Other young starting pitchers SF Giants may be willing to trade after Kai-Wei Teng

The SF Giants swung a trade last night that sent starting pitcher Kai-Wei Teng to the Houston Astros in exchange for catching prospect Jancel Villarroel. What other young pitchers might the Giants be willing to trade before the season begins?

The Teng trade came as a bit of a surprise since he showed some promise last season and since the Giants will probably have to rely on their young starting pitching depth this season with the rotation they currently have.

Last season, Teng had an ugly 6.37 ERA in 30 innings pitched, but he did strike out 39 batters and had some solid outings. Still, the Giants needed some more catching depth so the move makes sense.

But if the Giants were willing to trade Teng, what other young starting pitchers might they be willing to deal before the season begins?

Which young starters are the SF Giants willing to deal?

Carson Whisenhunt

Currently the top pitching prospect in the organization, Whisenhunt had a brief stint with the Giants in 2025 and was inconsistent. He had a 5.01 ERA in five starts and his changeup, which was dominant for him in the minors, seemingly betrayed him against big league hitters.

The Giants reportedly have dangled Whisenhunt both in their pursuit of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan and Washington Nationals infielder CJ Abrams so it seems clear they would be willing to part with him in the right deal.

If they keep him, he could be a pitcher who gets the call when a starter goes down with an injury.

Hayden Birdsong

After last season, the Giants probably aren't sure what to make of Hayden Birdsong. He began the year looking dominant in a relief role before transitioning into the rotation. That is when problems with command started popping up and he ended the season in Triple-A.

He has made some mechanical tweaks this offseason which should hopefully get him turned around. His raw stuff is undeniable so the Giants would probably want to hold onto him if they can, but if a team like the Cardinals really wanted him in a trade for Donovan the Giants would not hesitate to deal him.

Carson Seymour

Seymour made his big league debut in 2025 and had a 4.75 ERA in 36 innings. He is not as highly touted as a Whisenhunt or Birdsong but he flies under the radar with his high velocity sinker. He could be a starter going forward but maybe the Giants would be wise to try him out as a reliever to see how that works especially with the bullpen being up in the air right now.

They probably wouldn't be able to get a ton for him in a trade so it may be worth it to keep him unless he is part of a larger package.

The Giants can trade from their young starting pitcher depth if they want, but given the tenuous state of the rotation it is probably wise to hold onto most of these guys as insurance options entering 2026.