MLBTR's subscriber series previewing each club's deadline activity continues. Next up: the team that has already pulled off what'll probably be the biggest in-season trade we'll get all year.
Record: 44-35 (56.2% playoff probability, per FanGraphs)
Buy Mode
Potential needs: first base, second base, mid-rotation starter, left-handed relief
Two weeks ago, identifying the Giants' biggest priority was simple. The lineup was floundering and in desperate need of an impact bat. Then came the Rafael Devers stunner. All of a sudden, the top half of the order looks strong. They've pitched exceptionally well all season. They have fewer areas that they absolutely need to address than one might expect, since they're still generally viewed as a step below the top contenders in the National League.
First base was the biggest problem into the middle of June. They finally pulled the plug on the scuffling LaMonte Wade Jr. while signing Dominic Smith as a stopgap. Smith has made a strong impression through his first 16 games. More importantly, the Giants quickly convinced Devers to start taking drills at first base. He remains a designated hitter for now, but there's a decent chance he's getting into games as a first baseman prior to the July 31 deadline.
That doesn't preclude an upgrade. Smith has had a strong couple weeks, but he was a replacement level player between 2021-24. He's not someone who firmly stands in the way of an outside acquisition. Top prospect Bryce Eldridge suffered a right hamstring strain in Triple-A just this week (relayed by Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News). He's going to be out of action for at least 3-4 weeks and is unlikely to make his MLB debut before July is out. The Giants could theoretically replace Smith while keeping Devers as a designated hitter.
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Rough news about Eldridge. Hopefully he debuts on opening day next year.
Schmitt will be an upgrade bat at 2B in a few weeks, right around the AS Break when Chapman returns.
What the Giants REALLY need is for JH Lee to swing the bat better and more production from Bailey at Catcher. Adames is coming around. If that happens the lineup will be fine.
I loved the Verlander signing but he can’t buy a win. If he doesn’t get a win soon I could see him retiring mid-season and going home to spend time with his new baby boy.
Once Devers starts playing 1B I could see the Giants flipping Smith somewhere; he’s been great and a nice addition but there’s a big demand for left handed bats.
Time for Buster to get what he can for Matos, Luciano and McCray(very similar player profile to Jackie Bradley Jr, great defender, fast, power but strikes out way too much).
I seriously doubt Verlander retires. He hasn’t pitched badly. He just hasn’t pitched well enough for a team that can’t score runs. Look at Webb. He ranks 8th in MLB in ERA, and yet he’s 7 -5 (the team is only 9 – 7 in his starts). Verlander would be a great addition for a team with a better offense that needs help at the back of the rotation. I’m thinking maybe he should be shopped at the deadline.
It’s way to soon to sell low on Matos and Luciano. Matos has hit better than Ramos did at his age. There probably isn’t room for McCray, though I could see him as 4th or 5th OF, late inning defensive substitution, if Yastrzemski isn’t re-signed for that role. Some team might like McCray.
Yes on Matos. Not so much on Luciano. Out of options, hitting for more power but still not doing it enough and not good defensively. I think there would have to be a seriously good 2nd half from him to justify a 40man roster spot next year. If someone was prepared to take him now and they could get something back, I’d have to be on board with that.
Despite the lack of results, it’s still my belief that it’s too early to give up on Luciano. It’s small samples, but over his age 21 and 22 seasons Luciano had an OPS+ of 69. Ramos saw no action at the MLB level at age 21, but his age 22, and 23 seasons resulted in an OPS+ of 32.
Luciano currently has a .734 OPS over his AAA career. Ramos had a .768 OPS over his career in AAA.
There’s no guarantee of course that Luciano will break out like Ramos. They aren’t going to get much back if they did trade him. I don’t think they should move him for pennies on the dollar, until they know for sure that it isn’t happening for him.
Yeah, I get it. It’s the out of options situation. If he had some I would be more open to persevering. It’s just how long do you carry him before he gets one last shot at it.
The other thing is the defence. He looks well and truly blocked at DH.
I’d still rather see Luciano taking up a roster spot than someone like Wisely. or Meckler. With young guys I like the one with the higher ceiling. Even Dom Smith, though he’s been productive, is not a guy a team needs to keep forcing a trade of Luciano.
He has played 60 games in LF in the minors.
Fair enough. I was more thinking of the unprotected young guy with the roster spot. But I also don’t know how that rule 5 system works.
My minor league watcher guy told me last night he hasn’t been very good defensively in those 60 games. He was painting a pretty dim picture of Marco being around next year. Pretty much just parroted his opinion.
I have no first-hand knowledge, but BB Ref has him playing 527 innings with 106 chances, 99 put-outs, 3 assists, and 4 errors. That doesn’t sound egregiously bad, but it doesn’t let us know how many balls he misjudged, or ran bad routes to, that fell in for hits. It is a new position for him.
Who knows how the Giants feel about him? They’re the best judges because they’ll see the things like OF play, as well as the quality of his ABs. We’ll know next season.
Jean Matrac — Luciano is toast.
Rookie mistake to make a definitive call like that on a 23 year old.
Verlander won’t retire, but much of his problems this year are of his own doing. While it’s true the Giants haven’t scored much for him, his misses are so far from the plate that in EVERY outing his pitch count elevates and he has to be pulled. It’s not like he misses a little or is being squeezed by the umps, he just flatout misses the plate so badly that batters aren’t even tempted to swing.
Verlander still has a better ERA than Dean Kremer, Kevin Gausman, Chris Paddack, Michael Lorenzen, Luis Severino, Kyle Hendricks, Bailey Ober, Brandon Pfaadt, Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito, and Kyle Harrison. As well as a bunch of guys with an ERA of 5.00 or higher like Jack Flaherty, Roki Sasaki, and Lance McCullers.
A Willi Castro like player is the ideal fit although a jack of most trades, master of none in particular on the defensive side is probably better suited to play LF when the Giants are at home with Ramos bouncing out to the more difficult RF.. The best of all worlds is Fitzgerald goes down, finds his bat and that his recent issues were due to lingering effects of his rib injury.
He could return as a multi- position bench player who in theory would be capable of playing all OF and middle positions taking spot starts in CF/RF against LHP. While unlikely it would be SUPER helpful if Dom Smith could “fake it” in LF on the road that would allow Wilmer, him and Devers to be in the lineup together when matchups warrant it.
Fitzgerald—if he can curtail the swing and miss—is the ideal super-utility guy. Schmitt is the second baseman as soon as Chapman returns.
I hope Dom Smith can continue, but his history suggests not.
Giants need one more bat. Maybe at first, maybe in the OF. Though Willi Castro would be welcomed, though what would SF have to give up for him?
Now is the perfect time to trade Eldridge. If Devers is comfortable at 1B for the foreseeable future, Eldridge is a DH only but that is where Heliot Ramos needs to play….. do you think Zack M can convince Perry M to see if Mike Trout would like to head north and make the playoffs? Eldridge, Whisenhunt, Matos and Fitzgerald might get Moreno’s attention.
lol
Hahahaha. Yeah right. Gut the farm system for a great player who’s hurt precisely all the time?
And Ramos will stick in left field. They’re not moving him to permanent DH.
not to mention that Trout is basically a DH now if he wants to stay healthy. They should give Trout away if he asks, not take multiple prospects to acquire lol
EBJ? Extra BJ? That’s a crazy proposal even by comments standards.
EBJ—
God, please stay as far away from the SF Front Office as possible. You are delusional.
Have yet to get an answer.
Is Devers so horrid at 3B that with Chapman out, the Giants are not playing him there and have him locked in to being a very expensive, one dimensional DH when he could fill in at 3B until Chapman returns?
He is learning 1st base for a second dimension. 3rd base is covered with Schmidt, who is doing just fine.
Since he hasn’t played any 3B since the end of last season you probably really don’t want him at Third Base right now
Willi Castro would be a fun addition for them. Castro playing by the Castro.
I don’t see the Giants doing much beyond Devers. Maybe a bullpen arm?
They have the best bullpen in the league
Wondering why Wilmer Flores, who is currently the starting first baseman and 9th in the league in RBI’s, is not mentioned in the 1B/DH discussion?