SF Giants can still make last-ditch effort to get something for Luis Matos after DFA

The SF Giants have set their initial 26-man roster for Opening Night. One of the surprising moves they made was to designate outfielder Luis Matos for assignment in order to make room for the speedster Jared Oliva. The Giants still have a chance to get something for Matos, though.

Matos came into spring training with no minor league options and his Giants career at a crossroads so it was clear that if he did not make the club he would be exposed to waivers. He was hot early on in the Cactus League, but overall he slashed .260/.327/.440 with two home runs and five runs driven in which was not good enough to make the club.

Giants can still try to trade Luis Matos after DFA

Now, the Giants have five days to try to trade Matos but after that they will have to place him on waivers. As Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle noted on social media, trades like that can be hard to make in March because teams are preoccupied with trying to get their own rosters set, but the Giants should still try to get something for the young outfielder.

Ever since last season, it has seemed like Matos' time with San Francisco was limited. He had some nice moments and would get hot for a week every now and then over the course of his three seasons with the team, but it seems clear that he is not a great guy to have on the bench.

Matos has done best when given consistent playing time and, barring an injury, the Giants were not in a position to provide him that this season. Heliot Ramos, Harrison Bader, and Jung Hoo Lee are locked in as the three starting outfielders, and the Giants already had to account for outfielder Jerar Encarnacion who is also out of minor league options.

Going with Oliva over Matos at least gives the Giants some speed on the bench, something they have been sorely missing for quite some time. Oliva can also play center field while Matos should probably only play in the corner outfield spots.

But Matos would still be a nice fit on a rebuilding team that can afford to give him more playing time. The Giants could still use another relief arm or two so maybe if there is a rebuilding team out there that has a decent reliever and is willing to take a chance on a player who earned National League Player of the Week honors back in 2024, the Giants could be in luck.

When the Giants DFA'd Joey Bart back in 2024 they were able to acquire pitcher Austin Strickland from the Pittsburgh Pirates so maybe the Giants can get some sort of minor league arm in exchange for Matos.

It's a shame that things did not work out for Matos in San Francisco because he clearly has a lot of potential, but it's not too late to at least try to get something for him even if it is not much.