If the San Francisco Giants shop some pitching as the trade deadline gets closer, who might other teams covet?
The calendar has now flipped to May, and the San Francisco Giants (17-11) are leading the NL West by a half-game over the Los Angeles Dodgers going into Monday’s action. To say the Giants are a surprise is an understatement, and they could make it a three-team race in the division.
But if the Giants end up in a position to sell, they could be dealing from a position of strength in one regard. FanSided’s Robert Murray cited an American League executive who thinks the Giants’ starting rotation will be the “talk of the trade deadline” if they wind up being a seller.
A league-best 3.21 runs allowed per game, spurred by a high-performing starting rotation filled with one-year contracts, will put team president Farhan Zaidi in a position to cash in a on a general premium for pitching at the trade deadline. But that assumes the Giants fall off and embrace being a deadline seller between now and late-July, which is hardly guaranteed.
Even if they remain in contention, the Giants could deal from their pitching depth and supplement the rest of the roster. With that in mind, almost regardless of being seen as a buyer or seller, these three pitchers could get attention from other teams as the next couple months go on.