Category Archives: Bleacher Report

San Francisco Giants Trade Rumors: 5 Sparkplugs the Giants Should Trade For

 

As July comes to a close, the San Francisco Giants find themselves with a nice lead in the National League West, as a result of their excellent pitching and anemic but timely hitting.

Still, with more than two months left in the season, the Giants brass can’t stand pat. Key trades last season brought Ramon Ramirez and Javier Lopez, relievers who helped make the Giants bullpen as dominant as it was, shutting down the best hitters in the league.

As ravaged by injuries as the Giants have been, there are several holes in the lineup, and the right trade could be just what the Giants need to start hitting and giving their pitchers the support that they need.

Of course, every transaction involves the Giants trading away players and/or taking on salary, and trading for a bat this year could require dealing away some of the Giants’ brightest prospects.

General manager Brian Sabean has announced that the Giants are looking to deal, and might even consider a rental player, but that the talent pool is thin. He also said that there is a no-trade list with “three or four” players they wouldn’t consider trading away.

Still, the Giants do have plenty of assets in the minor leagues, and they have the budget flexibility to take on salary if need be, giving them some options for trades. 

While we can’t know what will happen or who is truly on the trading block, here are five players the Giants should consider trading for at the deadline, in no particular order. Continue reading →

San Francisco Giants: Their Optimal Second-Half Starting Rotation

 

The fact that the San Francisco Giants finished the first half 12 games above .500 is no fluke.

Despite having the third-worst offense in the league based on runs scored and the second-worst offense based on OPS, the defending world champs went into the All-Star break in first place in the NL West, with a healthy three-game lead over the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks.

Three of the Giants’ five All-Stars came from the pitching rotation, which was well-deserved. Through Wednesday’s game, the rotation has a 3.19 ERA and has earned quality starts in 65 out of their 99 starts.

Still, with the Ryan Vogelsong far outperforming expectations and the uncertainty of Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito, the rotation is in a bit of flux.

Here is how I see the ideal starting rotation coming out of the All-Star break. Continue reading →

Brian Wilson and the 5 San Francisco Giants All-Stars: 2nd-Half Projections

The All-Star festivities and merrymaking continue in Arizona, and the San Francisco Giantsare well represented. Just a year after winning the World Series, the defending champs sent five players to the Midsummer Classic, and for good reason.

While only closer Brian Wilson made it through fan votes alone, all five Giants have had first halves worth celebrating.

Starting pitchers Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong lead the stellar pitching staff that has kept the Giants in first place, and nobody can deny how essential their contributions have been. The Giants pitchers as a whole have a 3.20 ERA, third-best in the National League, and lead the league in strikeouts with a whopping 775 (8.1 K/9). 

Wilson, whose personality is as big as his beard, has laid down another season of ninth-inning dominance. While his 3.14 ERA falls short of his numbers last year, he is still tied for second in the league with 26 saves, and he remains a terror on the mound. 

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, the Kung Fu Panda, was a late addition to the team, replacing the injured Placido Polanco on the All-Star roster. Despite missing six weeks when he broke a bone in his hand, Sandoval has emerged as the Giants’ most destructive and reliable hitter, running a 21-game hitting streak into the All-Star break.

While these All-Stars have led their team to a three-game lead going into the break, it remains to be seen at what level they’ll perform for the rest of the year. Here are my projections for their second-half performances. Continue reading →