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Three buy-low starting pitching targets that the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

By Jeff Young |
Cleveland Guardians v Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Guardians v Detroit Tigers / Gregory Shamus/GettyImages
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At 41-39, the SF Giants are in a position where they will likely be on the bubble of the playoff picture when the trade deadline comes around next month. There are a few buy-low starting pitching options who could make sense to bolster the rotation.

Three buy-low starting pitching targets that the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

As a unit in 2022, the Giants rotation has posted a 3.91 ERA, which ranks as the 12-best mark in baseball. This is not a bad position, but there is room for improvement.

Given how the season has progressed, it is obvious that there are multiple holes to fill on the roster. One move will not fix everything, so if they did make a move, it will likely be one that makes sense from a cost standpoint.

What that means is they may not be looking at the top of the trade market, but rather they could look at low-cost alternatives that fit the Giants' appetite for risk tolerance.

1. Detroit Tigers starter Michael Pineda

The Giants built a rotation that was high in injury risk and adding a pitcher like Michael Pineda only adds to that risk. That said, Pineda fits the Giants' mold for a starting pitcher in that he is a consistent strike-thrower.

The 33-year-old pitcher has only made 28 starts since the start of 2021 due to a couple of injuries including a fractured finger this year. However, when he is healthy, the nine-year veteran continues to perform well.

In seven starts this year, Pineda has registered a 3.62 ERA, 5.43 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 4.7 K/9, and a 2.83 SO/W ratio with the Detroit Tigers. These numbers are relatively similar to his performance last year with the Minnesota Twins.

Though, the dip in his strikeout numbers is a bit of a red flag. The righty signed a one-year, $5.75 million contract last winter, so he would only be a rental. Given his performance, injury history and contract, Pineda can likely be acquired for a mid-level prospect.

He is not a perfect fit as he is more of a flyball pitcher (42.5% flyball rate in 2022), but with how the Giants' defense has performed this year, a couple of extra flyballs may not be a bad compromise.

Milwaukee Brewers v Chicago Cubs - Game Two
Milwaukee Brewers v Chicago Cubs - Game Two / Nuccio DiNuzzo/GettyImages

Three buy-low starting pitching targets that the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

2. Chicago Cubs starter Drew Smyly

The addition of Drew Smyly would be similar to Michael Pineda in terms of injury risk. That said, Smyly's overall profile might be an even better fit.

The left-handed hurler signed a one-year, $5.25 million pact with the Chicago Cubs last offseason. This is a move that was made with the understanding that Smyly would likely be flipped at the trade deadline.

He has performed well in 2022 despite missing a few starts with an oblique injury. Across nine starts, Smyly has tallied a 3.80 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, and a 3.40 SO/W ratio. This includes a solid 47.8 percent ground ball rate.

Of course, the Giants are already familiar with Smyly as he posted a 3.42 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 26.1 frames with San Francisco during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The veteran starter attacks the strike zone and induces a health number of ground balls, so he offers a lot of what the Giants like in a pitcher.

In terms of cost, it likely would not be any different than Michael Pineda. The mid-rotation rental arm does not normally fetch a huge return at the trade deadline.

The Giants have to ask whether Smyly would be an upgrade over Alex Wood or Alex Cobb. If the answer is yes, then he should be a pitcher that they target.

Arizona Diamondbacks v Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks v Colorado Rockies / Dustin Bradford/GettyImages

Three buy-low starting pitching targets that the SF Giants could target at the trade deadline

3. Colorado Rockies starter Chad Kuhl

Chad Kuhl is having a surprisingly good season after being non-tendered by the Pittsburgh Pirates last winter. The six-year veteran signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Colorado Rockies in the offseason and that is a deal that has worked out nicely for Colorado.

There will be demand for Kuhl, but it will be interesting to see how the Rockies approach the deadline as there are not many pitchers who have pitched well at Coors Field like Kuhl has.

In seven starts, Kuhl has posted a 3.27 ERA with 25 strikeouts against only seven walks at home this season. In total, he has recorded a 3.83 ERA, 4.03 FIP, 1.32 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, and a 1.97 SO/W ratio in 15 starts.

Impressively, he has only allowed eight home runs in 82.1 frames (0.9 HR/9) for the Rockies this year. He has found a way to keep the ball in the ballpark in one of the most hitter-friendly fields in baseball and that has value to not only the Rockies but plenty of interested suitors as well.

That said, Kuhl has produced the lowest HR/FB (7.6% HR/FB ratio) of his career, so that low home run output should regress to the mean at some point.

Kuhl would be in the same ballpark as Drew Smyly and Michael Pineda in terms of cost. The big difference is that Kuhl does not have the long track record like the other two pitchers, so teams will be wary of what they give up to acquire Kuhl.

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