Giants Get Something for Almost Nothing in Minor Trade With Nationals

The San Francisco Giants turned a pitcher who was already on his way out into a young prospect with some potential.

San Francisco Giants hat and glove. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Few people are going to remember Friday’s trade between the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals as the move that transformed either franchise.

The Giants sent left-handed reliever Reiver Sanmartín to Washington in exchange for minor league right-hander Robert Cranz, turning a roster casualty into an actual return.

It was what some might call a modest piece of business, the sort that gets buried beneath free-agent rumors and winter meetings chatter.

The #SFGiants and Nationals completed a trade today with RHP Robert Cranz joining the Giants organization in exchange for LHP Reiver Sanmartín.

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) November 6, 2026

Considering where the Giants stood earlier in the week, however, it counts as a small win.

A Little Something for a Player on His Way Out

San Francisco Giants pitcher Reiver Sanmartin. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Giants designated Sanmartín for assignment Monday while sorting through a crowded 40-man roster. They had already decided he wasn’t part of their immediate plans, and the possibility of losing him without receiving anything was very real.

Instead, Washington offered Cranz, a 23-year-old reliever who has shown enough in the minors to be worth taking a look at. Nobody should confuse that with a major prospect haul, but getting a lottery ticket is better than watching one of your pitchers disappear for nothing.

Sanmartín wasn’t entirely expendable because he couldn’t pitch. The 30-year-old made 24 appearances for the Giants in 2026, posting a 4.22 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 21 1/3 innings.

He was better down the stretch, recording a 1.69 ERA over his final 19 outings. That was apparently not enough to convince the Giants to keep him around for another campaign.

An Interesting Arm, Not a 2027 Solution

Oklahoma State pitcher Robert Cranz. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cranz, a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2024, has demonstrated an ability to miss bats. He struck out 40 hitters in just 26 1/3 innings at Double-A this season while putting up a 3.42 ERA.

What wasn’t encouraging was his performance at Triple-A. Cranz finished with a 13.11 ERA in 11 2/3 innings at Rochester, which is the sort of statistical line that makes it pretty clear there’s some room for growth.

The Giants will get a chance to help him figure things out. He might spend next season in Sacramento — or somewhere else in San Francisco’s farm system — which seems more plausible than Cranz immediately becoming a major piece of the 2027 pitching staff.

Of course, the Giants have far bigger problems to solve this winter, and adding a minor league reliever won’t make much difference to their projected win total.

Buster Posey needs proven pitchers — something that’s been discussed ad nauseam at this juncture — as well as healthy players who look capable of competing again.