San Francisco Giants reportedly in on Cole Hamels, David Price with trade deadline closing in

The San Francisco Giants look poised for another World Series run in 2015 if they can improve their squad before the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

One spot that could use improvement is their starting rotation.  The Giants’ starting pitchers rank eighth in the National League in ERA at a 3.86 clip—a mark that is dead last among playoff contenders.

San Francisco may also look to bolster its bench. Other than Justin Maxwell, who strikes out quite a bit, the Giants do not have much pop coming off the bench. They have yet to record a pinch-hit home run all season.

Here are the latest rumors swirling around the Giants ahead of Friday’s trade deadline:

Cole Hamels

Fresh off a no-hitter, Cole Hamels’s stock is on the rise. He had been struggling before Saturday’s no-no, including getting rocked by the Giants before the All-Star break (3.1 IP, 9 ER, 12 hits). His overall numbers are solid. He’s 6-7, with a 3.64 ERA his season, only giving up 113 hits in 128.2 innings pitched. On Sunday morning, Ken Rosenthal tweeted the Giants were one of five teams with the “most recent” interest in Hamels. But Jayson Stark of ESPN writes the Texas Rangers and Dodgers have emerged as favorites to trade for Hamels.

The Giants had scouts watching Hamels’s no-hitter but were described as only doing their “due diligence,” Stark wrote. If the Dodgers land Hamels, the Giants would have to acquire another top-of-the-line starter to compete with their rivals down south.

David Price

David Price inserted into the Giants’ rotation would give them a 1-2 punch comparable to the Los Angeles Dodgers. And according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, it is a possibility. He tweeted Saturday the Giants were interested in Price, but nothing was imminent. The Detroit Tigers sit just 3.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins in the Wild Card, so the Tigers may want to hang on to Price for a playoff run of their own. Price is 9-3, with a 2.31 ERA this season.

On Monday, Stark reaffirmed San Francisco’s interest in both aces:

Michael Morse

A reunion between playoff hero Michael Morse and the Giants may be in the works—and it may actually make sense. According to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, the Giants may be looking to bring Morse back to San Francisco. Although he is having a miserable year in Miami, he could provide power off the bench and be a force as a designated hitter in American League parks—a threat that turned out well for the Giants in the 2014 postseason.

Morse might also be able to spell Brandon Belt at first base once in awhile against a lefty. One thing that’s for sure—you will not see him in the outfield if he comes back to San Francisco.

More rumors are sure to come this week, and the Giants are almost guaranteed to make a move before the deadline. They always do when they’re in the hunt. In 2010, it was a new-look bullpen that fueled the Giants to the title, and one of the relievers—Javier Lopez—was a deadline acquisition. In 2012, it was Marco Scutaro, who went on to be NLCS MVP. And in 2014, it was Jake Peavy who solidified the rotation for the stretch run.

Who will it be in 2015?