who a player voted for to determine if I want the Giants to sign them like most Giants fans do.
Thairo ranks #4 in WAR among all MLB second basemen this season, and that’s after already missing a few weeks on the IL. What more does he need to do?
“I’d just prefer to watch a team win…” I mean, that’s what the Giants have been doing. What’s the problem here?
Middle infielders primary responsibilities are defense.
As usual MLBTR is analyzing these players by their offensive statistics.
It’s nice if they can hit. But the Giants are a team that puts a large priority on defense at all positions, let alone up the middle…..
And public defensive statistics are a joke.
.
Giants need all the hitting they can get..Thairo injured left a huge hole in lineup
Large priority of Defense??
San Francisco Giants lead all of MLB in errors committed.
Ha ha. He has found a new stat !
Errors!
They used to be under Bochy and previous regimes. Zaidi and Kapler, I’m not so sure.
Ramon Urias was a Gold Glove winner in 2022. He’s SF’s smartest option.
He’s a pretty good hitter and can play every infield position too, which is why the Orioles would rather trade Adam Frazier or Jorge Mateo.
Edman would help them
Jeimar Candelario, jeez. Switch hitter with good power
Play him at 3rd, move JD Davis to 2nd.
Done and Done.
JD Davis has never played 2B in the majors or minors, he’s a corner in the INF or OF.
davemlaw — Not at all. Davis is playing close to Gold Glove 3b. He should not be moved off the corner, especially for the inconsistent Candelario.
As crazy as it sounds, I would be interested in taking Sean Manaea off the Giants hands. A DeJong for Manaea trade would be interesting if the Giants kicked in a little cash or a couple of lotto tickets. I don’t have a lot of faith in the current Cardinal coaching regime’s ability to fix anybody, but maybe(hopefully) some changes will occur in the offseason. (Please God, bring Chris Carpenter back to St. Louis!)
I don’t hate it but Manaea seems like more of what we already have, ordinary back end starters.
I’m not disagreeing with that. But DeJong isn’t going to get us a top end guy and I don’t really see where a top end guy is coming from. They are NOT going to straight up buy one. We can all sit around pointing out the need for high end starting pitching but that doesn’t mean they will do it. I’m trying to be realistic. Reclamation projects are our best hope.
DeJong and Herrera for Max Meyer
That gets us a potential top end guy. And that’s pretty good I think.
Funny you say that. I’ve been thinking about a Max Meyer trade for a while. He also qualifies as a reclamation project in a way. Sort of a younger Chris Carpenter. I’m not sure Pauly and Herrera would be enough, but we have a lot of things the Marlins could use, so we could definitely make it work.
I think Herrera is very valuable to other teams. If you want a young ready to play catcher who looks like he can play everyday who else has one? I won’t get into if we should have signed Contreras or not that ship has already sailed. Turning Herrera into Meyer would be a nice recovery from this mess.
Everything you’re saying is true. I hope it happens.
Cardinals would be fools to trade Gorman or Donovan. Both will only improve. It would need to involve major controllable pitching. With Mozeliak’s recent track record, he will give them both away and extend DeJong.
As long as it’s for a pitcher with similar talent and team control then I am fine with trading either guy.
Cards fans always overrate their own players.
I think the Cardinals would much rather trade DeJong than Edman for many reasons. The money is a big one DeJong makes more. But besides that Edman can move around and play other positions DeJong can’t. With Winn coming the Cardinals will want to give him regular playing time which will be tough to do with DeJong around.
DeJong is an underrated defender. He’s not flashy but he makes all the plays he should make which is more than most shortstop can say. His bat is a question mark he’s very streaky and can be pitched to. But the defense is actually quite good.
If Giants fans have some ideas happy to hear them.
Giants fan here. I can’t see the Giants having any interest in DeJong but Edman is a very Giantsy type player and would be a fine pickup depending on the price. I still think Ramon Urias (Baltimore) might be the best solution. But as I’ve said earlier in this thread, I think the Giants greatest need is in the rotation not the infield.
The Yankees have Torres, LeMahieu, or Kiner-Falefa.
Kike Hernandez.
I can actually see this happening. The only thing is the Sox are not far out of a wild card spot. However, if they can get something they could use back in the deal (Stripling? Manaea? I know they’ve been bad, but…) then maybe it’s worth it.
Kike Hernandez for Stripling or Manea is not a bad suggestion.
Farhan loves dealing in former Dodgers.
Ramon Urias makes the most of all the names listed. Baltimore has a collection of veteran middle infielders that are now expendable and Urias has the most value. His positional versatility compliments the current roster construction. SF has the pitching prospects Elias would want.
Every other player listed is too severely flawed to help a playoff team.
Expecting the Yankees to trade their one middle infielder producing above the league average isn’t realistic either.
I tend to agree Baltimore is loaded with middle infielders a deal could he made there.
But I dont think DeJong is too flawed to help a playoff team.
DeJong has issues getting on base and Zaidi prefers high OBP players. I think it makes more sense to trade for a backup than any of the players listed except for Ramon Urias.
If I were Zaidi I’d try to pry Tucupita Marcano away from the Pirates. Crawford is gone at the end of the season so any acquisition will need to play shortstop.
DeJong has some similarities to Crawford. I think he’s a good fit for the Giants.
Do not see a deal with the Orioles happening. Baltimore needs pitching help now not in the future. To get the pitching, a trade will happen but with a team that is not in contention. San Francisco is in the playoff mix.
With Irvin’s improved performance and Means’ looming return starting pitching might not be such a pressing need for the Orioles. Elias’ strategy is to stockpile, not deal prospects. San Francisco would only be helping their playoff chances by upgrading from Crawford.
Sorry, but just as you said, “DeJong has some similarities to Crawford,” you explained why the Giants would not be interested. Craw is not the same player as he was. He’ll retire after the season.
Yes, but the Giants could offer Stripling or Manaea. Win-Win for both teams.
Aren’t Stripling and Manaea both pitching poorly?
The Giants would have to give up more than you think to get Ramon Urias. The Orioles would love to trade Jorge Mateo or Adam Frazier, but Urias can play any infield position and is a decent hitter. I think the O’s would pretty much give away Mateo or Frazier but not Urias. They won’t trade Urias unless they get a player(s) they really want — whether he’s MLB ready now or in the future.
Agree to disagree on this one DYank. Need SP pitching with playoff experience. Also, Cano needs help. Need one other RP that is comfortable in set up role. So far there has not been an answer in house and Tate injury looks long term. IMO, SF isn’t gonna give that to the Birds.
Manaea’s last start was May 10. Since moving to the bullpen he’s got a 3.45 ERA, 7 BB, 41 K in 31.1 innings.
Since coming back from injury, Stripling has made 3 appearances with a 3.12 ERA, 1 BB, 8 K in 8.1 innings.
So yeah, rough starts to the year for both guys, but adjustments were made and they are pitching much better lately. I’m not saying either guy is looking like more than a backend rotation piece at best, but they are providing some value.
except they aren’t. farhan has the whole delusional fanbase eating out of the palm of his hand so there is no urgency, and he might be an arrogant non-baseball fan, but he’s not dumb. he knows the Giants have gotten extremely lucky with their patchwork rotation and lineup bereft of stars. he will sell short term pieces if possible and sell the media and fanbase on his “burgeoning farm system” .. the future pipedream that keeps on giving. They just drafted an 18 year old, “American Ohtani!” how exciting!
Giants win again today. Now 14 games over .500 and the 6th best record in mlb
I want to see the Giants go get Ohtani. I think they make the most sense. Can be what they need to win the division and I think they can sign him
they should trade for Carlos Correa
Pending a physical.
Then offer him to the Mets
and Arson Judge
It doesn’t matter if they replace Estrada. The San Francisco Giants aren’t going anywhere.
This is not a playoff team by any stretch of the imagination
They have 2 formidable Starters and a bunch of B guys who can’t play defense. They lead the league errors committed.
Like a lot of mediocre teams, they went on. Run in June and now their fans think they got a Team. Haha . Check this out: The A’s are one of the worst teams I’ve ever seen
The A’s went on a run in June too. They won 7 straight all against teams over .500!!
The Giants have the same problem they had on opening day
It’s a TALENT problem and they aren’t ‘ a few pieces away’
Harsh but true. The Giants might finish above .500 which would be a big step for them Organizationally, But I agree this is not team built for the post season at all. They’ve been promoting minor league guys. But most of them are not impact guys and may not stick around long. I think Giants fans are excited to see new young faces. But its not impact Talent. More like depth talent. I like the young catcher Baily but he’s only had like 100ABs or something ridiculous like that.
I strongly disagree. AZ’s rotation has been totally dependent on Gallen and Kelly this year. No one’s giving up on them due to Kelly’s injury.
Measured by number of players with OPS+ above the league average, the Giants have the deepest offense in the division, even if other teams have more talented individual players. That offense is going to keep them competitive.
Yes. they are very much in the Wildcard race and could even steal the division, though highly unlikely. And no, a seven game win streak isn’t anything like playing above .500 for two straight months. I guess no one ever told you baseball seasons are 162 games long.
I tend to agree.
Like the cubs, possibly underperforming but buying at the deadline is a stupid idea unless it’s to add controllable pieces for next year’s playoff hunt.
The Giants haven’t been underperforming for the past two months. In fact, they currently hold the second wildcard spot.
27blah,blah,blah
That is the dumbest comment I’ve seen in a long while. Just because the A’s and Giants both had winning streaks you think they’re comparable? The Braves also had a winning streak in June, so are they also comparable to the A’s? Ridiculous.
This is what is comparable: A’s .272 W%, Giants .549 W%. BTW that .549 W% is better than the Yankees 90-91 games into the season.
The Giants have a +31 run differential compared to the A’s -248, but somehow they’re comparable in your mind. BTW the +31 is also better than the Yankees +20.
Also, there’s team OPS+, Giants 100, NYYs 96, A’s 88.
SP WAR: Giants 1.5, NYYs 0.6, A’s -5.6.
There’s only one stat I could find that favors the Yanks, team ERA+ where they have a whopping 2 point advantage.
And right now the Giants are sitting in a playoff spot, while the Yankees are with the A’s, on the outside looking in. There’s no guarantee of course, but Fangraphs has the Giants’ playoff odds at 58.5%, with the Yankees at 55.9%. But keep on making those bold predictions, I’m sure you’ll disappear if they turn out to be wrong.
let’s focus on the teams that matter to the GIants and that isn’t the yanks. I get tat you’re just trying to bring down that other poster, but as a Giants fan I know they have zero chance at a ring this year. Zero. this is not the time to add
“That other poster”. Jog in, son.
100%. I’m the only one in my family and friend circle who could point out the sequencing that created all those wins. No power, huge strikeout numbers.. defense full of errors, few guys who can pitch deep, and a top heavy bullpen that has been stellar but incredibly over-worked.
Check out their August schedule. 3 AZ, 3 TX, 3 in Anaheim. 3 in Cincy 3 TB and 6 against ATL. Can’t remember the rest top of my head but they’ll be lucky to win 8 games that month and that will be that. They have a top end talent problem, and it’s not going to improve. Smoke and mirrors… it’s incredibly disappointing, all the more so due to my loyalty. I won’t jump ship or follow another team, and I’ll still tune in for every game. No matter how depressing they become as the season goes on.
As you noted, my post wasn’t about ant surety of the Giants making the PS, but refuting the ridiculous post by the Yankee fan. I think they have a shot at the playoffs, but I won’t be surprised if they fall short.
August will be tough, and the remaining schedule in general is tough, but it’s not the worse. It’s tied for the 9th with the Jays and Dodgers, and AZ has the 8th toughest schedule. I think they’ll win at least 12-13 games that month.
But not sure I agree with your negative assessments. As far as power goes, they’re near league average. The SOs are troubling, but that’s countered by their above league average OBP. They’re also above league average in Runs, HRs, and BBs
You’re exaggerating how bad the defense is. Errors are up, but people figured out a long time ago that errors are a poor yardstick. Fangraphs has them at 20th in DRS at -3, but 5th best in OAA with 12.
It’s not smoke and mirrors. Yeah there’s no superstars, but plenty of teams with one or more are worse teams than the Giants. The Giants are deep in solid, average to above average ballplayers. They may fall short, but they will compete.
Goodbye Pauly D
The Giants haven’t been underperforming for the last two months. In fact, they currently hold the second wildcard spot.
Maybe Chaim Bloom could offer 2b Christian Arroyo back to the Giants, (who was originally drafted by them in 2013 in the first round), for prospect RH relief pitcher Keaton Winn.
Arroyo continues being an above average defender at 2b and an average hitter. He is still controlled through 2024 and very cheap.
Giants ARE NOT giving up Keaton Winn for Christian Arroyo.
Nick Madrigal would help a number of teams he was playing great and strained a hammy should be back next week
Why would Baltimore trade depth to help someone get into the playoffs? Cards will not trade Gorman , Yanks won’t dump Torres, and Jay’s won’t dump depth unless they can fix up their pitching some. What an article…
Trading from depth to shore up a weakness is a pretty standard for mid-season baseball trades.
Sounds like the White Sox got less competition
Harold Castro should be on this list.
Again, he doesn’t have the offensive profile Zaidi prefers. DeJong is less versatile and worse than Urias in every category except defense. $9 million for 1 WAR is hardly terrific value. Crawford has been one of the worst shortstops in the league this year. A nominal upgrade isn’t desirable.
DeJong hasn’t played all year that’s part of the reason his WAR isn’t that high.
He’s received 264 PAs and Urias has still been more valuable in less playing time.
I think Urias makes a lot of sense. I said that already. But don’t discount DeJong and what he can do for your team. If you want a guy who can play everyday and give you reliable defense with a not as reliable bat he’s your guy.
Castro is a better hitter than some on the list, like Frazier and Kemp.
Angels have so many!
Send tony Kemp to sf. He’d be a rental but versatile in outfield and second base. Fun player just not hitting at all
It’s easier to see the Jays moving on from Biggio than Espinal. I wouldn’t expect the return to be much either, probably a AAAA player or a BP guy. Someone like Beck?
Giants are not trading Triston Beck for Cavan Biggio.
-0.1 fWAR (155 PA’s), -1 DRS/1 OAA at 2B so average, 28 yrs old, FA in 2026, 40 FV for Biggio. Beck has a -0.1 fWAR (46.2 IP), 40 FV, 27 yrs old, first time in the majors this year, optioned to the minors 3 times since mid March. Sounds like a quad A player to me.
Giants like Beck, whose been steadily improving and climbing the ranks in the minors. This year, he’s pitched to an ERA of about 3.00 in about 50 innings in the bigs, good for about half a win above replacement.
Biggio, meanwhile, has negative WAR and has hovered around the Mendoza Line as a hitter for most of his time in the bigs.
@Scottn59c
The Giants sent Jackson out on a rehab on the 13th(?) so he’s due back soon. Brebbia has gone past his 15 days on the IL. Some spots are going to have to be made on the active roster to accomodate player returns. Based on past performance my bet is Beck gets optioned to the minors for a 4th time.
And nobody uses BA anymore.
The Giants need starting pitching WAY more than middle infield help. Their rotation is basically Webb, Cobb pray the other team gets robbed
Cobb/Webb rotation and hope arachniphobia takes hold.
Please take Dejong
DE-no.
So, not one mention of Jonathan Schoop who is the baseball version of a freebie?
Supposedly he still provides very good 2B defense, and better yet everyone knows that hitters who escape from Detroit are suddenly imbued with magical bat powers.
Schoop might be a freebie but most clubs prefer to be free of him at this juncture.
It’s not a terrible short term (and free) suggestion.
maybe reds are looking to deal EDLC
Possibly farhad checks into Zach McKinstry (player he is familiar with) for platooning-cheap to go after a higher quality player at another position that pitches and hits.
Am sure they will dangle Heliot or Bart at somepoint.
Giants must be thinking of calling up their top pitching prospect unless they dont want to taint any trade situation
I’d rather have Casey Schmitt than anyone on the list unless they were basically free.
Kemp was Yaz’s roommate at Vandervilt. But the Giants need a guy who can play both 2nd and short. Kike Hernandez can play anywhere but he is having his worst season by far.
Schoop might be worth a 7 day flyer to see if the Giants can catch lightning in a bottle. The Giants signed Schoop’s older brother Sharlon back in 2005, so Jonathan basically grew up a Giants fan.. Schoop is also a plus 2nd baseman and in between his offensive down years has posted several very nice seasons.
Giants lose Thairo Estrada for a month..
How was the opposing pitcher that hit him penalized = NOTHING !!
How was the team that the pitcher played for penalized = NOTHING !!
This one sided lack of justice must stop.
The opposing pitcher that hit and injured Estrada gets to say,
“OOPS, S-O-R-R-Y, Well, That’s Just Part of the Game”
Just does not go far enough.
MLB needs to take decisive action on this matter, ASAP !!!
First game you’ve ever watched? You do realize, this stuff happens literally every single day, right?
I’m liking Lopez. Need a shortstop option for next year. Good defence and “difficult to strike out” sounds like a good start. Thats assuming he is at the lower end of the prospect cost scale.
Amed Rosario. CLE has plenty of middle infielders ready to play in MLB.
CLE is in first place – they do not have any “ready” prospects to fill the SS position. They would be fools to trade him unless they find a better SS
Arias and Freeman are superior defensive shortstops than Rosario. They will hit when given every day at bats. Rosario is certainly a candidate for a trade. To the Giants though, I think not.
Schoop can be had for cheap.
If he and his wife named their son Bran, they’d be two Schoops raisin’ Bran.
I don’t buy that the Giants are going to be in the race come late august, the rotation situation is not sustainable, I also don’t think they have a real shot at ohtani. I’d like to see them is the 40 million in cap space they have to go get Donaldson or a player some other team that wants to go after ohtani needs to clear, and pick up some serious prospects.
Goldschmidt and Stroman should be trade targets for SF both are immediate impactful players and they have very deep minor league rosters for trade bait no matter what Cards management is saying on Goldschmidt. Stroman would give them a much stronger starting rotation now and that third key starter in any post season series. Goldschmidt has always been a beast against the Gigantes Farhan and Kapler get it done. Me thinks their infield defense will get better with less pressure via better starting pitching and more runs scored.
If I truly believed Goldschmidt was available, I’d say the Giants should be in there looking to trade. Not because Goldy is great against SF, but because he’s great against everybody. That would probably mean moving Lamonte back to the outfield. but it could work. I just don’t believe the Cardinals are interested in trading Goldy.
I don’t hate the idea of a trade centered around Tim Anderson for Joey Bart. Both guys’ stock is at a low point, but both have enough upside to warrant a look. The Giants would be dealing from an area of relative depth, as Patrick Bailey is (at minimum) a strong defensive catcher who can take the bulk of starts over the next few years. Anderson would give the Giants a middle infield stop-gap for 2024 in case Crawford departs via free agency. And in the event that Anderson continues to struggle, they can decline the option and use their payroll flexibility to add someone else.
It would be a shame to see Bart get traded for a potentially overpriced two-month gamble, but he’s clearly beneath Bailey and Blake Sabol on the depth chart. For the White Sox, they could save some cash and acquire four-plus years of a catcher with real upside. Grandal is an impending free agent, too, so there’ll be more opportunity for an MLB-ready catcher. If the White Sox elect for a full-scale rebuild in the next year, Bart can have a long leash to start — either he’d succeed and be an appealing trade candidate, or he’d at least soak up a tough-to-fill position while the organization tears down the roster.
Not sure if it would be a one-for-one Bart-for-Anderson swap or if some lesser prospects and/or cash would have to be involved. Maybe if the Giants wanted Giolito and/or Graveman, Bart-for-Anderson could be a component. But I think as a stand-alone trade, it has its merits.
I don’t hate a Bart/Anderson trade. I was curious about their trade values so I went to BTV and inputted that trade into the trade simulator. Apparently the White Sox would need to add a bit to even the value out. My guess why Bart has a higher trade value is the amount of team control. I think adding someone like Luis Mieses would work.
Giolito has much more value than Bart and Anderson. Adding him, the Giants would have to add someone like Meckler or Whisenhunt, along with someone like Bednar.
Of course teams have their own assessments of players that might vary significantly with BTV’s assessments, and all that could be way off.
We need ohtani
Don’t kid yourself it’s not happening. Farhan will be in on him only to drive the price higher but in the end will make sure his offer comes in second. Then he will make the point to the fan base he tried. And like always the fan base will confuse efforts with results.
Every single one of those guys is too expensive for Farhan’s blood. He’ll be checking out the waiver wire and recent DFA’s
Yes. And we know that because he wasn’t willing to make big offers to guys like Judge and Correa, right?
Seriously? You know very well those weren’t SERIOUS offers from this organization. Judge was pretty clear on his intent to return to NY (and their stacked roster & farm). Farhan knew there wasn’t a snowballs chance in hell Judge signs that deal, that was all PR to save face.
The same is true for Correa. They knew IMMEDIATELY that the physical showed something they didn’t like.. They didn’t just discover that AFTER. They knew that there was no way that contract would be honored, and were hoping that Correa ended up looking like the bad guy, which he did.
They had zeeeeero intention of paying either one of those guys, you know that and so does everyone else on this board. That was all to calm the chatter of them being cheapskates (while increasing owner revenue more than any club in the majors).
That’s not saying they won’t offer the entire state to Shohei – I’m sure they will as my initial comment was made in jest. But of all of the evidentiary pieces you could have picked you gotta choose ANYONE but those two
I should have stopped after I read the first line of your post. Some people will ignore what has happened, and twist facts to suit their argument. Any assertion that those offers weren’t serious is just simply ridiculous.
Prior to his deal, Judge, in no way indicated he intended to re-sign. It was only after the fact that he said staying was his first choice. Also, after the fact, Judge let it be known that the Padres’ offer, which was bigger than the other two was rejected, leaving it between SF and NY. Had the Yanks not matched SF’s offer he’s a Giant.
Had the Mets not also agreed to a deal with Correa, and then also voided it, your conspiracy theory might hold water. But they did, so it doesn’t.
Do you really think teams make big offers to FAs just for show? You do realize that any team that did that would be subject to a grievance. A team could not only be penalized financially, have execs suspended, and be hit with possible draft penalties, but what FA would ever trust that team’s FA offer. The risk/reward is hugely unbalanced towards the risk. A team that stupid is organizing a circular firing squad.
Has any team ever been documented with making spurious offers for PR purposes? No, and for good reasons. You just really didn’t think this theory of yours through very well did you?
Goldschmidt will be a free agent next season giving the opportunity for the Giants to sign a really impactful hitter in their lineup now and long term. Stroman gives them a veteran starter that has seemingly really gotten his game together. Zaidi has built up a strong farm system since he took over that was really bleak before that but is over his head on acquiring top notch free agents. Tired of the Dodgers decade long dominance time for the Giants to go big NOW!