Should the SF Giants trade for a 2022 All-Star outfielder?

There is a "growing belief" that 2022 Miami Marlins All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be traded at the MLB trade deadline, per Craig Mish of The Miami Herald. Should the SF Giants target the infielder/outfielder before then?

Should the SF Giants trade for a 2022 All-Star outfielder?

Chisholm Jr. is under team control through the 2026 season, so he would not be a rental. Players with multiple years of team control tend to fetch more of a return on the trade market.

With a 32-58 record, the Marlins will be clear sellers at the trade deadline. They do not have too many assets to move, but Chisholm Jr. is one of them and he could be in demand. They may not need to move him, but his value may never be higher than it is right now. Mish speculates that the Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Kansas City Royals could be possible landing spots.

Though, he could make sense for a lot of teams. To some degree, he could make sense for San Francisco.

The left-handed bat is slashing .255/.326/.407 (105 wRC+) with 10 home runs, 37 runs, and 40 RBI in 365 plate appearances. This includes an 8.8 percent walk rate, 24.9 percent strikeout rate, and a .152 ISO. His .733 OPS is not too far off from his career .750 mark across five seasons. Though, Chisholm Jr. did post an .863 OPS with 14 home runs in 2022, but that looks more like an outlier.

The 26-year-old is an above-average runner and is a base-stealing threat on the bases. He has swiped 17 bases in 25 opportunities. He is not necessarily an efficient base stealer and that level of success would suggest that he should scale back to some degree. However, the Giants are comfortably in last place with 30 stolen bases as a team. They could use more speed.

In the field, Chisholm Jr. has seen time exclusively in center field over the past two years. The defensive metrics are mixed with -14 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and +4 Outs Above Average (OAA) during that time. OAA is usually a more reliable metric in terms of evaluating defense, but the poor DRS marks should not be ignored either.

Before shifting to center field, the five-year veteran saw a lot of time at second base where he was quite good. Perhaps, another team might be more interested in leveraging that versatility.

However, the Giants have options at both positions Chisholm Jr. plays. Heliot Ramos has handled center field, and while he may not be a long-term fit there, he has done a nice job. The Giants do expect Jung Hoo Lee to return to the outfield next season with center field being the likeliest position.

On the other hand, the Giants have Thairo Estrada at second base. He has emerged as one of the better defensive second basemen in baseball over the past couple of years. Though, the right-handed bat has slumped to a .640 OPS in 2024. Estrada's offensive upside is arguably not too dissimilar to Chisholm Jr..

So, there may not be a fit on paper. However, the Giants do not have an everyday second baseman coming up through the pipeline at the moment, so adding Chisholm Jr. would be one way to address the position over the next couple of years while bringing in someone who is still on the younger side.

It may not be a great fit for the Giants and Chisholm Jr., especially when factoring in the cost. However, he does bring some qualities to the table that the team could use.