Farhan Zaidi: SF Giants expect to be "aggressive" at trade deadline to get into playoffs

SF Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi discussed the 2023 season with Jim Bowden on the Front Office Show of the MLB Network. Zaidi indicated that the goal for the Giants is to be aggressive at the trade deadline to help them get into the playoffs.

Farhan Zaidi: SF Giants expect to be "aggressive" at trade deadline to get into playoffs

The Giants sit in third place in a tough NL West with a 29-30 record. They have played a brutal schedule recently and continue to stay afloat.

The Arizona Diamondbacks (35-25) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (35-25) sit in front of the Giants within the division. Plus, the San Diego Padres (27-32) are not too far behind in fourth place with a star-studded lineup. The NL West is shaping out to be a four-team race.

The Giants' path to the playoffs is likely through the Wild Card and no one is running away with that in the standings. San Francisco is 2.5 games behind the Miami Marlins for the third and final Wild Card spot. Both the Marlins (32-28) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (31-27) got off to a hot start, but it is hard to believe that they will sustain this pace.

So, on June 4, the Giants appear to be on the fringes of playoff contention. That is a positive, especially after a rough start to the season. The next step will be finding a way to get and stay above .500.

Of course, what else is Farhan Zaidi expected to see with a team in this position? The Giants have about $214 million committed against the cap according to Cot's, so they are not going to announce that they are selling. It is encouraging that he continues to see this as a team that can get into the playoffs. That appears to be contingent on finding help prior to the trade deadline.

The Giants do need some help. The bullpen has been better lately, but that is one area where competitive teams always look for ways to improve. The lineup is relatively set barring a major injury or regression. They could probably use a utility infielder who hits from the left side, but at this point in time, they do not have a glaring need.

The starting rotation is where they might look for help. The front end of the rotation has been solid with Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, and Anthony DeSclafani. That said, the back end is leaking oil with Alex Wood landing on the injured list and both Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling off to subpar starts.

For the time being, they will likely exhaust options on the 40-man roster, including Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn. However, they will need to find an upgrade sooner rather than later. So, if the Giants remain in the playoff picture, they will likely be aggressive on the starting pitching market to help them get into the playoffs.