San Francisco Giants: Changes the team should make to keep up its winning ways

Aug 4, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro (19) smiles against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Make a splash before the MLB trade deadline

The Giants have maintained their core group of players through their dynasty, but making a big pickup at the deadline has also been a constant. In 2010, it was Javier Lopez to shore up the bullpen. Jake Peavy came over in 2014 to do the same to the rotation. 2012 brought in two of the team’s top hitters in Hunter Pence and soon-to-be NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro.

This year, the team will almost certainly look to add a difference-maker in one or more of the following areas: rotation, bullpen, outfield and bench. The player(s) they ultimately pick up could be the caliber of a Pence, but could just as easily be another Scutaro or Cody Ross type that comes up clutch when the games matter most.

I realize that leaves things pretty open-ended, so for a full rundown of who the Giants are actually targeting, give this trade deadline tracker a look-see. Spoiler alert: It’s still a long list, so let me condense it down for you.

Big-name targets: David Price, Cole Hamels, James Shields. Jeff Samardzija, Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel, Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes, Carlos Gomez

Lesser (but likelier) targets: Gerardo Parra, Rajai Davis, Marlon Byrd, Michael Morse, Martin Prado, Mike Leake and a few others.

Stay tuned.