3 players the SF Giants should target if the Blue Jays decide to sell

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With the Toronto Blue Jays' playoff hopes dwindling as they sit in fifth place with a 41-49 record, they look more and more like sellers. The SF Giants will have a close look at them as they come into town for a three-game series. If Toronto does sell, who should the Giants target?

3 players the SF Giants should target if the Blue Jays decide to sell

The question isn't if they'll be selling, but when and whether or not players controlled beyond 2024 will be available. The Blue Jays want to keep this group together, but with little time remaining general manager Ross Atkins admitted to Keegan Thompson of MLB.Com, “We’ve obviously put ourselves into a tough spot,” and adds “if we get to a point where we need to adjust, we’ll be prepared to do so.”

The Blue Jays seem more resigned to the fact that they may need to sell than they did a month ago. The extent of the sale will be fascinating to watch over the next few weeks.

1. Yimi Garcia

The options for Blue Jays players with expiring deals remain sparse, however. Of those expiring contracts, Yimi García should intrigue the Giants most. With the amount SF has struggled on the mound this season the 33-year-old righty makes sense. Though the sample size is small, his 0.78 WHIP is astonishing and his career mark of 1.05 would place him amongst the best in the NL.

The Giants certainly have a need for bullpen help. They lead baseball wiuth 379.2 innings pitched by the bullpen in 2024. Though, that number is skewed to some extent with the use of bulk-innings pitchers. That said, they have struggled to the 4.34 ERA. Bullpen help is an area nearly every team looks to address at the trade deadline.

García checks that box. He has a 2.57 ERA in 27 outings with the Blue Jays. In parts of 10 seasons, he has posted a 3.53 ERA. The veteran pitcher would immediately become a leverage arm in the bullpen.

3 players the SF Giants should target if the Blue Jays decide to sell

2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Opening the window for trade talks with Blue Jays players controlled beyond the 2024 season is where things get really interesting. In addition to their All-Star fathers, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. share plenty in common. Both All-Star infielders are set to become FA following the 2025 season and carry a 2.9 average yearly WAR.

Guerrero Jr. might be a tougher fit given that the Giants have LaMonte Wade Jr. entrenched as the team's first baseman with Jorge Soler at DH. Soler is signed through the 2026 season, so that role is fairly inflexible at this point in time.

That said, Guerrero Jr. is in the midst of another solid campaign at the plate. He is slashing .295/.370/.460 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI in 389 plate appearances. There is no doubt that he would make the Giants' lineup better. The question will be cost. Trading for a player of his caliber with more than one season of control will likely result in at least one of the team's top prsopects being moved. That may be tough to digest, but it is the cost of upgrading the roster.

3. Bo Bichette

While Guerrero Jr. may not be an obvious fit to the roster, Bo Bichette would be. He plays shortstop and has typically been an above-average hitter at the plate. The Giants have a need at shortstop with Nick Ahmed and Brett Wisely sharing the duties.

That said, Bichette is in the middle of a disappointing 2024 campaign. The two-time All-Star has posted a .606 OPS with four home runs in 322 plate appearances. That said, he has a career .800 OPS, so he is better than what his numbers currently say.

Cost will be the same issue with Bichette as it is for Guerrero. Players of his caliber with team control beyond this season will cost quite a bit. Though, he would address a need for the Giants.

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