7 St. Louis Cardinals the SF Giants should target at the trade deadline

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The SF Giants, despite the pre-season predictions find themselves well in the hunt for a playoff spot in the National League as the second half of the season gets underway, but if they do want to be seen as genuine contenders, they'll need to make some big time moves.

7 St. Louis Cardinals the SF Giants should target at the trade deadline

One team that have now officially declared themselves sellers at the trade deadline are the St. Louis Cardinals, and while San Francisco may not be able to get to any of their top prospects or biggest stars, that doesn't mean the two can't come together on a deal.

So while not all of these players will be on the Giants radar, there are plenty of names to look out for, with the following seven players being genuine names the Giants should be looking towards at the trade deadline.

1. Tyler O'Neill

This one would be a very cheap move for the Giants, as O'Neill has struggled to stay healthy since his breakout season with St. Louis back in 2021, but when healthy, he could no doubt provide the team the power and the thump in the middle of the lineup they've been looking for.

If the Giants do target O'Neill, it's likely to be as a secondary piece in a much bigger trade, but given his potential as a bench piece going forward, the Giants would be silly to not at least take a look at him in a move.

If he's one of the biggest moves for the Giants this deadline period, the fans will no doubt be underwhelmed, but if they can add him for the rest of the season as a power bat off the bench, it could turn out to be a stroke of genius.

2. Nolan Gorman

If the Giants are still in playoff position when the trade deadline winds down, they should be looking for win-now pieces, but if they want to look to the future at the same time, then infielder Nolan Gorman could be a very realistic possibility.

The 23-year old is in just his second season at the big league level, but has already developed into a crucial part of the Cardinals lineup, hitting .229 with 17 home runs and 52 RBI in his 81 games thus far in 2023.

It's unlikely St. Louis will look to trade the middle infielder, but if they don't get their ideal offers on other infielders, then moving young Gorman could be the way to get the best package from a talented Giants prospect pool.

3. Jordan Montgomery

It's no secret that the SF Giants have struggled on the mound this season, and while they've got consistent performances from Logan Webb and All-Star Alex Cobb, the depth beyond that has left plenty to be desired.

Most Giants fans will be looking to land big names at the deadline to fix the issue, but if Farhan Zaidi wants to continue building this young core, they may be looking for a solid, not flashy move instead, which could be the best way to describe Jordan Montgomery.

In 18 starts this year, the 30-year old veteran has put together a 6-7 record with a 3.23 ERA, and while it wouldn't be the splash that some are expecting, he could be a solid option to fill a role in the back end of the rotation as the Giants look to make a playoff push.

Given that Montgomery is slated to hit free agency this offseason, it seems like that he will be traded before the deadline.

4. Paul DeJong

The SF Giants as mentioned are looking at potentially filling a role on the infield for the rest of this season due to the injury to Thairo Estrada, so why not look at a proven veteran who's solid at the plate and in the field.

While Paul DeJong has mainly played shortstop throughout his career, the hope here would be that he could transition to second base and play the veteran role alongside Brandon Crawford following years of solid playoff performances.

In 64 games this season, DeJong is hitting .231 with 12 home runs and 29 RBI, and while he wouldn't be a key piece in the middle of this lineup, he would be a solid option for the remainder of the year, especially if the team look to make a deep playoff run.

7 St. Louis Cardinals the SF Giants should target at the trade deadline

5. Jordan Hicks

While this is the lowest on the Giants' list of needs, adding yet another flamethrower to a bullpen that's been dominated by Tyler Rogers, Taylor Rogers as well as Camilo Doval, he could add another level of depth to this unit.

They're on the verge of being one of the best in all of baseball, and with Hicks being just 26 years of age, he could be a key piece of this group for years to come alongside the top three, but unfortunately, that means he may not be up for sale.

That all depends on how the Cardinals see their future, but if they want to build for the future, they may get a solid prospect back for the Giants in place of a pitcher with a 3.93 ERA through 36.2 innings of work this year, which would add another element to a very talented group.

Luckily, the Giants are not in a position where they need to bolster the bullpen. That said, it is often an area that is addressed by competitive teams one way or the other.

6. Dylan Carlson

The SF Giants have no doubt got some great production from the outfield this year, but the consistency throughout the year just hasn't been there, and beyond starting pitching, this could be an option for them to address.

Enter Dylan Carlson, who at just 24 years of age has become a key piece for the Cardinals, and thus, the Giants would need to potentially give up one of their more important prospects to get him on the team for the future.

Once again, he may be the more unlikely player for the Giants to target, as the Cardinals could see him as a piece for the future, but if they can't contend in the next two or three years, it may be the best time for them to sell high on him.

7. Jack Flaherty

The SF Giants may first look to names like Marcus Stroman, Lucas Giolito, or Shane Bieber to fill their starting position role, but if they can't land any of them, they could be pivoting towards Flaherty, who's been especially fantastic in recent times.

Over his past four starts, Flaherty has allowed 0 runs in three of his past five starts, but unfortunately in those other two, he has given up six in each, so if he can find consistency, he could be the perfect third hurler in the Giants rotation going forward.

At 27 years of age, Flaherty is at a great point in his career to go on a major playoff run with San Francisco, as he has tallied a solid 40-30 record and 3.54 ERA over his seven-year career, so if the Giants don't land one of the top names available, keep an eye on Flaherty.

Similar to Jordan Montgomery, Flaherty is scheduled to hit free agency in the winter, meaning that there is a high likelihood that he is moved.

Of course, both Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt could be on the market as well. Both are under contract for lucrative deals beyond 2023, so while a trade could happen, it is hard to imagine the Cardinals becoming competitive against next year without either of those players on the roster.

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