Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta returns suggest the worst as SF Giants try to trade Robbie Ray

The SF Giants are clearly going to trade left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Ray before the MLB trade deadline on Monday, August 3 at 3 PM PST. Yet, given the return for the two major arms off the board already it suggests the Giants may not get as big a haul as they hoped for.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night for a prospect package that many felt was light. Skubal is one of the best arms in the game and the Dodgers just had to give up their No. 5, 7, and 17 prospects to get him.

Skubal is a pending free agent which may partly explain that, but other teams around MLB could have made a better offer.

The return the New York Mets got by trading starter Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays was similarly uninspiring. They got Tampa Bay’s No. 15, 26, and 27 prospects. Peralta has had a rough year but he’s show in the past that he can be an ace when he’s at his best. He’s also going to be a free agent after this season so if that’s what those teams got, it’s a little scary to think what the Giants might get.

Ray is going to be a free agent but he’s pitched phenomenally the last month or so leading into the deadline. He has a 1.26 ERA in his last seven starts so a team in need of a guy who could be your No. 3 starter and could start a game in the playoffs for you would love to get Ray.

The Giants can and should pay down the rest of the money Ray is owed on his contract to milk a better prospect or two out of a team. If they could get two top-15 prospects out of a team for Ray that would be a win.

Of course, not all farm systems are equal so one team’s No. 20 prospect could potentially be better than another team’s No. 15 prospect.

Giants can still get a good deal for Robbie Ray but the clock is ticking

The one good thing is that as more of these pitchers go off the board, that will only make the teams out there still in need of starting pitching just a little bit more desperate to make a move and get someone like Ray.

The Giants don’t need to rush to make a move, but it’s a delicate dance. They can wait until the deadline to hopefully get a better deal but other teams know the Giants don’t want to hang onto Ray so they can hold firm and hope the Giants cave to their demands because getting something is better than nothing.

San Francisco can still get some decent prospects for Ray, but the Skubal and Peralta deals show that they aren't going to get some insane return in all likelihood. 

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