Why the SF Giants should trade pitcher Kyle Harrison

Kyle Harrison was one of the few bright spots for the SF Giants in 2023. But with the offense needing to improve, should the Giants trade him for offensive additions?

Why the SF Giants should trade pitcher Kyle Harrison

Of all the rookie debuts for the San Francisco Giants in 2023, none was more anticipated than Harrison. He was seen as the best pitching prospect for the Giants in quite some time. There were comparisons to even Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner. 

Although Harrison’s 2023 campaign was uneven, he showed flashes of brilliance that lived up to the high expectations many had for him. His 11 strikeout performance in his home debut against the Reds was electric.

In all, Harrison recorded an ERA of 4.15 with a 1.154 WHIP and a K/9 rate of 9.1.

It is easy to picture a future Giants rotation where Logan Webb and Harrison are a daunting one-two punch for opposing lineups. 

However, the Giants may decide that the offense is in such dire straits that they need to part ways with Harrison in order to bring back a return on offense. And, they have a lot of pitching prospects in the pipeline. Though, none have as high of an upside as the 22-year-old prospect.

There are even reports that the Giants front office is looking into potentially trading some of their younger pitchers to improve their offense. 

Trading Harrison would be a risky, divisive move. But the Giants may decide that is what they need to do in order to get back into playoff contention. 

Let’s examine the reasons one could argue that Harrison should be traded.