Few teams have struggled more this season than the San Francisco Giants. They are currently 29-43, sitting in fourth place in the NL West, and are eight and a half games out of the final wild card spot. The only reason they are not in last place is that they share a division with the Colorado Rockies, who have the worst record in baseball. A large reason for this struggle is that they have been unable to drive in runs. They have only scored 296 runs, which is the seventh fewest in the league.
With such a disastrous start to the season, the Giants’ front office has decided to wave the white flag. Reports are emerging that the team is leaning towards trading some of their veterans at the upcoming trade deadline. While it’s not the news that their fans were hoping for, this is the right direction for the organization. It is now up to Buster Posey to make the right deals and bring in the right players to help the Giants be successful in the future. But who is on the trading block, and what could their potential returns be?
Who Can the Giants Get in Return for Their Veterans?
The most valuable asset the Giants have on their trade block is Matt Chapman. Sure, Logan Webb would net them the best return, but he will not be made available. So Chapman is the most valuable guy the Giants can move. He is currently having a solid season, slashing .261/.348/.414 with seven home runs, 39 RBIs, and a 119 OPS+. He’s also under contract for the next four seasons. Although he is 33 years old, he can probably land the Giants a couple of decent prospects. None that are game-changing, but guys who could become solid MLB players.
After Chapman, Robbie Ray is the next trade chip they should be pushing to move. Sure, Ray has not been dominant this season. In 73 1/3 innings, he has a 4.41 ERA with 66 strikeouts to 36 walks, a 1.391 WHIP, and a 90 ERA+. But what gives Ray value is the starting pitching that’s available at the deadline. Outside of Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta, the starters market at the deadline seems thin. There is also a good chance that Skubal and Peralta are not moved. There is a chance that Ray could be the most valuable starter at the deadline, which would drive his value up and allow the Giants to get a better return than they should.
Luis Arrarez can also be someone that the Giants look to move. Out of anyone the Giants can move, his numbers are the best. In 69 games, he has slashed .319/.352/.435 with two home runs, 29 RBIs, and a 125 OPS+. Although these numbers look good, the league does not value contact hitters like they use to. It’s likely that they will not get much in return. They will likely get only one prospect with some upside, and another who will likely never make the bigs. But with him being a free agent at the end of the season, it’s worth it.
But the most interesting decision the Giants will make is what they will do with Willy Adames and Rafael Devers. Both these players were supposed to be the faces of the franchise. However, they have not lived up to expectations and have struggled this season. They also have a huge contract that seems like an albatross right now. If the Giants decide to trade them, they will be getting pennies on the dollar and basically just be salary dump trades. It might be smarter to just keep them and hope they can turn it around.
Although it is not what the Giants envisioned for the 2026 season, it is the best course for the team’s future. If Posey is able to make the right moves, the Giants can return to contention soon.
