SF Giants: Internal options who make more sense than trading for a player

The 2023 SF Giants didn't start the season on the best foot, but boy have they ramped things up recently. At 39-32, the club sits in second place in an increasingly-tough NL West division, behind only the Arizona Diamondbacks.

SF Giants: Internal options who make more sense than trading for a player

Thanks to a seven-game win streak and an 8-2 record over their last 10 games, the Giants are firing on all cylinders and actually have the second-highest run differential in all of the National League at +48.

Things have just been working out for the club. Offensive studs like LaMonte Wade Jr., Joc Pederson, Thairo Estrada, JD Davis and Michael Conforto have all stepped up to form one of the more dynamic starting lineups in the league. Rule 5 Draft pick Blake Sabol continues to be a nice find while Patrick Bailey is coming into his own behind the plate as well, meaning the duo is leaving Joey Bart in the dust.

On the pitching side of things, the injuries have been adding up, but this ragtag group of hurlers has been incredibly impressive. Starters Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Cobb have been as advertised, but surprise performances from Ryan Walker, Luke Jackson, Tristan Beck and Jakob Junis have been integral in the team's recent successes. Paired with a lethal back-end trio in Camilo Doval and the Rogers twins, this team may just be figuring it out at the perfect time.

As we near the 2023 trade deadline, more and more trade candidate are beginning to surface around the league. Would a Lucas Giolito or Shane Bieber look great alongside the aforementioned trio of starters? Absolutely. Would someone like Jorge Soler in the middle of the lineup hitting dingers look great as well? Of course.

But let's pump the brakes for a second. What if the Giants could turn to internal candidates around the deadline instead of potentially trading away future building blocks in exchange for rentals? A look at the farm system suggests that that could actually be the smarter move for this up-and-coming organization.

Let's look at 3 internal options who make more sense than trading for a player.

2. Relief pitching

When it comes to relief pitching, the market is going to be full of names at this year's trade deadline. The Kansas City Royals have already made it known that Scott Barlow and/or Aroldis Chapman are available, while the Chicago White Sox may be looking to ship Reynaldo López and/or Keynan Middleton.

While there are sure to be names that interest the Giants here as well, let's keep the options in-house, because there are some seriously solid pitchers down in the minors that could be big league contributors as soon as this season.

Chris Wright, 24, is another impact left-hander who has quietly been building a case for a big-league roster spot for quite some time now. After posting an ERA of 1.00 in 37 games in 2021 (yes, you read that right), he had a 3.86 ERA in 41 outings last year and currently sports an ERA of 3.81 through 20 appearances this year. He is a high-strikeout pitcher who rarely ever allows home runs or hard contact, so he is certainly one to keep an eye on instead of an overpriced rental.

Elsewhere in the system, Erik Miller, yet another lefty, is doing everything in his power to earn a callup himself. In 23 appearances this season, he has a minuscule 1.69 ERA with 45 strikeouts in just 32 innings. He, like Harrison and Wright before him, rarely ever allows home runs, and actually has yet to surrender one this season. You won't find Miller's name anywhere on top prospect lists, but he's quietly been one of the most dominant relief arms in the Giants' minor league system.

Balancing things out with our first right-handed pitcher, Nick Avila has put up some incredible numbers over the past two seasons. After allowing just seven earned runs in 47 games last year (1.14 ERA), he began this year in Triple-A Sacramento and has continued to be a dominant presence. In 35.1 innings and 26 outings, Avila has a 3.57 ERA and has done an efficient job at limiting baserunners in his outings.

3. Position players

The 2023 San Francisco Giants have received some excellent production from their position players. From top-to-bottom of the lineup, most of the everyday starters have been contributing at or near above-average clips. That is, everybody except shortstop Brandon Crawford.

The shortstop position is a clear need for the Giants to address at this year's trade deadline, but rather than going for an expensive option like Tim Anderson from the White Sox, perhaps the club could instead promote Tyler Fitzgerald, who has been dominant in the minors this season.

Fitzgerald, 25, has made 52 appearances this year split between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. He has 11 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs and 38 runs driven in already, to go along with 15 stolen bases, a .313 batting average and an OPS that has gotten all the way up to .938.

Need I go on? The dude does nothing but hit, and would be a serious asset to this Giants club. Not to mention, he's extremely versatile on defense, making appearances all over the infield and even a bit of center field as of late. Notably, Fitzgerald has spent the most time at shortstop this season, so it's worth wondering if the Giants are already eyeing him as an option for their active roster in the near future.