SF Giants: 5 controllable MLB trade deadline targets

The SF Giants are still leading the National League West into the first week of June. With one of the best records in MLB, it’s clear they are legitimate playoff contenders. While they have been in the wild-card hunt in the previous two seasons, the Giants have never been so clearly in the race under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. For the first time during his tenure, they are unequivocally positioned to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline.

Many options will be available to San Francisco. With one of the most improved farm systems in the league, the Giants have several high-profile prospects that could help them acquire a top-flight player without entirely gutting their minor league depth. At the same time, Zaidi has prioritized improving the organization’s prospects more than anything else.

The Giants may focus on acquiring proven veterans on expiring deals to strengthen the bullpen for a relatively small cost. However, there will be many young players with years of team control remaining that could become available. If they are interested in making a splash at the deadline, here are five controllable players that could top their list of targets.

5 controllable SF Giants trade targets: 1. Mitch Haniger

While the Giants have plenty of options in their outfield, the front office probably hopes to consolidate their depth at some point. Nearly every player consistently in manager Gabe Kapler’s lineup has severe platoon splits. The Giants seem to always face a roster crunch. That’s partly because the roster is so reliant on players who struggle against same-sided pitchers. Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger could go a long way towards addressing those issues.

A right-handed hitter, Haniger has a career .834 OPS against southpaws and .827 against right-handed pitching. Although he’s primarily played in right, he also has experience at all three outfield positions. While the Mariners have very quickly fallen out of postseason contention, Haniger has been a staple in the middle of their lineup. On the season, he has 14 home runs and a strong .262/.310/.524 triple-slash. Assuming Mike Yastrzemski returns from injury, Haniger or Yaz could easily shift to left field and give the Giants a formidable duo in the outfield corners.

The Mariners do have control of Haniger beyond 2021 through arbitration for one more season. However, set for free agency after 2022, Seattle might consider trying to maximize the prospect return for Haniger this summer. General manager Jerry Dipoto has previously targetted multiple prospect packages, willing to let a team retain its best prospects to get a deal done. That could align well with the Giants, who have a deep farm system but will presumably be unwilling to part with several of their best young pieces.

5 controllable SF Giants trade targets: 2. Byron Buxton

The Minnesota Twins could become one of the most intriguing swing teams at the deadline. While many expected the reigning AL Central champs to once again compete for a playoff spot, the Twins have fallen well behind in the standings, currently tied with the Detroit Tigers for last place in the division at 24-35. Assuming Minnesota does not make a surge up the standings in the coming weeks, they could put some of the most talented players in the league on the trade block.

Plenty of teams around the league will be keeping tabs on center fielder Byron Buxton. Once considered the top prospect in the minor leagues, Buxton’s career has been overshadowed by injuries and high expectations. However, after performing like a glove-first centerfielder early in his career, the former second overall pick has combined his elite outfield defense with legitimate power.

Injuries and the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season have limited Buxton’s opportunities over the past few years, but he has received 528 plate appearances from 2019-2021. Over that period, he is hitting .280/.319/.578 with 43 doubles and 32 home runs. The Giants have received improved contributions from center fielder Steven Duggar. Still, the acquisition of a player like Buxton would upgrade their lineup and could enable Kapler to finish games with some undeniably elite defensive sets across the outfield.

Buxton is currently on the injured list with a hip strain, but he is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment next week. Teams like the Giants should have plenty of time to evaluate his health before making a move at the deadline. Plus, with another year of arbitration before Buxton becomes eligible for free agency, any acquiring team could slot him into their lineup through 2022.

There are some obvious risks with a Buxton trade. After the last deal between the Giants and Twins went so poorly for Minnesota, the Twins front office might request an overpay from Zaidi to pull the trigger. Buxton has never walked at a league-average rate and has a long injury history. Both of those things could quell the Giants interest, but Zaidi is also known for coveting tools. There are few players in MLB with as tantalizing a set of tools as Buxton.

5 controllable SF Giants trade targets: 3. Richard Rodriguez

Any fan clamoring for a proven closer to be higher on this list is perfectly understandable. There is no more glaring need on the Giants roster than in the bullpen. At the same time, relievers on expiring deals are usually in high supply at the trade deadline. If Zaidi is looking for a controllable long-term piece, a player at a more valuable position would likely come first on the front office’s wish list. Nevertheless, if the Giants target a high-leverage reliever for 2021 and beyond, Pittsburgh Pirates closer, Richard Rodriguez would probably top the list of available options.

While the Pirates have been one of the worst teams in MLB, Rodriguez has quietly been one of the league’s most consistent relievers. Rodriguez has struck out 204 batters across 182.1 innings pitched with a 2.86 ERA from 2018-2021. The Pirates moved the right-hander into the closer role this season, and he’s been as effective as ever. In 24.1 innings pitched, he has a career-best 1.85 ERA and 1.95 FIP.

Projected to have one of the weakest rosters in MLB, Pittsburgh has lived down to expectations. The Pirates have quickly fallen to the cellar of the NL Central and have the fourth-worst record in the league at 23-35. Rodriguez turned 31 in March but is under team control through arbitration for two seasons beyond 2021. Clearly amidst a rebuild, the Pirates will definitely entertain offers for their best reliever and could easily pull the trigger on a deal.

Zaidi has made dozens of trades since coming to San Francisco. With that said, he has yet to make a deal primarily for a reliever. The Giants have not been in an obvious position to buy over his tenure, but that could result from his approach to team building. If he is willing to pay a premium price for a reliever, Rodriguez seems like an obvious fit. With the emergence of several pitching prospects throughout the Giants system, perhaps young southpaw like Seth Corry could become an intriguing centerpiece for the rebuilding Pirates.

5 controllable SF Giants trade targets: 4. John Means

John Means has been one of the best stories of the 2021 season. An 11th round selection out of West Virginia in the 2014 draft by the Orioles, Means was never a top prospect in the organization and has gone relatively unnoticed outside of the AL East since debuting in 2018. He did receive an All-Star selection in 2019, but more because of the dearth of talent in Baltimore than anything else. Then, Means threw a no-hitter and put up ace-level numbers in the first two months of this season.

Means has issued just 13 walks in 71 innings while striking out 69 in 2021. A career-low .192 BABIP has helped him keep opponents from crossing the plate and post a 2.28 ERA. He was removed from his most recent start in the first inning and was placed on the injured list with a left shoulder strain. For obvious reasons, how quickly he returns to the field will heavily impact his market this summer.

Your opinion of Means’ future prospects will come down to which metrics you rely on to evaluate a pitcher’s performance. His traditional numbers may be in line with many of the best pitchers in the league, but more advanced statistics suggest he will regress with time. Means has a 4.17 FIP, 3.95 xFIP, and 3.64 ERA in 2021. Historically, Means has consistently outperformed his FIP and xFIP by maintaining low BABIP. With that said, a BABIP around .200 is hard to envision stabilizing.

The Orioles have team control of Means through arbitration for three seasons beyond 2021 and probably should hold onto their best pitcher. Then again, if they are skeptical of Means’ success and concerned about his health, this summer would be the time to put him on the market, assuming he is healthy in July.

It’s hard to envision the Giants getting in a bidding war for the Orioles southpaw. However, with a front office in Baltimore that has tended to value new-age analytics, they may be willing to accept a return more in line with a mid-rotation starter than ace. At that point, assuming Means is healthy, San Francisco could be willing to part with the pieces necessary to add some short and long-term rotation depth.