Giants: Pros and cons of trading veteran starter Jeff Samardzija

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Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Con #1: An even worse starting rotation

The Giants rotation is already a clear weakness. Trading Samardzija would weaken the rotation even further.

With Samardzija gone, the only proven starter in the rotation would be Cueto, and he is still something of a question mark himself just four starts and 16 innings removed from Tommy John surgery.

Presumably, Kevin Gausman would be the No. 2 starter in the rotation if Samardzija were moved, which is a sentence that makes the stomach churn.

On the bright side, the Giants would have a plethora of options to fill the other three rotation spots. Veterans Drew Smyly or Tyson Ross were signed to one-year deals to compete with the younger guys mentioned in the previous slide, so there is a decent amount of depth.

Still, a Samardzija-less rotation is undoubtedly worse for the Giants in 2020. It’s already going to be a long season, and that would only make things feel even longer.