Why the SF Giants should trade pitcher Kyle Harrison

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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.

San Francisco Giants v Colorado Rockies / Dustin Bradford/GettyImages

Why the SF Giants should trade pitcher Kyle Harrison

Reason #1: the SF Giants need more offense

It is no secret that the SF Giants need more offense. Their offense cratered drastically in the second half and was close to unwatchable for long stretches.

Basically besides Wilmer Flores, the lineup struggled mightily to do anything at the plate. If they do not make significant additions to the offense, then it would not be at all surprising to see a repeat of that in 2024.

Given that the free agent market is rather sparse when it comes to high-impact bats, the Giants may feel that the most viable route to make improvements to the lineup is via the trade market.

Kyle Harrison would be an attractive piece to many teams in the MLB. He is incredibly young at 21 and has a really high upside with him already showcasing his strikeout potential in 2023.

Outside of someone like Marco Luciano, Harrison is without question the shiniest and most attractive trade piece that the Giants have to offer.

The Giants could likely get a good hitter in a swap with a team like the New York Mets for Pete Alonso or maybe even the St. Louis Cardinals if they wanted to go after someone like Paul Goldschmidt or Nolan Arenado. Harrison would probably have to be paired with one or two lower level prospects to land one of those big fish, but it could happen if a team is looking to rebuild and get expensive contracts off the books.

If Harrison is dealt, it would have to be to improve the offense. Given the fact that he is a local kid and could become a fan favorite if he stays with the Giants, the return would have to be solid.

But given how putrid the Giants offense currently is, the front office may feel they need to deal Harrison if they want to pose any threat to opposing pitchers next season.

Atlanta Braves v San Francisco Giants / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

Why the SF Giants should trade pitcher Kyle Harrison

Reason #2: The SF Giants have enough pitching

If 2023 proved anything, it was that the SF Giants have plenty of pitchers who can start games for them. Whether it’s their ace Logan Webb or rookies like Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn, there were plenty of impressive starting performances.

One could make the case that the Giants would still have a solid starting staff even if they dealt Kyle Harrison away.

Webb and Alex Cobb are solid at the top of the rotation. Ross Stripling could regain his form and establish himself as a mid-tier starter and the same could be said for Anthony DeSclafani. We are not betting on it but neither one is too far removed from a quality season.

That leaves Beck and Winn to compete for a fifth rotation spot and potentially both could earn rotation spots if Stripling and DeSclafani struggle as they did in 2023. On top of this, the Giants expect the next wave of prospects to be on the pitching side with many expected to be called up as soon as next season.

No doubt, the rotation would be in a weaker position without Harrison. But with the current starters that the Giants have, they may feel that they would still have a competitive rotation that could keep them in games.

Of course, for this strategy to work, their offense would have to improve so that they’d have a more balanced approach and they could give their starters more run support than they were able to in 2023. If that strategy worked, then it would be a valid reason to trade Harrison away.

Trading Harrison would be a controversial and risky move. If they traded him for an offensive piece that gets injured or struggled while Harrison goes in to have a great career, it will look like an incredible blunder.

But given the fact that the Giants offense is in such a rough place, the front office may decide that the risk is worth it.

If 2023 proved anything, it is that the SF Giants have to start thinking differently if they want to improve. Trading Harrison would hurt, but it may be the only way the Giants can truly improve going into next season.

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