3 Rockies relievers who the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

The SF Giants bullpen got off to a rough start in 2023, but they have been better lately as they have posted a 2.90 ERA since the start of May. Bullpen help is not a huge need, but it is something that competitive teams look to bolster at the deadline. Could a division rival help them out?

3 Rockies relievers who the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

According to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, the Colorado Rockies are generating plenty of interest in their veteran relievers. The Rockies are off to a disastrous start as they have a 34-55 record while sitting comfortably in last place in a tough NL West.

The lens should shift to future seasons soon enough if it has not happened already. The bullpen market does not generally yield huge returns and that trend continued recently. Nevertheless, the Rockies should still look at ways to better position future rosters.

They have a couple of interesting position players in C.J. Cron or Randall Grichuk, but no one is going to yield significant returns. The most interesting players they have to trade do pitch out of the bullpen. With that in mind, who could be of interest to San Francisco?

1. Brent Suter

Brent Suter is likely the best reliever that the Rockies are willing to trade. He is currently on the injured list, but when healthy, he has been one of the Rockies' best relievers. The lefty reliever has registered a 2.81 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, and a 2.36 SO/W ratio in 31 appearances this season.

This includes only two home runs allowed across 41.2 innings while playing half of his games in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. The Giants have two solid bullpen options from the left side including Taylor Rogers and Scott Alexander, but they do not currently have a reliable lefty pitcher in the rotation, so they can mitigate some of that need by adding another southpaw.

Suter signed a one-year, $3 million contract last winter, so he would be a rental. Contract status will be a factor as teams generally target rentals at the trade deadline because the financial and prospect cost is lower than if they had multiple years of team control.

This is why someone like Daniel Bard probably is not available. The 38-year-old is under contract through the 2024 season and has tallied a 1.82 ERA in 28 games for the Rockies in 2023.

3 Rockies relievers who the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

2. Brad Hand

Speaking of lefty relievers, have I mentioned that the Giants could use another? The left side of the bullpen consists of Taylor Rogers and Scott Alexander. Sean Manaea and Alex Wood have either pitched out of the rotation or in a bulk innings role, but neither one has been consistently reliable.

Can the Giants find a lefty starter on the trade market? There is a St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitcher who makes a lot of sense, but he will be in demand. The Giants can mitigate some of that need by adding a bullpen arm who throws from the left side.

Brad Hand checks that box. The veteran reliever has put together a solid career as he has posted a 3.66 ERA across 13 seasons. Earlier in his career, he was one of the more reliable closers in baseball, but save opportunities have dried up in recent seasons.

That said, Hand has put together a quality season as he has registered a 4.76 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.55 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, and a 2.43 SO/W ratio in 32 appearances. The 33-year-old is not a power pitcher, relying primarily on a slider that gets plenty of swinging strikes.

That would bring a bit of a slightly different look than someone like Taylor Rogers, who flashes better velocity in comparison. Hand has a $7 million team option for next season. While it would be nice to add a reliever with multiple years of control, that might be too steep of a cost for most teams, making him a rental in essence.