A 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday dropped the San Francisco Giants to 46-58 and ten games out of first place in the National League West. Before the All-Star break, the Giants appeared as if they could contend for the Division, but a recent four-game losing streak coupled by nine wins in ten games by the Los Angeles Dodgers has made that less likely.
Standing pat or adding help before the trade deadline was a viable option only a few weeks ago. On July 1st, despite sitting in fourth place, the Giants were only three games out of first. At 42-40, the Arizona Diamondbacks led the way in what was a very weak Division and the title was really up for grabs.
Remaining in the thick of the playoff chase earlier this month, the Giants were rumored to be in the market for a slew of players. The team was linked to several possibilities including pitcher Bud Norris, outfielder Alex Rios, and second baseman Chase Utley. However, after their recent slide, there’s now talk of them becoming sellers instead of buyers.
Young stars Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval are probably safe, but if the Giants are indeed willing to make deals, there are plenty of players they can offer.
The biggest trade chip they have is outfielder Hunter Pence. Pence is a power hitter and if traded, could be the top position player that gets dealt. He has hit at least 20 home runs every full year he’s been in the majors and at 30, still has plenty left in the tank. The decision for a contender will be how much they want to give up for him since he becomes a free agent at the end of this year. The Giants will surely get more in return if an extension can be worked out before any trade, but since he’s expected to fetch quite a bit in the offseason, Pence’s plan may be to test the open market.
Another player that would surely draw interest is pitcher Tim Lincecum. I’ve covered this in the past, but even though the former ace has struggled in 2012 and 2013, his track record and a no-hitter this season will surely intrigue teams. Some could even want to turn the Cy Young starter into a relief pitcher and while Lincecum may not be particularly happy with that, it will add to his trade value if he’s receptive to it. He’s had trouble lately, but has been a legitimate ace as recent as 2011 when he won only 13 games but had a 2.74 ERA with 220 strikeouts. If he becomes available, there’s no question that teams would line up to add him to their roster.
Infielder Marco Scutaro is also a player that could be an attractive player. He’s under contract through 2015 at a manageable $6.6 million in 2014 and 2015 and is a quality infielder. Scutaro doesn’t bring much power to the table with 77 career home runs in 12 major league seasons and his 11 errors this year rank near the top for second basemen. However, while his defense has gotten worse the past two years, his hitting has helped make up for it. Scutaro has set new career-bests in batting average in 2011 and 2012, hitting .299 and .306 respectively. He’s at it again in 2013, batting .313 this year and he made the All-Star team for the first time in his career.
The Giants also have several relief pitchers out of their bullpen that could fetch a solid return including Jean Machi, Jose Mijares, and closer Sergio Romo. All have been solid this season and Romo has been a quality closer with 24 saves.
One player that San Francisco would probably like to move is Barry Zito – famous for doing this last year. However, with a 4-7 record and a 4.92 ERA, I’m not sure how many teams would be interested. You have to go all the way back to June 22nd when he had his last quality start, giving up only one run in seven innings against the Miami Marlins. If you throw in his high price tag, it’s hard to imagine he gets dealt without San Francisco picking up a large portion of the money he’s owed. The pitcher is due the remainder of his $20 million for this season and has an expensive $7 million buyout for next year’s $18 million salary if a team wanted to get out of his contract. Zito could be a decent starter for a team wanting a veteran presence towards the bottom of their rotation, but the amount of money he’s owed is considerable.
The Giants’ decision to sell off some of their players might not be a done deal, but they have plenty of options should they go in that direction.
