The SF Giants should look to undo their offseason at the MLB trade deadline

In the offseason, the SF Giants signed a pair of veterans to multi-year deals in Adrian Houser and Harrison Bader. It would be swell if they could move at least one of those contracts before the trade deadline.

The Giants also signed Luis Arráez and Tyler Mahle, both of whom joined on one-year deals. They will look to move those expiring contracts, along with Robbie Ray.

However, they should try to hit the reset button entirely on the offseason. Houser has had a disastrous first half that ended with a move to the bullpen.

The SF Giants should look to shed at least one of their multi-year deals in the offseason

The Giants signed him to a two-year, $18 million contract. This includes a team option for a third year with a $4 million buyout, moving the guaranteed portion up to $22 million.

The Giants hoped that they were getting a bargain deal for a potential mid-rotation arm. However, the veteran starter has displayed a wide range of outcomes throughout his 10-year career. With the Giants, that outcome has landed more on the unfavorable side.

In hindsight, that investment was probably not worth the midpoint in Houser’s range of outcomes. For now, he shifts to the bullpen with the hopes of bolstering a unit that has struggled badly.

On the other hand, Harrison Bader signed a two-year, $20 million pact with San Francisco. The front office hoped to improve the outfield defense, and Bader has been one of the best defensive outfielders since he made his major league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. On paper, he checked that box.

The right-handed bat was coming off of a career year at the plate but there were plenty of regression indicators, including an unsustainable .359 babip.

Bader has struggled .557 OPS in 111 plate appearances while appearing in only 30 games. He has missed most of the season with a pair of leg injuries and his return is not imminent.

The Giants are not winning with Houser or Bader, and neither of their contracts are prohibitive. Could the Giants find a taker for at least one of those deals? The Philadelphia Phillies look like a logical landing spot for Bader, as they are targeting a veteran outfielder.

On the other hand, Houser could muster up some interest if he performs well in a bullpen role. His contract might be a bit steeper given that he is throwing in a non-closing role. There is no obvious landing spot, but nearly every team is seeking bullpen help at the trade deadline.

The Giants could sweeten the deal by pitching in some cash to facilitate a trade for either player. At this point, it might be best to hit the reset button and try to allocate that money more effectively in the offseason.

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