Latest trade suggests that the SF Giants may not have trouble trading struggling veteran

On Wednesday night, the New York Mets sent veteran pitcher David Peterson to the Chicago Cubs, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Peterson has a 6.09 ERA in 16 appearances, which suggests that the SF Giants may actually have a market for struggling pitcher Tyler Mahle.

The Cubs' rotation has been hit with injuries. This includes recent injuries to Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown. They had to make a move to cover some innings.

In the deal, the Mets received infield prospect Cole Mathis. He was a second-round pick by the club in 2024 out of the College of Charleston. At the time of the deal, Mathis was ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the Cubs' system. That system has thinned out in recent years due to promotions and trades.

While Peterson had a rough ERA, there were other indicators to suggest that he had pitched better than that. This includes a 3.85 FIP. Plus, he posted a healthy 51.1 percent ground ball rate. Peterson is earning $8.1 million in his final trip through arbitration.

The 30-year-old pitcher's profile is not too dissimilar to Tyler Mahle. Mahle joined the Giants on a one-year, $10 million pact. That type of contract should be relatively easy to move at the trade deadline.

Depsite Tyler Mahle's rough numbers, the latest trade shows that the SF Giants might still have a market

However, Mahle's performance has presented a potential obstacle to his trade market. He has pitched to a 5.49 ERA, 4.69 FIP, 1.46 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, and a 2.34 SO/W rate across 62.1 innings. This includes a strong start against the A's in his return from the injured list. He received a no-decision after completing 5.2 scoreless frames in a 2-1 win over the A's.

The 10-year veteran has generally put up quality numbers throughout his career. His stint with the Giants has been unusually poor, but prospective trade partners often place more weight on recent performance when looking to make a move.

If Mahle can string together more solid outings like the one he put up against the A's, it should help his trade market. Even if he does not fully recover from his slow start, there should be some pitcher-needy teams interested.

The Giants had hoped that Mahle would be a good value addition to the starting rotation. It has not exactly played out that way, but they could still realize some value if they can swing a deal in the next six weeks. Plus, moving Mahle should open up a rotation spot for a younger pitcher to get a look.

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