The Biggest Need the Giants Must Address Before the Trade Deadline

The San Francisco Giants are likely going to trade off several players by the deadline. But this is their biggest need.

San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Francisco Giants are one of the few teams in Major League Baseball with a clear direction at the trade deadline.

The Giants are too far out to contend for a playoff berth so they’re likely to trade players before the deadline. Some of those players could include second baseman Luis Arraez, starting pitcher Robbie Ray and outfielder Heliot Ramos.

All three could be gone by Monday. The players with bigger contracts like first baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Willy Adames, third baseman Matt Chapman and outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, are most likely staying put. The only two untouchable players are pitcher Logan Webb and rookie Bryce Eldridge.

What do the Giants need in return? There are several things this team could use. But this is the biggest need they have going into 2027.

Giants Biggest Trade Deadline Need

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s starting pitching — obviously. The Giants may trade Ray, but he is a free agent after the season and San Francisco is unlikely to re-sign him. The same goes for Tyler Mahle, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason and is also a free agent.

It gets worse from there. Trevor McDonald, who emerged as a quality starting option this season, is headed for UCL surgery and is out for the rest of the year and most of 2027. The only three MLB starters under contract that are healthy are Webb, Landen Roupp and Carson Whisenhunt. The news is more troubling down on the farm.

Plenty of the Giants Top 30 prospect capital is wrapped up in position players. The top six players all play a position. The highest-ranked pitcher is left-hander Jacob Bresnahan at No. 7, followed by right-hander Kenyer Martinez at No. 8. Neither is positioned to help San Francisco in 2027 unless they take a huge leap. Neither is at Double-A yet.

Right-hander Blake Tidwell is the closest starting pitcher to the Majors. He’s at Triple-A Sacramento. He’s pitched in eight games with the Giants this season, all in relief. He was a starter with the Mets organization, where he played from 2022-25.

The Giants are desperate for more pitching that can help them in the Majors next season. The good news is they have the assets that can bring that to them. Arraez is one of the best contact hitters in baseball. Ray has been a quality left-hander this season. Ramos can bring slug to any lineup.

San Francisco needs to demand starting pitching that has team control and is close to the Majors, if not already there. This is their best chance to replenish a pipeline that has talent but is a couple of years away from really helping them.