San Francisco Giants Should Be Competing, Not Losing in Final Month

Even though they are out of the playoff picture, the San Francisco Giants need to find ways to compete in the final month of the season.

It seems so obvious, but based on recent performances I would see it needs to be repeated again. The San Francisco Giants need to show that they can compete down the stretch.

They have the chance to play spoiler and ruin somebody’s season, but right now they are just a rug mat for those looking to get into the postseason. All but two series left on their schedule (both against the San Diego Padres) are against teams vying for a playoff spot.

But beyond that, you want to go into the offseason with a sense of hope. This is like a glorified Spring Training because you’re getting meaningful at-bats or innings against teams that are actually trying to win.

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The performances of these young players right now will tell me much more than any at-bat next spring. These guys should go to the plate like their jobs depend on it, because in all likelihood that could very well be the case.

The direction of the San Francisco Giants is very uncertain going into the offseason. While I for one believe they should blow it up and start over by developing a strong farm system, this front office could just try and reload again in the offseason.

For guys like Chris Shaw and Austin Slater, it’s their chance to prove they can be everyday players for the San Francisco Giants. And if the Giants do try to reload, these guys could prove to be valuable trade assets this offseason if they perform well down the stretch.

Even veterans like Joe Panik, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford need to prove why they should stick around as part of the core of this team.

Will some better health, the top three of the San Francisco Giants starting rotation should be set next year (and barring any offseason moves, obviously).

With that being the case, these will be very meaningful starts down the stretch for Andrew Suarez, Dereck Rodriguez, and Chris Stratton.

Even someone like Derek Holland should be fully invested down the stretch as he tries to earn a big paycheck this offseason.

There is no reason for this team to play like it has lately losing four in a row — including a series to the lowly New York Mets. I completely expect this team and these players to be more competitive down the stretch.