SF Giants decision to move on from struggling infielder highlights questionable trade deadline strategy

The SF Giants moved on from struggling infielder Thairo Estrada on Friday after he was outrighted off of the 40-man roster. The decision to do so shines renewed focus on the club's lack of direction at the trade deadline in July.

SF Giants decision to move on from struggling infielder highlights questionable trade deadline strategy

The Giants did make a handful of moves at the trade deadline. Notably, they shipped Jorge Soler and Alex Cobb to the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Guardians, respectively. They also acquired Mark Canha in a trade with the Detroit Tigers.

If you are trying to understand what the strategy was, your guess is as good as mine. Admittedly, it needs to be mentioned that teams pursue value in trades. They do not make trades simply because they are buying or selling.

For example, there was interest in Blake Snell ahead of the trade deadline. However, no team met the Giants' asking price for the two-time Cy Young winner, so no deal was made. It is certainly a shame that the Giants were not able to make a move and he will likely depart in free agency at the end of the season.

Hopefully, no team regrets not making a move for someone like Snell at the trade deadline. That type of move would change the dynamic of a rotation and would likely thrust the acquiring team into being a favorite for the World Series. Oh well. You cannot turn back the clock in October.

This is not about Snell. The Giants were adamant that they kept the team together because they believed that they had one of the best rotations in baseball. On paper, it is a solid case. However, I am a firm believer that you only go as far as your rotation takes you, so if you truly believe that, you need to augment the rest of the roster.

The Giants did not do that. In fact, they made the lineup noticeably weaker by moving Soler. At the time of that trade, the Giants likely knew they were going to move on from Thairo Estrada. The veteran infielder was on the injured list at the end of July and returned during the final week of August.

Did the Giants just decide within the last handful of games that they were going to move on from Estrada? That seems unlikely. Since the start of July 2023, the right-handed bat has slashed .236/.266/.359 (72 wRC+) with a 2.8 percent walk rate, 20.0 percent strikeout rate, and .123 ISO in 605 plate appearances.

That is a large sample of well below-average offensive production. This includes a 2024 campaign in which he has slumped to a .247 on-base percentage. While Estrada is an excellent defensive second baseman, that value is not offset by the dip in his offensive production and total lack of on-base ability. A change was needed.

The Giants knew they were going to move on from Estrada before the trade deadline. There were not too many middle infielders moved, but there were a couple who could have appealed to San Francisco. In terms of low-cost rentals, both Amed Rosario and Paul Dejong were moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals, respectively.

Rosario is limited to second base and does not offer much value with the bat, but he does have a .298 batting average with good contact skills. That skillset might have come in handy as the Giants have struggled badly with runners in scoring position.

Similarly, DeJong could have been an option at shortstop, moving Tyler Fitzgerald to second base. The Giants experimented with the veteran infielder last season but he was cut loose before the end of the year. That said, DeJong's 24 home runs would lead Giants hitters this year, so it is not like he does not have any upside.

On the other hand, the Giants could have pursued a longer-term option like Tommy Edman. Edman is signed through the 2025 season but he was on the injured list when he was shipped to the Dodgers at the trade deadline. He was included in a complicated, three-way trade, but in a one-for-one deal, it might not have been much more than what the Giants gave up for Canha.

It has been a couple of years since Edman has been an above-average hitter, but he is still offers modest power with a knack for being a tough out. Edman even took home a 2021 Gold Glove Award at second base. The improvement might be marginal, but there was some upside with Edman.

Instead, the Giants continue to struggle to get any type of offensive value from second base for the second straight season. For the time being, they are relying on Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt to hold down that position. Wisely had flashes earlier this year, but Schmitt's lack of plate discipline is just too big a red flag at this point. Pitchers do not even have to throw him strikes.

There were a few moves the Giants could have made. They knew they were going to move on from Estrada. Instead, they made no attempt at an improvement and pursued a strategy that was questionable then and looks even worse today as they are pretty much out of the playoff picture just one month later.