Do the SF Giants still need a bat? Answering MLB's biggest question on the team

A year ago, if you had told me that the Giants would have Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee in their lineup, I would have imagined one of the best offenses in the MLB. Yet the Giants' offense continues to be stagnant, and MLB.com's Mark Feinsand is wondering if the team needs another bat.

Do the SF Giants still need a bat? Answering MLB's biggest question on the team

In his latest article, Feinsand answers the National League's biggest questions heading into trade season. In the Giants case, the question was quite simple. Do the Giants still need another bat?

"Given the tight race in the NL West and Wild Card races, adding another bat might be necessary if the Giants want to play meaningful games into the fall," wrote Feinsand.

He went on to speculate that catcher or the outfield would make the most sense for the team to upgrade. It seems clear that of any position, catcher is most in need of support. The Giants' catchers rank last in the NL in OPS and are 20th in the MLB with 1.0 combined fWAR.

The problem for San Francisco is that there are few good catchers who would be available at the trade deadline. There are seven teams who look like they will be selling at the deadline. The Athletics like their young catcher, Shae Langeliers and likely would not consider a trade. The Nationals have the worst group of catchers in baseball, with -1.4 fWAR. Pittsburgh is not far behind, with just 0.7 combined fWAR from their catchers.

Colorado's Hunter Goodman has been a surprising bright spot for the Rockies, but in just his third year, it is hard to imagine the team considering a trade this early in his career. The same is true of the White Sox, who have employed a pair of rookies. Both Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel have been productive in Chicago, but neither will be on the market in their first season.

That leaves two trade partners for the Giants. Baltimore and Miami. The Orioles might make the most sense. Adley Rutschman is not going anywhere, but Baltimore's backup catcher, Gary Sanchez, has enjoyed a nice 2025 up to this point. He's slashing .247/.316/.447 in 28 games, with five home runs, 24 runs batted in and 13 runs scored. Best of all, the veteran is on a one-year contract and would be cheap to acquire. While he lacks defensive value, his bat would be a nice presence in the back of the Giants' lineup.

Finally, Miami, which might be the most exciting trade partner for the Giants, if they are willing to sell. Miami is 8-2 in their last ten games, and has climbed back into fringe-contention for the NL Wild Card. If they do sell, however, they have a pair of players that could excite the Giants.

Outfielder Kyle Stowers could be on the trade block this summer. The 27-year-old is enjoying a breakout season, with a 137 OPS+, and will likely be Miami's representative at the All-Star game. Yet, the team might decide to capitalize on his success and trade him while his value is high. They could package him with another breakout player, rookie catcher Liam Hicks.

Hicks is enjoying a solid season of his own, with a 119 OPS+. However, he's been overshadowed by fellow rookie catcher Agustin Ramirez, who is younger and was a more hyped prospect than Hicks, a ninth round pick.

Trading for Hicks and Stowers would not be cheap, but if the Giants could put together an enticing enough package of prospects, they could add two players in the midst of strong seasons with multiple years of control in the future. While most teams would not think about trading away a rookie catcher and breakout outfielder, the Marlins are not most teams. Miami may not believe in the long-term sustainability of Hicks and Stowers, and might look to cash in now.

The bottom line is that while trade partners remain low, the Giants need to do something to improve their team. If not, it is hard to see this team making a deep postseason run.