That the Giants are in the market for help at second base is well known at this point, but ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that San Francisco has been particularly “aggressive” in its pursuit of late, with recent talks regarding a pair of NL Central standouts: Nico Hoerner of the Cubs and Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals. Both were known targets for the Giants already, but it’s notable that they’re ostensibly ramping up their efforts to make a deal happen.
Giants second basemen were among the least-productive in all of baseball in 2025, hitting a combined .217/.273/.343. The resulting 73 wRC+ (indicating they were 27% worse than average at the plate) ranked 27th in the majors, leading only the Angels, A’s and Rockies. Tyler Fitzgerald led San Francisco with 233 plate appearances as the team’s second baseman, followed by Casey Schmitt (193), Christian Koss (137) and Brett Wisely (43). All four posted well below-average numbers with the bat while playing second base (though Schmitt hit better while playing other positions and was close to league-average with the bat overall).
Either Donovan or Hoerner would stand as a major upgrade. Both will play next season at 29 years old. Both are established contact hitters with defensive versatility, although the presence of Matt Chapman and Willy Adames on the left side of the infield would lessen the Giants’ need to take advantage of that positional flexibility. Donovan, who agreed to a one-year deal worth $5.8MM to avoid arbitration last week, is controlled through the 2027 season. Hoerner is owed $12MM in the final season of his three-year, $35MM contract this season.
Donovan figures to be the more readily available of the two in trade talks. The Cardinals are in the early stages of a multiyear rebuilding effort under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. They’ve already shipped out Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in separate trades to the Red Sox, and they’ve been fielding interest in lefty JoJo Romero while also working to find a taker for Nolan Arenado. Donovan’s remaining two years of club control don’t align with a realistic path to contention in St. Louis, and of all the team’s offseason trade assets, he stands as the one most likely to net a significant return.
Since making his MLB debut four years ago, Donovan has done nothing but hit. He carries a lifetime .282/.361/.411 slash in the batter’s box (119 wRC+) and has regularly proven to be one of the game’s toughest strikeouts. He drew a walk in 8.2% of his plate appearances in 2025 (9.1% career) and fanned at only a 13% clip (13.5% career). Donovan’s power is below average — he’s never topped 14 homers in a season — but he’s a former All-Star and Gold Glove winner who can also handle third base and the outfield corners (and perhaps some shortstop, in a pinch).
Hoerner is statistically one of Donovan’s most comparable hitters. Over the past five seasons, his .285/.342/.388 line (106 wRC+) closely resembles Donovan’s production. Hoerner runs far more often (131 steals to Donovan’s 15) and would be a plus defender at shortstop if not for the fact that he slid over to second base in deference to Dansby Swanson at shortstop.
Unlike the Cardinals, however, the Cubs are in clear win-now mode. Trading Hoerner just days after agreeing to a five-year deal with Alex Bregman would offset much of the good brought about by that Bregman signing. Given that, it seems quite likely that the Cubs would seek immediate MLB talent in any trade involving Hoerner, and the cost of acquisition would be fairly steep. Chicago could always move former top prospect Matt Shaw to second base — he might be the heir-apparent there now anyhow — but the Cubs could also simply keep all three infielders for the 2026 season and use Shaw in a utility role before handing second base to him full-time in 2027.
Payroll-wise, the Giants should have little problem fitting either player into the picture. RosterResource currently projects a $185MM payroll for San Francisco. That’s up a few million from last year’s levels but also a ways shy of the $200MM franchise record set back in 2018. And considering the fact that over the past 18 months, ownership has made three separate nine-figure commitments (Chapman’s $151MM extension, Adames’ $182MM contract, the $250MM+ remaining on Devers’ contract), it stands to reason that they’re at least open to further additions.
It bears mentioning that there’s no indication from Passan that Hoerner and Donovan are the only two targets on which the Giants are focused. The free-agent market still has one high-profile option in Bo Bichette, and even if he lands elsewhere, that deal itself could create some potential avenues for the Giants to explore. If Bichette were to sign in Philadelphia, for instance, the Phillies might be more inclined to part with Bryson Stott than would otherwise be the case. If he ended up in Boston, the Red Sox might have some additional infielders to discuss in trades. There are various paths the Giants can consider and other needs left to address on the roster (namely the bullpen), but having added Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser in the rotation, it appears second base is their focus for the time being.
Time to convert John Dowd into a second baseman
Only the real ones know
Anthony Friese for life.
I also heard Reggie Stocker is making a comeback.
Converting him into Barry Bonds was great. MVP Baseball 2004 needs to be remade for PS5 lol.
Wasn’t it 05?
I know it’s early, but this is the comment of 2026 so far. Well played!
Just trade for Donovan and get it over with.
They may not have what the Cards want, and lots of other teams want BD, too.
Pretty sure they have what the Cards want – with the Giants weighing a heavy cost. They’ve been in discussions for weeks now, so if the Giants have gotten more “aggressive”, it could mean they’re getting closer to paying that heavy price.
Giants have plenty of young arms that the Cards would want..
But what about a Giants-Cubs Robbie Ray for Nico Hoerner trade, straight up? Both are 1-year rentals.
I’d be fine with that – but only if they also immediately sign Suarez or Valdez to replace Ray.
I think I’d rather keep Ray, if it was just between the two of them
Pete
Would the Giants pay down Ray to make the deal cash neutral?
I don’t like it because they’d be weakening the rotation to upgrade 2B. The rotation isn’t that solid that it makes sense to me to do that, and then have to find another arm. Though I agree with goob. I’d feel differently if the signed Framber or Ranger first.
Cubs would be crazy to let hoerner go however straight up for ray . Hoerner is glue holding cubs together and ar 28 isn’t he 4-5 years younger than ray?
Having thought it over, both teams say “no”
Bo found a new suitor
Ownership is too cheap to board that train
Cheap after signing Chapman, Adames, Lee, and absorbing Devers? I wish my team was that cheap.
Phillies may slip in & have an edge on signing Bichette now that Mattingly is their new bench coach
I was just thinking that. Why the heck aren’t they all over him?
Hoping for Giants fans’ sakes that their definition of “aggressive” is better than Henry’s
Thought the same thing. When there were reports of an “aggressive” offer to Bregman, I knew he was gone.
The only worse outcome to the bregman “aggressive offer” situation would have been them signing him to something like 6/200
Do you think that gets it done for Bichette?
I want it to, so no I don’t think it will 😭
8/250 if your SFG
Steve Adams – just to let you know, Casey Shimitt had a 101 ops+ last season. He was around a league average bat. Thanks for your work.😁
The splits referenced were during their time playing second base, specifically, but it’s fair to mention that he performed better while playing other positions, sure. I can make a note of that.
Sounds good, brother. 👍
Getting hit by a pitch on his hand ostensively hurt his numbers-and his digits!
Someone knows.
Giants are interested in Nico.
I don’t want him
I’ll let Buster know.
bag o ballz — You don’t want Nico Hoerner???????
That is where it end! Hoerner straight up for rau? Forget it although never put it past Jed.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, a natural fit.
Head Royce High School
“ aggressively pursuing” is definitely better than “ interested in”, or even “eyeing”.
Makes you think something is gonna happen today. Fingers crossed for a Donovan trade
Yep. Makes me think this was leaked so Bloom can try to get the Mariners to budge too.
Either way, I can’t wait to get a Donovan deal done in St. Louis.
At least this report that Giants “aggressively” seeking 2B upgrade is from Passen
Passen is one of the few media that his postings are usually very accurate
@Red Our local beat writers are solid and accurate.
How does “checked in” rank there?
“kicking the tires on”
Giants should look at Sosa of the White Sox
After they look at him they should laugh. Not a good player as us Sox fans will attest. But, he does have a decent bat. Probably, a DH but poor plate discipline. Lots of baserunning blunders. He’s a bit tantalizing but not very good overall.
Roob: “lots of baserunning blunders” No thanks. We already have Ramos to cover that.
Guess you’re right. That 22 homer season was only worth 0.8 bWar.
Sosa hit 22 home runs last year, he played 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and dh.
The Chisox need bullpen help, possibly another veteran starting pitcher, and someone to play rf until Braden Montgomery is ready.
Who would the Giants send to the Chisox for Sosa?
Bag of balls.
Well, the last time a young White Sox hitter named Sosa was traded, it worked out pretty well for the acquiring team (even though PEDs were involved).
Flintstones work wonders.
So, the Phillies sign Bo and Bryson Stott to the Giants.
Other way around. Philly gets the scraps after Sunday!
I really hope Hoyer doesn’t trade Nico Hoerner. I don’t care that he’s in his walk year, he’s too valuable to the Cubs 2026 season.
Across
I completely agree with you. Unless Nico is part of a package for an elite pitching rental like Skubal or Peralta, then I think Cubs should keep Hoerner for 2026, give him a QO, and try to extend him.
Hoerner is a winning player. I still just don’t understand how he’s constantly being dangled by a team that has WS aspirations
Nico Hoerner is not being DANGLED by the Cubs. Dangling implies that the organization is shopping him. That is a false narrative. Jed Hoyer is not calling other teams and asking for offers. He’s simply picking up the phone when those teams inquire on his availability, especially now in the wake of the Alex Bregman signing.
Is there a chance that Hoerner can be traded? Sure. It would take a phone call that absolutely blows the Cubs away. My money would be on Hoerner staying put and the Cubs offering him a far more substantial contract extension than the 3yrs./$35MM deal he signed in March of 2023. They should be able to get a deal done in the neighborhood of 6 yrs./$120MM which would keep Hoerner in Cubby blue until he’s 35, similar to the Bregman’s deal.
If the Cubs trade an infielder this offseason, the better bet would be Matt Shaw. He would offer even more trade value than Hoerner with his 6 remaining years of cheap control. A trade involving Shaw makes the most sense if Hoerner gets an extension. If not, the Cubs figure to hold on to both players at least through the summer trade deadline where they can reevaluate their position based on the standings.
He’s been discussed as a trade option only because it’s going to be his walk year.
Cubs need to continue to act like a major market team and extend Hoerner. 5/100MM I think gets it done. Guy is the heart and soul of this team and the addition of Bregman would go to waste if offset by trading away Hoerner.
Hoerner was legitimately their best all-around offensive player down the stretch. He has those “intangibles” that they rave about. He’s a complete player.
Go get Nico so I can stop hearing that the Yankees are interested.
they’re going to do something stupid like eldridge for donovan.
I actually think StL can do better than that. And they’re pretty set at 1B with Burleson, who will qualify I suppose as their best hitter once all the trades go down.
Either Burleson or Herrera, which is actually not a bad one-two combo in the heart of the lineup. The problem is what to put around them, especially if Donovan is gone…
There’s no way the Cards get Eldridge, let alone some0me better for Donovan.
Eldridge was not that great last year. Only 836 OPS in AAA (and that’s the Pacific Coast League, where that number is pretty unremarkable), and not much better in AA. Of course he was over-matched in his cup of coffee in MLB, too. There is a feeling that he might have plateaued, and since he can only play 1B, which isn’t a valuable position to start with, yeah, the Cards can do better. The Red Sox can top that with ease.
He played only 74 games at AAA. He didn’t even have enough appearances to qualify for PCL stats.
It’s not like he’s been in AAA for a couple years. He started the 2025 season at AA Richmond playing only 43 games there. That’s only 117 games since being promoted from High-A, and he played only 48 games there.
He’s only 21, with 60 grade power, and has absolutely zoomed up through the minors.. If you want to disparage his prospect ranking based on only 74 games played against guys 2 or 3 years older than he is, then go ahead. I’m sure he’ll justify his ranking once he’s playing full time. IMO opinion the Giants would be foolish to trade him for a guy like Donovan.
“There is a feeling…”
Where is that feeling showing itself ? Haven’t seen it.
You have not read the full reports on Eldridge. No way do the Giants give up Eldridge for Donovan.
I’m still mad they traded Zack Wheeler for 2 months of Carlos Beltran.
Maybe it’s behind the “cloak”..
MTG, TBH the Wheeler trade doesn’t bother me. They were going for it and Beltran was the top guy available at the deadline. The Giants had a team that could have added another WS title. I always like it when teams go for it even if they fall short.
Plus, Wheeler wasn’t the guy he is now while he would have been under SF team control. The Mets had him for 5 years, but he only played 4 due to the TJS. He averaged less than 2.3 bWAR per year for them. He averaged over 5 bWAR for the Phils. Since he had only 1 good year with the Mets, the Giants probably would have let him walk in 2020 just like the Mets did.
@MTG Realistically, I think the thing to be disappointed about regarding Wheeler and the Giants, is that the Giants didn’t pursue him when he became a FA in the 2019/2020 offseason. That’s what bothered me, not the trade.
that was a panic move, a complete disaster
LOFL
No, no, no. We’ll “settle” for Anderson or Sloan as the main piece in St. Louis. We’re not *that* greedy. 😀
Buster wants a decision.
What.
Wouldn’t mind sending Gleyber over there. Open up a spot for Keith at second and start Mcgoniggle at 3rd.
That could work. Gleyber wouldn’t have any excess value though. So the tigers would have to chip in some salary for any kind of decent return
I’m fine with that. I want Mcgoniggle on the opening day roster. I want Keith getting every day at bats. No platoon.
As a Giants’ fan I hop that doesn’t happen. Torres can hit, no doubt, but he’s not a good defender at a key position. The Giants want to focus on pitching and defense, so Torres doesn’t really fit.
Just sign Bo… Open it up! The Giants have constantly “been in on” the top free agents. Yes, they finally got one in Adames but go get Bo too. Bo’s gap hitting should play nicely in SF. He isn’t a big power guy, so I think the fit is logical.
Braves25: Bichette doesn’t really fit the good defense equation. I guess it’s possible he outhits his shaky defense. I guess we could move Schmitt around the infield to get him enough at bats. He would be a pretty good utility player if the Giants bring in a 2B. I still think they should give Schmitt a shot at 2B like they did with Fitzgerald last year. We shall see soon how this plays out.
Nats fan here: Well give the Giants CJ and 1 of the young OF prospects for Eldridge and Josuar Gonzalez. CJ isn’t a great defensive SS but should be good at 2nd. We get the 1B we badly need
Giants quickly say no to that proposal.
Jean
Giants say no unless James Wood the outfield “prospect” in which case they accept, but Nationals would never do that.
Yeah, I assumed “1 of the young OF prospects” was not Wood. If he/she meant Wood, they would not have referred to him in such a generic term.
They’re right at the luxury tax amount just about. So many guys coming off the books after this year (Shota, Nico, Happ, Boyd, Taillon, just go over for a year and reset the penalty next year.
If the local STL media podcasts are correct Donovan isn’t getting traded. They have been saying Bloom is putting a Marte price tag on him.
A Nico trade with the Cubs could be on the table. Maybe they take a shot at Biechette. The Giants should go trade for Nico and then sign one of Tucker or Bellinger.
St. Louis media is just impatient. The waiting is brutal.
Cubs would be stupid to move Nico. In addition to being a gold-glove caliber 2nd baseman & shortstop, hitting for avg and swiping 30 bags per season, he is great in the clubhouse. Also; if you believe in ‘clutch’, he seems to have that gene.
A real “gamer” as the old-timers used to say! Alas, Tom Ricketts doesn’t want to pay that luxury tax and the Bregman deal took them just slightly over it. I know they feel they can simply plug in Shaw at 2nd, but he hasn’t shown that he can hit yet. This is a repeat of last year’s lunacy, when they gave Bellinger to the Yankees in a salary dump after getting Tucker. Geez, just go for it for once!
Coop
Bregman gets a lot of derred money. Most likely, Cubs are just UNDER the first tax threshold.
So a question to Cub and Cardinal fans: is there any Giant prospect package outside of Eldridge or Gonzalez that could entice your team to send Hoerner or Donovan to SF? I presume Cubs would be open to players from ML roster, Cardinals not so much.
Cubs have no use for Eldridge. Busch is locked in at first for near future. Ballesteros is gonna DH and Cubs have a prospect in Long that profiles as a future 1st baseman as well.
John Cal
I agree with what you said about the Cubs. However, the prior poster was asking is there a deal that could be made if Eldridge was not included in it.
fair points regarding Eldridge, jc. I think Gonzalez has the higher upside. That would be a very tempting offer for the Cubs, don’t you think?
Brendan Donovan
JoJo Romero
for
Bryce Eldridge
Trent Harris
How about Yonathan Perlaza?
.275/.364/.486 in ’24 with KBO Hanwha Eagles
.307/.391/.510 in ’25 with El Paso Chihuahuas
This guy is stacked. Scouting reports say he is a good RF, played some second base too.
I think Chapman would excel defensively at 2B and Devers can play 3B. Sign Perlaza and IKF. Perlaza as a potential DH and IKF as a utility player.
Sure, play everybody out of position and sign some guy that might be AAA level ?
ABS: Anyone who proposes moving Chapman to 2B loses my attention. He is one of the top 3B in baseball with a gun for an arm. All due respect but you haven’t been watching the Giants with the same eyes most of us are looking through.
19,700 chances at 2B last season compared to 12,400 chances at 3B. Thats league-wide totals play involving each position.
A 2B on average is 37% more involved in the defense.
I know Chapman is a gold glove third baseman and Devers is widely recognized as a poor defensive option at third but he can play the position, he had been improving and Chapman would likely be great at 2B.
I like the idea and a big part of it has to do with keeping Devers happy and in the game because he is a great hitter and your paying him 30M a season. LOL!
Playing an exceptional 3B is about the arm. Chapman’s arm strength is in the 75 percentile. Devers’ is in the 48th percentile. Putting Chapman at 2B is a waste of a strong accurate arm. Many guys wind up at 2B because they don’t possess a good arm because it’s not necessary to have one at that position.
Range is also a factor at 3B, and the difference between Chapman and Devers is even more lopsided. Chapman’s range is in the 87 percentile. For Devers it in the 8th.
At 1B Devers was close to average with a -1 OAA. In 2024 his OAA at 3B was -6. Devers is better suited at 1B just as Chapman is better at 3B. It’s just not a good idea playing guys in positions that they aren’t best at based on the number of chances by position.
And Devers did not appear to be unhappy playing 1B for the Giants, nor has he indicated that he was. His issue in Boston was more about the Sox handling of the position change than the actual position change itself.
You may never have the best defense on the field with Devers at third or first for that matter but you could have your best offense in the lineup.
Eldridge — can he play the OF? Is he going to be the DH?
If so, play Devers at first, he seems happy at first after settling in some but I think he likes playing the field and Id try to get him in the lineup everyday.
Having the position flexibility is nice. Chapman at 2nd and Devers at 3rd gives you better depth around the diamond but I am a believer in getting into a rhythm and that is done by holding down your position day in and day out all through the summer.
Devers starts at first, its his job, he should start there every game, a day off once a week to keep his backup sharp.
Can Chapman win a gold glove at second? Id say absolutely. In that way it isn’t that bad of an idea if and only if Chapman was on board with it because he’s earned the right to lock down third.
Id also say get Eldridge some reps in the OF because its likely that one or all of your OF group struggles at the plate and it would be nice if he could play some RF.
Everything I read has Eldridge and JT Snow working together at first base and that leaves Devers in the DH most games.
I think Devers be better off holding down a position everyday.
I think you don’t value defense as highly as I do. Devers at 3B and Chapman at 2B is an inferior team defensively. And Devers at 1B provides better team defense than with him at 3B.
Chapman probably does not win the GG at 2B as long as Nico Hoerner is playing 2B
Chapman: Range 87th percentile, FRV 78th percentile
Hoerner: Range 98th percentile, FRV 97th percentile
Chapman’s defensive numbers are very good, but Nico is elite. If they can acquire a 2B, moving Schmitt to the utility role, gives them a ton of positional flexibility on the IF.
For guys like Devers and Eldridge, who’s main value is with the bat, and don’t have much defensive value, the important thing is to give them as many ABs as possible. Having them alternate between 1B and DH. gives them days off from playing in the field but maximizing ABs. There will be plenty of playing in the field for both.
Alternating a position with a guy is like sharing a girlfriend — it usually doesn’t work out for the best. It isn’t quite the same but players like to hold down their position, ball players can be territorial like that and I think it’s a good thing.
I don’t like having my position in doubt for a game, I don’t want to rest a day either but I can accept that a day’s rest could be good for me. I want all my at-bats and I want to hustle out to my position when the inning is over. I love playing ball. I want all eight guys playing with that attitude.
Position flexibility is to account for injuries and for rest. If you are a starter you will be starting everyday otherwise.
You aren’t going to lose your job without a good reason and I’m not the type to platoon and play matchups – I want to run the same group out there as often as possible.
Its why being named the starter is so important and its owning that job without looking over my shoulder or feeling like every error is some sort of permanent mark on my report card that keeps me in good spirits, secure in my role, focused on the game.
The DH has screwed this all up. If there was no DH, there wouldn’t be much of a discussion about Devers holding down a position. He would be at first full time or he would be at third full time.
I guess you have to make the adjustments to account for the rules and have to take advantage of the opportunities to gain an edge. I do believe there is an edge playing the numbers but I also believe in that weird chemistry that exists on that ball field and in that old school, 8 Men Out sort of mentality.
That’s a terrible analogy. And I disagree, and think you’re exaggerating the impact of guys playing everyday at one position. Look at the Jays and how guys like Barger, Lukes, and Clement play multiple positions. They were fairly successful doing that.
There are a lot of guys whose description is 1B/DH so they are doing both throughout the season. It’s possible that both Devers and Eldridge could play 162 games both as a 1B/DH guy. That’s easier than playing 3 or more positions like some guys.
Being named a starter is big, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be one specific position. It’s important because of the difference between being a starter or a bench guy. Every single player in baseball would prefer starting over sitting on the bench.
The last thing they want to do is put a weaker defensive team on the field simply to be able to say Eldridge is the 1B and Devers is the 3B so they’re comfortable with one position. And it’s been generally true throughout the history of baseball that it’s not good to have multiple guys playing out of position.
I followed the Blue Jays last season, I liked their team a lot. Id say that it was an exceptional group in terms of position flexibility both in the infield and the outfield.
My favorite Jays lineup was Heineman at C and Loperfido in the OF. Heineman and Loperfido were great for the Jays last season. It was a great team.
I think they will have a hard time finding that same chemistry this season without Bo anchored at SS.
I agree the Jays were an exceptional group, and I was a fan as well. But they were more exceptional in terms of what they achieved. I wouldn’t say they were unique in how they used their players positionally.
The Dodgers played Kike Hernandez at 5 positions on the field, as well as DH and he pitched in 5 games. Look at how Mookie Betts has been able to perform at 3 different positions. Morel for the Rays played both corner OF spots, DH and one game at 2B. The Cubs used him the same way before he went to Tampa Bay. Zach McKinstry played every position on the field last season except CF, and pitched in 1 game.
Players are a lot more flexible to move around to different positions than you give them credit for. It does depend on their ability to do so. But, players limited to a single position is more about their physical limitations than the psychological aspect of needing to know where they’re going to play every day.
If their aggressive is anything like the red Sox’ then they won’t be getting anyone.
Norcal
No, as to Cubs IMHO. To trade Hoerner, Cubs need a 2026-ready MLB piece.
If the Cubs could extend Hoerner now, maybe they could trade Shaw instead.
As for Cardinals, maybe a deal could be bulit around Whisenhunt, Whitman and McDonald, But I don’t follow the Cardinals as closely so that is wild specualtion on my part.
That would be an overpay for the Giants.
Sing arreaz and leave him at 2nb
Please no.
What would the Giants have to give up for Donovan (Hoerner isn’t going anywhere):
Not Eldridge or Josuar Gonzalez, they’re too highly rated. Kilen is probably too much as well. Jhonny Level is a good front liner but not enough. Giants would have to include one of their current 2nd base options (Schmitt, Koss or Fitzgerald) as a throw in. And then one or two more pieces that would get the Cards to bite: Bresnahan, Jordan, Davidson. Or a MLB ready pitcher like Birdsong or Tidwell.
Whatever it is, it will hurt. But Donovan could be the missing link in that lineup.
With yet another young SS prospect expected to sign from the international draft, why say no on Josuar ?
McCray, Gonzales and Fitz might get it done and create two needed 40 man spots.
This is a bold statement but I believe it and I think the Giants do too:
I think Josuar could be better than Lindor. His scouting grades are through the roof.
I like Level very much but he’s not on par with Josuar.
Dave
I absolutely agree that Josuar could be a future all-star.
I think the Giants would not trade him for a rental and he is not what the Cubs are looking for anyway.
Josuar and Eldridge are staying out IMHO.
Same stuff was said about Luciano at his age, but truth is we just don’t know. There’s a reason we call them prospects. SFG needs to do better at getting value for these kind of guys.
Sure. But we heard a long ways back that Luci was probably not going to stick at SS. Then they tried him at 2B and he had a stone glove.
I’m not against trading any of the Giants top prospects but the return has to be right. Donovan isn’t worth the Giants top 3 prospects, rather just ride with Schmitt, Koss or a healthy Fitzgerald; people forget or don’t realize Fitz was hitting (.281, .342, .432) thru April then hurt his rib and was never healthy. He’s been working out all winter in Scottsdale. Among the 3 second base candidates One of those guys should be able to produce at league average thus making an overpayment for Donovan ill advised. But everything looks rosy in January and on paper.
I’d still love to have Donovan at the right price though.
Yeah. I saw a thing where independent gurus were talking Joshuar. Had him as a top 5 pick if he wasn’t international. Rivalling the top shortstop prospect for that year. Heartwarming stuff !
The best way to get value for these kind of guys is to put them in your lineup as soon as they’re ready.
Hopefully the over seasoning in the minors is a thing of the past.
Trade em or play em, or you end up with a crowded 40 man roster full of AAAA players.
Fitzgerald strikes out way too much. Before and after the injury. He’s got some speed and passable defense but I don’t think he’ll stop whiffing anytime soon. Hell, he only had 14 RBI in 217 AB when he got sent down. I think what messed with him is the short HR binge he had in 2024. Hasn’t been the same since. Didn’t hit well after his demotion to AAA either.
oldgfan — That is the first sensible deal I’ve heard from commenters with regards to Donovan.
The Cards probably don’t want any of Fitzgerald, Schmitt, Koss, or Birdsong. They’ll be looking for guys that will be MLB ready in a year or 2 from now.
But I agree about saying no on Josuar. Not that trading him shouldn’t be considered, but it might be an overpay for Donovan.
Birdsong and Whisenhunt would be an upgrade on Pallante IMHO. Whitman and McDonald could also be moved. Depends on Cardinals want a top prospect or multiple mid level pitching prospects.
They gotta throw someone in off of the 40 man though, or DFA once again.
Kinda becoming an issue.
Assuming Ozzie Albies has a better year than last year, would that be an upgrade for SF? Not sure how the teams match up. Dubón could be the Braves 2B next year if Ozzie is moved. I like Ozzie and hope he stays with Atlanta, though.
He comes with a great salary.
If Hoerner gets traded, does Shaw become a 2B?
Yep
Casey Schmitt is better than Bryson Stott.
Don’t do it Mr. Hoyer, trading Mr. Hoerner will come back to bite. Dude is a gamer, clutch in situation baseball plus winning and positive attitude.
Another Giants are planning, looking, searching, hoping, have interest in someone article. They have a poor farm and Eldridge has yet to prove himself on a Major League level. They were a .500 team last year with issues.
He’s barely played at the major league level.
The Giants aren’t trading Eldridge for anyone with only 1 or 2 years of control. I could be wrong, I hope so, but I don’t see anyway they get Nico. And if the Cards don’t like Whisenhunt, along with a couple of other guys like McDonald, maybe Tidwell, or Level, for Donovan, IMO he isn’t coming to SF either.
Now that Arenado is gone, wouldn’t a package around Schmitt make sense ?
They’re in a rebuild, and probably want to see what they have in Wetherholt, their top prospect at 3B. Schmitt doesn’t have much trade value. They might be interested in him as a throw in, but he isn’t a significant asset either way. I was never much of a fan, which probably clouds my opinion.
Ya maybe a tad cloudy, but consistent.
Looked at Wetherholt, seemed similar to Casey stat wise with lesser average.
No idea about his defense. Hoping they can get something cooking soon. Could be waiting on the international signing first. If nothing happens in the next couple of days, I feel that these couple of trade possibilities probably won’t happen.
I wrote “Wetherholt, their top prospect at 3B”, which is misleading. That sounds like he’s their top 3B prospect, when he’s their #1 prospect who plays 3B. Big difference. He’s also 5th overall per MLB Pipeline.
I know prospect rankings are vastly overrated, but Schmitt was never even the Giants’ top prospect, let alone 5th overall. I’m not sure but I don’t think Schmitt ever cracked the top 100. The Cards, and their fans, are expecting big things from Wetherholt.
Comparing them, Wetherholt has a 60 FV mostly based on his Hit (60), Power (55), and Running (55) tools. Schmitt had a 55 FV, based mostly on his Arm (60), and Field (65) tools. In general Wetherholt is the better hitter, and Schmitt the better defensively. Schmitt might have had a 60 FV if his Run grade (40) had been better. Wetherholt scored no lower than 50 for any tool.
STL may still need another IF to replace Donovan if they decide to trade. Still hope Casey might fit. He’s pretty much blocked in SF anyway. Koss seems better at the UTL spot.
International signing happened, so now they are pretty stacked with teen millionaire IF’s. With the 4th overall pick yet to come, the farm has vastly improved. Can’t even remember ever having this many potential top 100 guys. Future looks good. They do need to do a little more to win now before age comes after the current lineup. Hopefully more moves ahead.
I agree that Schmitt could fit at 2B for the Cards. He’d be a good add-in to a package for Donovan. And who knows maybe he’ll break out there.
I like Koss, and think he might be better at 2B if the Giants don’t acquire one. But I think Schmitt might be the better utility guy. I haven’t seen enough of Koss’s arm to know if he can make the throws from 3B, but I do know Schmitt definitely can.
I love how the Giants are picking up prospects. The last I looked the Giants’ farm was ranked 15th, and they should improve after getting Hernandez, and with the upcoming draft pick.
Koss has speed that Casey lacks, so can be used as a PR. That’s my reason to value him over Casey @ UTL. He’s got that it factor / moxie going for him too. Value in that ? IDK.
I think the position playing prospects are what’s exciting. It’s been pitching guys for awhile, but now there’s offense on the horizon. Really hope Eldridge can produce this year. Might shut some folks up, and change the narrative about our farm system.
Brendan Donovan would be a good fit. The Cards are said to be shopping him. He can hit and he has a very good glove at 2B. He also plays other infield positions and OF. That defensive versatility has value.
Giants can’t have Nico. There’s not a single player in the giants I’d want Nico Hoerner to be traded for. His impact on the Cubs is far more great that’s fine they would replace him. In a trade.
Robbie Ray for Nico Hoerner, straight up?
No thank you.
Call the Royals and take India for the love of God lol
If the Phillies landed Bo, I think they would only trade Stott if they could attach Walker or Casty to that and not be on the hook for those full salaries.
Stott has some value, but if they attach those guys they aren’t getting much of anything in return.
Any Giants’ interest in Padres 2B Jake Cronenworth?
Funny.
No.
Sign Bichette or trade Ramos, Fitzgerald and Beck for Donovan.
The Giants still need a #2 starter (gotta love Ray’s comeback but he was not good after the All-Star break) and they need big time help in the bullpen.
Then another outfiellder please.
Though I’d love to see those guys traded, except maybe Beck, the Cards don’t want any of those 3. No team starting a rebuild wants guys like that.
Ray was out from March 2023 to July 2024. It takes time to build back stamina. Ray will be fine as the #2. I think other areas are more crucial for upgrade.
I’d love it if they did bolster the bullpen. Maybe they’re going to stock the pen with some of the MiL arms like McDonald, Teng, and Seymour though.
2B is the most important IMO. And unless they can sign Tucker, I don’t see any other big upgrade for the OF.
Ray is also a year older. He got a ton of outs on that 95mph heater at the letters, I’m not sure how much longer that’s going to play. I’d love to trade him for DeGrom personally.
I like my package for Donovan. Ramos is controlled for 4 more years. I watched the top 10 exit velocity Giant’s hits from 2025 and Ramos had half of them. Despite his poor 2025, Fitzgerald was great in 2024 and can play anywhere and Beck has a nice repertoire and all are controlable for 4-5 years. Maybe toss in a couple of top 10 organizational players.
deGrom is a year older as well, and not sure not making starts due to injury is any better than wearing down over the season. deGrom made 30 starts last season, but that was the first time he made that many since 2019.
I’d bet that the Cards do nor want Ramos. Entering a rebuild they’re probably not going to be competitive for at least another 3-4 years. Ramos doesn’t fit the timeline, becoming a FA just as they get good again.
I like Beck and hope they keep him. The trade value of both Ramos and Fitzgerald is low right now.
Fitzgerald is nothing more than a throw-in in any deal. He has too much swing & miss in his bat.
Yeah, I agree. Even when Fitzgerald was putting up good counting stats in 2024 his whiff and K percentages weren’t good. I know Buster values low SO numbers, so I can’t think he’s very high on him.
Get Donovan and be over with.
The Cubs middle is set with Nico, Dansby and PCA. Every year there’s this urge to trade Nico, a perennial gold glove and .300 hitter while everyone froths over Shaw. Shaw hans’t proven that he can hit a lick at this level. He’s got a slow bat that generates only occasional pop. His true value to the Cubs is the potential other teams see him. If he goes and becomes a star, great, but if it helps the Cubs get the players they need for a WS, worth it. You have a better shot with Nico on the roster, and not Shaw (who also doesn’t seem to understand priorities during a playoff push).
Listen Thairo Estrada is _right there_
LOL
Always thought Gleyber Torres would be a natural fit with the Giants, but he grabbed the Tigers’ QO so this consideration did not pan out.
Prefer Hoerner or Donovan? Just between the players, nothing to do with what needs to be given up
I like both a lot. Both have excellent gloves, but Nico is exceptional. They’re similar with the bat, with the edge going to Donovan with more power, better OBP, but Nico is also more valuable on the basepaths. Nico has a much better bWAR. So, I think Nico is better overall. But as a Giants fan I’d be very happy with either, as long as it didn’t involve trading Eldridge or Josuar.
I don’t think Hoerner goes anywhere. And the Cubs have probably told him to ignore all the trade noise. Would love to see him in a Giants uniform but realistically it’s a dream. If I were the Cubs he’d be pretty untouchable. I’d also love to see Brice Turang in a Giants uniform but that isn’t going to happen either.
I think I would also prefer Hoerner, but thinking Donovan is more likely. Yes, either would be great….as long as Eldridge stays! Josuar could be the one involved, but just guessing. Turang would be nice!
If the Cubs trade Nico I will personally kick each applicable ricketts family member and Jed in the nads
Don’t forget Hawkins!
Given the bath they had to take to get rid of Arenado, the Cardinals are not going to let Donovan go for anything like a bargain.
Dodgers quaking in their boots, considering adding Kyle Tucker to counteract Giants’ possible aggressive move to add 6% better than average hitter at second base.
They don’t wear boots.
What does a package for Hoerner, Shaw, or Donovan look like from SF?
Now that Arenado is gone…
Schmitt would be a nice 3B for STL.
Maybe toss in McCray & AA pitcher ?
2nd Base up grade you say? Pennys is having a sale!
Ted Stryker- Johnny, More coffee
Johnny- No thanks