SF Giants Rumors: MLB insider pours cold water on the notion of a fire sale

The SF Giants are eight games below .500. They have clearly underperformed this season and they’ve dug themselves a hole that won’t be easy to get out of. However, for those expecting them to blow things up and start trading off their big players, that seems highly unlikely to happen.

While Bob Nightengale of USA Today stirred the rumor pot recently by writing that the Giants would “love” to get rid of their large contracts to players like Jung Hoo Lee, Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames, that notion always seemed a bit fanciful and not based on anything from within the organization.

Giants reportedly not planning to get rid of big contracts

Robert Murray of FanSided recently refuted that notion and wrote that there have not been any internal conversations about the Giants moving off their key players. Instead, he writes that names to keep an eye on if the Giants do decide to trade players are Robbie Ray or Tyler Mahle since they are both pitchers who will be free agents after this season. Murray also said that Harrison Bader could be a potential trade piece even though he is under contract for next season as well.

This makes sense. Even though the Giants have not gotten off to a great start, tearing it all down has never been their modus operandi. Even in 2017 when the wheels came off they did not trade away any of their key players so this is an organization that is allergic to rebuilds.

Plus, even if they wanted to trade away their big contracts it would not be an easy task and they’d probably have to eat a lot of money to make it happen. Adames and Chapman both have no-trade clauses and while they could get them to waive those they are both owed a ton of money. Would another team want to take on Devers the way the Giants did last season? 

The Giants are just going to have to ride things out this season. In a best case scenario they get back on track and are in contention by the trade deadline and actually make some additions for a second half push.

The more likely scenario at this point is that they are under .500 and not actively in contention at the deadline. In that scenario it would not be a shock if they almost undid their offseason and traded away their offseason additions to make room for younger players. 

Bader could be dealt to make room for Drew Gilbert. Luis Arraez could be traded and Casey Schmitt could be the second baseman which would allow Bryce Eldridge to be the designated hitter. Mahle and Ray could be traded and Trevor McDonald and Blade Tidwell or some other young arm could step into the rotation.

It wouldn’t be ideal, but at least the Giants would be letting some of their younger players play. It likely won’t be a fire sale, but maybe a mini-sale if things continue on their current trajectory.

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