SF Giants MLB trade deadline strategy considered polarizing by executives

The MLB trade deadline was last week but the discussion continues. According Mark Feinsand of MLB.Com, baseball executives considered the SF Giants trade deadline strategy to be polarizing with one even describing it as confusing.

SF Giants MLB trade deadline strategy considered polarizing by executives

Confusing is certainly one way to put it. Whether you wanted the Giants to buy or sell, you likely came away disappointed.

For the most part, the front office stood pat with the hopes that the current roster can take them to the playoffs. However, the odds may not be in their favor as the NL Wild Card race looks to be stronger than it was just a month ago.

The Giants shipped Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson to the Atlanta Braves, whereas Alex Cobb was traded to the Cleveland Guardians. They also swung a last-minute deal to acquire veteran bat Mark Canha from the Detroit Tigers.

You can understand the reasoning behind the Soler and Cobb moves. These were designed to open up spots on the roster for young players like Hayden Birdsong and Marco Luciano. That said, it does make you wonder what the front office was doing when they signed Soler to a three-year, $42 million pact in the offseason only to trade him away four months into the deal.

According to Feinsand, one NL executive voiced his confusion at the Soler deal, "I didn’t quite get the Giants moving Soler and then not moving any of their other guys. He’s been a good player for them, and if they were going to keep the rest of that roster intact, why not keep him on it, as well?"

It is true that the Giants are likely worse off by the Soler trade, He had been heating up at the plate even if he was not the middle-of-the-order bat that the Giants had hoped. Plus, trading him to a Wild Card contender like the Braves is a questionable strategy.

The Giants had assets to sell at the deadline that could have helped them in the future. Though, they may have not been a viable option with how much money was invested into this roster.

Time will tell if the Giants' trade deadline strategy will work. If the concept behind the deal for Soler was to open up at-bats for Luciano, then they need to commit to that approach. It is a younger roster than it was at the start of the year and that will lead to some bumps along the way with the hopes that it will pay off down the road.

There is no denying that the lack of a vision irked the fanbase at the deadline. However, they were not the only ones confused with the approach.