3 of the best trades the SF Giants can make to upgrade the starting rotation

The SF Giants missed out on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Their attention has now turned to Blake Snell. If they miss out on him it will turn to Jordan Montgomery, Shōta Imanaga, and on down the line. 

3 of the best trades the SF Giants can make to upgrade the starting rotation

Let’s imagine a world where the Giants are unable to land any of these free agents. If that is the case, then the Giants will have to make some trades if they want to have a stronger starting rotation going forward. 

The trade market at this time in the offseason remains murky. With free agency still very much ongoing, the players that teams are willing to deal can be a bit of a guessing game.

However, there have been some rumors about several starting pitchers that teams are looking to deal in a trade. 

Plus, the Giants may have an advantage in trade negotiations with other teams because they can deal from their wealth of young pitching prospects in order to make a deal for one of these starting pitchers.

The SF Giants organization and fans alike can agree that the rotation needs to improve if the Giants want any chance at the postseason in 2024. If the free agency woes continue, then the Giants could be forced to deal for one, or more, of the following three pitchers. 

3 of the best trades the SF Giants can make to upgrade the starting rotation

1. Corbin Burnes

Corbin Burnes would be an ideal trade target for the SF Giants. He has been one of the best starters in the National League league for years now as the ace of the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff. He won a Cy Young award in 2021, and his name has been mentioned as a trade candidate this offseason.

Last year with the Brewers, Burnes had a 10-8 record with a 3.39 ERA in 32 games started. He had 200 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.07 in just over 193 innings pitched. 

These numbers are not as good as the previous two years were for Burnes, but they are still exceptional. He has received an All-Star nod each of the last three seasons and is 29 years old. 

One catch is that Burnes will be a free agent after the 2024 season. It is possible that if the Giants traded for him they could work out a long-term deal so they don’t have to worry about him walking away and probably joining the Dodgers in 2025. 

I would say that Burnes would be just as good, if not better, of an acquisition as signing Blake Snell would be. Burnes has a much lower career walk rate and is two years younger than Snell while featuring just as nasty stuff. 

It would likely take some valuable trade pieces to land him, but there is no doubt getting Burnes would be a huge addition to the Giants' rotation. One way or the other, Burnes will be connected to the Giants over the next 12 months. He went to college at Saint Mary's College, which is just about an hour away from Oracle Park.

3 of the best trades the SF Giants can make to upgrade the starting rotation

2. Dylan Cease

The SF Giants could also target White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease for a trade. Cease is a 28-year-old right-hander who has had some solid seasons in the South Side of Chicago.

In 2023, Cease had some struggles as he had a record of 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA in 33 games started. This was a far cry from the 14-8 record and 2.20 ERA he posted in 2022.

It’s possible that opposing hitters simply started to catch on more to Cease last season. 

Perhaps a change of scenery and a new pitching coach is what Cease needs to get back on track.

The Giants certainly have a proven track record of making some tweaks to pitchers who have had success in the past to help them rekindle their former selves. Look no further than Kevin Gausman and Anthony DeSclafani.

It is also worth noting that Cease is not set to become a free agent until after the 2025 season. That means two years of team control on a young starter with a lot of upside. Team control holds a lot of value in trade talks.

Like Burnes, it would probably take one, if not more, of the Giants' young pitching prospects to land Cease. But it may be worth it as they try to shore up their rotation.