Recalibrating the SF Giants top-3 needs at the 2025 MLB trade deadline

The MLB trade deadline is less than two months away. With a 33-26 record, the SF Giants look like they could be buyers, as they are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the third Wild Card spot. What areas of the roster do they need to bolster?

Recalibrating the SF Giants top-3 needs at the 2025 MLB trade deadline

Teams are generally looking for pitching at the trade deadline. That does not feel like a need for the Giants, with one caveat. The pitching staff has been the strength of this roster with a 3.14 ERA. The bullpen has been better than that.

The Giants have depth in the rotation, and one young pitcher might be pushed out once Justin Verlander returns. They had been scrambling for rotation arms in recent seasons, so having too many starters this year feels like a nice change.

1. First base

The soft spots in the lineup include first base, shortstop, and catcher. They are not going to look to upgrade shortstop after signing Willy Adames to a seven-year deal. Plus, Buster Posey has affirmed his confidence in Patrick Bailey. That leaves first base as the most likely position to upgrade.

For the time being, Jerar Encarnación should get the bulk of the playing time once he returns from the injured list. They have more than enough data to make an evaluation on LaMonte Wade Jr., and he just might be the odd person out.

If Encarnación is not the answer, first base should be a relatively easy position to upgrade. Through the first two months of the year, they have gotten no offensive value from that spot in the lineup. The group could range from more marginal upgrades, such as Nathaniel Lowe or Ty France, to larger additions like Rhys Hoskins and Ryan O'Hearn. Both O'Hearn and Hoskins are rentals at this point. Hoskins has more remaining money owed, so that could deflate his trade value to some extent.

2. Bench bat(s)

The Giants have not gotten much production from their bench this season. That said, Luis Matos did help lead the Giants to victory on Sunday, hitting a three-run home run in a 4-2 win over the Miami Marlins. Coming off the bench has been a tough role for the young outfielder, and his two-hit effort on Sunday was his first hits he has had in nearly three weeks.

That does not change the dynamic. The bench has been a weak spot, and it has not been an area that Bob Melvin can leverage. Melvin does prefer lineup continuity, so who knows if he would use the bench even if the need arose? Injuries happen, and you need to be prepared.

On paper, they likely need at least two utility bats. Yoán Moncada of the Los Angeles Angels or Amed Rosario would give them more functional infield depth. They could also use a fourth outfielder. Harrison Bader of the Minnesota Twins likely will not be available, but that type of profile would bolster the bench.

3. Left-handed reliever

This might be low-hanging fruit, but the Giants could use another left-handed reliever. Even though they have the best bullpen in baseball, most teams still look to add at least one reliever at the trade deadline.

Erik Miller has served as the team's primary southpaw reliever. He has a 1.40 ERA in 23 outings, but there has also been a sharp drop in his strikeout rate. Randy Rodríguez has been tough on left-handed hitters, so he has served as another option in those matchups.

They do not necessarily need a big upgrade. It would not hurt to give someone like Scott Alexander a flyer, or Hoby Milner of the Texas Rangers. Speaking of the Rangers, if Chris Martin is available, he would be an attractive bullpen option for many teams.