SF Giants general manager Zack Minasian says there are no 'untouchables' ahead of winter meetings

The winter meetings are here. It is often a period of lot of activity around baseball, especially on the trade front. SF Giants general manager Zack Minasian is entering this with the belief that there are no player off limits in trade talks.

SF Giants general manager Zack Minasian says there are no 'untouchables' ahead of winter meetings

On Thursday, Minasian joined the Murph and Markus Show on KNBR to discuss a number of topics with the winter meetings looming. He was asked about whether anyone was off limits in trade talks.

"I think you try to enter all of these things being open-minded. I'm not one to say that there are untouchables in any scenario. "

Zack Minasian

Minasian shared a couple of interesting anecdotes to support that position. He mentioned Rubén Mateo of the Texas Rangers. Mateo was considered a huge prospect in the early 2000's, but his career did not pan out.

The Giants' general manager was not with the Rangers, but his father was a longtime clubhouse attendant. Perhaps, the Rangers had an opportunity to move Mateo while his value was still high.

On the other hand, Minasian also referenced a trade idea while he was with the Milwaukee Brewers involving moving Ryan Braun for Rich Harden early in Braun's career. Harden was a good pitcher who battled injuries throughout his career. On the other hand, Braun was a fixture in the Brewers' lineup for a long time.

The question was asked in the context of potentially moving prospects. The Giants have several needs to fill, especially on the pitching side. They have conveyed that they are looking more at moderately-priced pitchers. That would seemingly take them out of the running for Tatsuya Imai, Ranger Suárez, Michael King, and Framber Valdez.

In recent days, the Giants have been connected to Zac Gallen. They could also pivot to the trade market to address this need.

Of course, the tradeoff is prospect cost compared to financial cost when making trades. The Giants still have a thin farm system, with Bryce Eldridge being the top prospect at the moment. Theoretically, he could be included as the centerpiece in a deal to add a frontline starter.

However, the Giants do not seem motivated to move Eldridge. Moving him would stretch a thin farm system even thinner. At some point, the Giants need the farm system to feed the major league roster, and that has not taken place for the better part of the last 15 years. They could move Eldridge at the right price, and that is true for any of their prospects. They will be open-minded.