4 last minute deals that the SF Giants need to get done before the trade deadline

Justin Verlander is an unlikely, but exciting trade option for the Giants

The Giants' starting rotation has been pretty good for the most part, but some weaknesses have been exposed over the course of the 2023 season. Alex Wood looks great when he is on, but he is on less and less these days and his durability is a real question mark. Anthony DeSclafani has been a little better than Wood this year, but he just hit the injured list with a dreaded elbow strain.

As a result, the Giants are looking pretty thin in their rotation especially with top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison dealing with an injury as well. The smart and maybe most likely thing to happen is for San Francisco to target a lower level rental arm to hold them over until they can get some guys healthy. However, one option that has at least been discussed that would be particularly spicy is trading for Mets ace Justin Verlander.

Verlander's reputation precedes him and he is without question the most accomplished pitcher that is potentially available on the trade market. The start of the 2023 season was pretty rough for him, but he has looked much better lately and would immediately upgrade any rotation that he was added to.

The problem with pushing for Verlander at the last minute is going to be cost. Not only would the Giants have to think long and hard about their payroll if they were to add Verlander given that he is making north of $43 million a year, but the prospect cost would also be substantial to convince the Mets to give him up. Getting a package that both sides would feel good about and then securing Verlander's blessing to waive his no-trade clause won't be easy, so this may be a pipe dream albeit a fun one.