2 SF Giants trade rumors we hope come true, 1 we hope doesn't happen

The MLB trade deadline is just a couple days away and the San Francisco Giants have been decidedly quiet. That isn't particularly unusual as not every team is like the Angels and Rangers who are seemingly in on every trade candidate on the market. A lot of teams just prefer to operate in the shadows and wait for the right time and opportunity to strike.

However, this trade deadline is a bit unique with the lack of available players. There are so many teams that are theoretically in contention for a playoff spot and that has meant players that could normally be had in trade just aren't being made available. Combine that with some teams that are so bad that they don't have talent worth trading for and you have a trade market heavily slanted in the few sellers' favor and a pretty serious lack of supply overall.

Fortunately, the Giants do seem to be motivated to improve and have the resources to do so. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks almost certainly won't be quiet at the deadline and Farhan Zaidi and co. know that. With the Giants needing to adding some pitching help and looking for potential upgrades across the roster, they are already connected to some pretty interesting names.

Here are 2 SF Giants rumors we hope happen and 1 we would prefer not

The Giants are one of those teams that prefer to have their intentions remain under wraps when possible. Sure, when they were after high profile guys like Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, their interest was going to leak out, but they generally run a pretty tight ship. However, there have been some whispers connecting them to some players that certainly don't seem like just idle jabbering from writers trying to fill column inches.

Let's take a look at a couple Giants rumors that would be sweet to see happen and one that the Giants should probably pass on.

The Giants trading for Justin Verlander would be amazing, but costly

It pretty much goes without saying that Justin Verlander carries with him the level of star power that is normally not available at the trade deadline. His track record of being one of the best pitchers of this generation is unimpeachable and with the Mets clearly accepting the fact that 2023 is a lost cause with their move to send Max Scherzer to the Rangers, Verlander could also be on the move.

Verlander isn't just a sexy name to mention out of the blue. For at least a week now, the Giants have been reported as interested in Verlander's services by Jon Morosi and others. San Francisco has the prospects to get that level of deal done if they wanted to and are certainly close enough on paper to make a deep playoff run to be motivated to explore it.

Getting Verlander would give the Giants the impact rotation arm that they desperately want especially if JV's recent strong run of play continues. While 2023 did not start off great for Verlander, he has looked like his vintage Cy Young winning self the last couple of months. The rest of the starting pitching market is looking pretty grim right now especially with Jordan Montgomery and Lucas Giolito already being dealt, so Verlander may be the Giants' best shot at getting a high ceiling arm.

There are a couple wrinkles in this plan for the Giants. First and foremost, Verlander would be expensive both in terms of prospects and money. He is making north of $43 million this year and in 2024 and has a vesting option at $35 million for 2025 which is a lot of dollars for an older pitcher and a lot of team control which boosts his trade value.

Second, the Mets may prefer to keep him because of that very team control in the event that they try to retool their roster quickly and try and compete next season. Steven Cohen needs to get SOMETHING for all of that money he has spent after all. Finally, Verlander has a full no-trade clause that he would have to waive before any deal could happen and it is unclear as to whether or not he would do so.

Alex Wood getting traded at the deadline could signal some big changes for the Giants

It is certainly weird to include a rumor here where the Giants trade away a player at a trade deadline when they should be buyers, but bear with us. Alex Wood may be loaded with talent, but there is no denying that he has some durability concerns and his production on the mound the last couple of years has been pretty disappointing. His 4.75 ERA this season isn't terrible per se, but his peripherals are worse than that with severe regression in his strikeout and walk rates being particularly notable.

As a pending free agent, Wood is ideally suited to be a guy that the Giants could deal at the trade deadline while still being buyers. He isn't producing at a particularly high level and if the Giants were to add a starter in a trade, it is Wood's job that could be on the chopping block anyways. Fortunately, it does seem like there is real interest in Wood from around the league, although specifics on which teams have been pretty sparse so far.

If the Giants hang on to Alex, that probably means that they aren't going to make a substantial addition in their rotation and will have him around as, at minimum, an insurance policy. That could be the right decision given how gross the rumored prices are for starting pitching on the trade market right now.

However, if the Giants were willing and able to move Wood for a decent return (albeit for a rental), it would get his money off the books for 2023 and also could tell us something about their plans. Moving Wood would likely mean that the Giants were going to make a real upgrade in their starting rotation and if that comes to pass, San Francisco could benefit from both sides of the market.

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