SF Giants could trade intriguing No. 2 prospect at this year's deadline

A new article on MLB.com listed one intriguing trade candidate for each team, and their choice for the SF Giants was certainly an intriguing one. The team's No. 2 prospect, left-handed pitcher Carson Whisenhunt, was the top choice.

"The pitching-rich Giants have several young starters they could dangle to try to land an impact bat at the Trade Deadline," wrote Maria Guardado for MLB.com.

SF Giants may decide to deal young prospect Carson Whisenhunt

She went on to say that of all the Giants' young arms, Whisenhunt would likely be the most coveted. The 24-year-old has put together a strong season in Triple-A Sacramento. He's posted a 6-3 record, with a 3.61 ERA and 1.129 WHIP in 12 starts.

If the Giants were to trade Whisenhunt, they would be weakening an already weak farm system. While San Francisco has just one prospect in the MLB Pipeline's Top 100, Whisenhunt is close to becoming the second.

He's ranked as the tenth-best left-handed pitching prospect, behind Athletics prospect Gage Jump. Jump is ranked No. 100 on the pipeline, meaning Whisenhunt is not far behind the top hundred.

Does trading the best pitching prospect in their organization make sense for the Giants? Perhaps, but it would need to be for a significant return.

With the Giants in the heat of a playoff race, they will likely be looking for players who can offer immediate help to the lineup. If Whisenhunt can be a key piece in a trade for a legitimate bat, trading him makes a lot of sense. There are several positions where the Giants could improve at right now, so we will have to see how aggressive president of baseball operations Buster Posey wants to be in pursuit of a bat.

The problem is that it's not a guarantee that Whisenhunt will be heavily coveted. Most teams would likely want Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge, who is ranked as Pipeline's No. 19 prospect and the No. 3 first base prospect.

The Giants will have to play hardball on the trade market to sell Whisenhunt as an attractive trade chip when Eldridge is right there on the same team in Sacramento. If they can acquire a solid bat for Whisenhunt, it would feel like a win in 2025.