Could San Francisco Giants Pull Off Massive Trade for Chicago Cubs Slugger?

The San Francisco Giants remain strong in the race for the postseason with a 25-19 record and just 3.5 games back in the National League West.

However, Wednesday night’s 8-7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks showed a potential crack in the pitching rotation, with righty Jordan Hicks continuing to regress.

Hicks gave up five runs on seven hits through a mere two innings pitched against the Diamondbacks, and he now carries a brutal 6.55 ERA and a 60 ERA+ along with a 1.52 WHIP.

With Hicks on a current trajectory to the bullpen at this rate, manager Bob Melvin could instead capitalize on the opportunity to move him.

The Chicago Cubs are a contender who could provide a fresh start in return for some slugging power.

Should Giants Swap Jordan Hicks for Cubs Star Seiya Suzuki?

Both the Cubs and Giants are arguably a few critical pieces away from a World Series-caliber roster.

For Chicago, that’s a starting pitcher with Justin Steele being out for the season and a below-league-average 4.02 ERA and 101 ERA+.

They’ve been linked to several ace-level starters ahead of the trade deadline, but as Johnny Flores Jr. of The Athletic (subscription required) recently reported, that hole may be quite difficult to fill.

“It also creates a tall task for Jed Hoyer’s front office, as the Cubs won’t be the only team in search of a starter (see No. 1), and through the early parts of the season, it looks like it’ll be slim pickings come July.”

Should that market be indeed scarce, they take a chance on a second-season starter who is still finding his footing.

Despite his struggles, Hicks hasn’t had issues finding the strike zone, as he’s only allowed 16 walks to 41 strikeouts.

In fact, his 3.48 FIP shows some potential bad luck on batted balls or defense. It doesn't excuse his apparent slump.

For Chicago, that might be worth exploring, as they need to add a starter to compete in October.

Meanwhile, San Francisco could probe a potential disgruntled situation that circulated in December when right fielder Seiya Suzuki was moved to DH.

While those rumors were quelled, his agent suggested during Winter Meetings that he would not have signed with a team who pitched him at designated hitter in free agency.

He’s since settled into the role, but the slugger may be the missing piece the Giants need.

MLB executives recently suggested San Francisco doesn't have the offensive firepower or depth to make a commanding postseason run, and they currently stand with a team 101 OPS+, merely above league average.

Suzuki could bring much-needed slugging. He’s currently only posting a .239/.298/.509 slash line but has a 126 OPS+.

His power is shown in his commanding .270 ISO, and Suzuki is tied for a team-leading 11 home runs on the year.

It would be a bit of a surprising shakeup, as Suzuki hasn’t been circulated as a trade piece in months, but he could certainly be dealt for a starting pitcher.

The Cubs might want a higher caliber than Hicks, but they may not have that much freedom of choice and could bet on some potential in the rotation to part with a DH whose lack of defensive prowess could make him expendable.