Four young players that the SF Giants could leverage in trade talks

Going into the 2026 offseason, it is widely known that the SF Giants need to make improvements. The bullpen needs to be overhauled. You can never have too much starting pitching. And, hey, Kyle Tucker is available to play right field.

Four young players that the SF Giants could leverage in trade talks

Entering their second offseason, Buster Posey’s front office must build on an aggressive season plus of moves, acquiring or extending top talent and leadership like Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers.

However, Giants fans are still a bit shy about getting too excited about this year’s crop of free agents, as they’ve been burned too many times before (Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, et al). Which brings up the question, if the Giants are the bridesmaids once again this offseason and miss out on key free agent targets, who can they leverage for the next best thing: acquiring talent through trades? Here are four players on the active roster that could possibly fetch some upgrades to both pitching and the lineup…

1. DREW GILBERT

“But we just got the guy! And he is an energy that we need!” Tell that to fan favorite Hunter Pence, whom the Giants let go twice. Energy itself is not enough, and while Gilbert is fun to watch in the dugout, his passion and solid defense could be a great flip to another team for relief pitching help if the Giants decide they saw enough of him in the last month of the season and go after a different right fielder of the future.

2. HELIOT RAMOS

After bursting onto the scene in 2024, Ramos took a significant step back in 2025. While still showing flashes at the plate of what earned him an All-Star nod last season, Ramos struggled mightily both in the field (-8 defensive runs saved) and on the base paths (multiple highlight reel level mental errors).

Ramos' bat, like most of the team, was also incredibly inconsistent, seeing a fall of 64 OPS points from last season. He can still show the pop that earned him over 20 homers for the second season in a row, though, and another team could take the chance that he regains his all-star form if the Giants decide to resume their almost two-decade-long revolving door in left field.

3. CASEY SCHMITT

The Giants may have found their second baseman of the future in Schmitt. He continues to improve in all aspects of his game and was able to muster positive DRS and OPS+ metrics in 2025.

Schmitt is easily a major-league-ready defensive third baseman or shortstop, but with Chapman and Adames locking down that side of the diamond, Schmitt won’t have any playing time there aside from injuries. Second base is also not a deep position in the major leagues, and the Giants could decide to take their chances with prospects or other additions and let him go for the right price to a team looking to move him back to his more natural positions on the left side of the infield.

4. PATRICK BAILEY

Bailey might win his second consecutive Gold Glove this offseason. However, aside from a memorable and historical inside-the-park homer, Bailey struggled on the offensive side of the field. With ABS coming to the league next year, his value as a pitch framer could drop, and if the Giants see enough potential wrinkles in his defensive profile, Bailey could be a valuable chip to move now.

The Giants could go in a more offensive direction at the position for the future. Throwing out runners effectively is valuable, but the Giants need more consistency in the lineup, and Bailey’s defensive track record could value him high enough to acquire both.