It will be fascinating to watch the SF Giants trade deadline in 2022. The Giants lost some ground in the playoff race in June but have been better in July. But they have an older team that’s built to win now.
That being said, they’re going to need some help in a competitive NL West, so who are some of the SF Giants trade targets this summer?
SF Giants trade deadline 2022
As the deadline draws closer, the SF Giants trade rumors are likely to increase, as the front office knows the pressure is on to do something big. But with many trade deadline candidates, who will the Giants target?
The most important thing is to look at what positions the Giants need to address. In the end, the Giants’ trade deadline dealings could determine their season, so let’s look at San Francisco’s biggest needs and what the SF Giants trade deadline in 2022 could look like.
Designated Hitter
More than anything, the SF Giants trade targets this summer need to focus on improving the team’s run production. While it’s somewhat helpful to be able to rotate several players at the DH spot and keep their older roster fresh, the Giants need to start scoring more runs.
At the all-star break, the Giants only had two players with at least 10 home runs. Even if they have seven players with at least eight long balls, the San Francisco lineup is still lacking power in a major way.
Before the Orioles made a run late in the first half of the season, Trey Mancini seemed like a good target, but he may not be available anymore. Fortunately, the Nationals could trade both Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz, and both would be a good fit for the middle of the San Francisco lineup.
If the Rockies are willing to make a trade within the division, C.J. Cron would be a good target for the Giants, as he could play a little first base to keep Brandon Belt fresh while also slotting into the DH spot.
Catcher
Perhaps the most glaring difference between the Giants in 2021 and this year is the absence of Buster Posey. Joey Bart is having the kind of breakout season San Francisco was hoping to get from him. Curt Casali is currently on the IL, but even when he was healthy, he didn’t provide much of an offensive spark.
While defense matters too, an offensively challenged team like the Giants needs to get more offense from that position. That’s why the SF Giants trade deadline in 2022 needs to include a new catcher.
The good news is that Willson Contreras of the Cubs is the perfect solution. He can handle the everyday catching duties in San Francisco while also giving the Giants a huge lift offensively.
The obvious problem is that everyone else wants to acquire Contreras too. The price to trade for him will also be a little steep, especially for a rental player.
If the Giants can’t pull off a trade for Contreras, Oakland’s Sean Murphy could be a fallback option. Either way, finding a new catcher has to be a priority for the Giants at the deadline.
Outfield
On the surface, there isn’t a huge problem with the San Francisco outfield. Joc Pederson was an all-star and provides plenty of power while Austin Slater, Mike Yastrzemski, and Luis Gonzalez are all solid options as well. However, this is still a position where an upgrade could be possible.
Since the Giants don’t have a full-time DH, they could choose to pass on a position-less slugger and instead add another outfielder who could boost their depth and help them add to their DH rotation.
Needless to say, Juan Soto is the talk of the town. Unfortunately, the Giants aren’t the most obvious landing spot for Soto.
But while other teams focus on Soto, the Giants could turn their attention to Kansas City’s Andrew Benintendi, who was an all-star this year. Arizona’s David Peralta or Tyler Naquin and Tommy Pham of the Reds could also be among the SF Giants trade targets, providing Pham can get over his differences with Pederson.
Starting Pitcher
While Logan Webb and Carlos Rodon have led San Francisco’s rotation, those two alone won’t get the Giants to the playoffs, even with Jakob Junis providing a surprising spark. The Giants need to supplement their strong pitching at the deadline because they still don’t have the same rotation depth that the Dodgers and Padres have.
Even if pitching is a strength and not the team’s top priority, the Giants still need to get stronger there.
Of course, all of the Luis Castillo trade news out of Cincinnati indicates that he’ll be traded. He’s the kind of frontline starter who the Giants need to acquire. His teammate Tyler Mahle, Oakland’s Frankie Montas, and Pittsburgh’s Jose Quintana are also among the best starting pitchers who could be moved before the deadline.
The Giants actually had Quintana briefly last season, so there is some familiarity with him.
Bullpen
It’s tough to find a contending team that doesn’t need bullpen help. San Francisco’s bullpen has been reliable for much of the year. But the Giants could use a little more depth, especially since they win a lot of low-scoring games and can’t afford late-game leads to slip away from them.
Fortunately, there are always relievers on the trade block in late July. David Robertson of the Cubs is the biggest name available while Detroit’s Michael Fulmer is looking like a desirable commodity as well.
The Giants appear to be set on left-handed relievers, although Gregory Soto and Andrew Chafin are also good options if San Francisco doesn’t mind being a little too left-hand-heavy in the bullpen.
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