San Francisco Giants: Full review of the 2019 MLB trade deadline
San Francisco Giants Acquired: 2B Scooter Gennett, Cash
Cincinnati Reds Acquired: Player to be named later or cash
This was the only move that fell squarely in the “buy” category for the Giants. They acquired a 29-year-old former All-Star at a position of need, and while the player to be named later is unknown, the odds are it won’t be much more than a system player.
Of course, that omits a pretty substantial part of the story. Since suffering a severe groin injury towards the end of spring training, Scooter Gennett has been virtually unplayable in Cincinnati.
That said, Gennett is not far removed from being one of the best second basemen in baseball. He hit a combined 50 home runs in 2017 and 2018, and if he regains his old form, the Giants lineup would immediately become a lot stronger.
The Giants have a left-handed hitting, underperforming, former All-Star second baseman of their own in Joe Panik, and this acquisition calls his future into question.
In the end, it’s a low-risk move for the Giants, while the Reds save a little cash.