Mock SF Giants trade with Detroit Tigers would land former No. 1 overall pick

According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, many teams are interested in SF Giants reliever Camilo Doval. One of these teams is the Detroit Tigers which could set up a swap that would bring back a former No. 1 overall pick.

This SF Giants mock trade with Detroit Tigers would land power-hitting first baseman

Here is what Slusser had to say about interest for Doval: "Interest in Doval across MLB is strong, with many teams, including some contenders, needing help in the back end of the bullpen, with an improved Detroit Tigers team among them."

It was not that long ago when Camilo Doval was thought of as one of the best closers in the National League. Yet, he struggled in 2024 to the tune of a 4.88 ERA and he lost the closer role to Ryan Walker. It could have just been one outlier year, but the Giants may decide it is time to move on.

Another player who has been mentioned as a potential Giants trade candidate is first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. Wade has been a solid Giant but his power numbers have declined and he has dealt with injuries the last few years. First base definitely seems like an area the Giants could upgrade.

The Giants are also reportedly planning to cut payroll which may be tough to do after they signed shortstop Willy Adames to a record-breaking seven-year $182 million contract.

However, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic notes that the Giants could still add a starter like Corbin Burnes but then trim at the margins to come in under last year's payroll: "Adding Adames’ $26 million average annual value would put the Giants’ estimated cash-basis payroll at roughly $170 million. If the Giants seek to trim in other areas, they could trade one or more of their arbitration-eligible players (LaMonte Wade Jr. and Camilo Doval among them)."

So, keeping all of that in mind, let's craft a trade between the Giants and Tigers that would shed some payroll for the Giants while also bringing back some interesting players.

San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers MOCK TRADE: Giants send 1B LaMonte Wade and RP Camilo Doval to the Tigers in exchange for 1B Spencer Torkelson and RP Tyler Holton

Spencer Torkelson was born in Petaluma, California which is about an hour north of San Francisco. Drafted first overall in the 2020 MLB Draft by Detroit, he had a solid 2023 season, slashing .233/.313/.446 with 31 home runs and 94 RBI. He followed that up with a disappointing 2024 campaign that saw him get demoted to Triple-A midseason.

He was called back up later in the year and finished the season slashing .219/.295/.374 with 10 homers and 37 RBI. Those are not the greatest numbers for a guy many thought would be a superstar. But perhaps a return to the Bay Area is what he needs to get back on track.

Of course, some may wonder what the Giants would do if top prospect Bryce Eldridge began forcing the issue in Triple-A especially since first base is his primary position. If Eldridge does start tearing it up in Triple-A, the Giants could simply move Torkelson to the designated hitter spot in the lineup if he is hitting well or they could demote him to the minors or trade him if he is struggling.

Plus, the Giants would still have Wilmer Flores as an insurance option at first base if Torkelson struggles. Or, the Giants could opt for a Flores/Torkelson platoon.

The left-handed relief pitcher Tyler Holton would be a nice get for the Giants as well. He had a 2.11 ERA in 59 appearances in 2023 and a 2.19 ERA in 66 appearances in 2024. He was one of the relievers who played a key part in helping the Tigers make their surprise postseason appearance in 2024. He would be a nice left-handed addition to the bullpen and would give manager Bob Melvin another option besides Taylor Rogers and Erik Miller.

Now, down to the payroll situation. If this trade was executed, the Giants would be sending Wade's estimated salary of $4.3 million for 2025, according to sportrac.com, along with Doval's estimated $2.9 million to Detroit while taking on Tokelson's estimated $800,000 and Holton's estimated $800,000. That means the Giants would be saving roughly $5.6 million on payroll in 2025 based on those estimates.

This could be a good trade for the Giants. They could be getting something of a reclamation project in Torkelson while moving on from Wade and would be getting a solid reliever in Holton in exchange for Doval who may be on the decline. All the while, they would be cutting payroll which could give them enough wiggle room to land Corbin Burnes. Sounds like a good trade to me.