San Francisco Giants Should Target 'Likely' Mets Player To Get Traded

The San Francisco Giants have been about average in most offensive categories this season. They haven't necessarily been bad, but improvements could certainly help them add a different dynamic to the team.

With Jung Hoo Lee going down with a labrum tear in his left shoulder, adding an outfielder before the MLB trade deadline could come back to help this team.

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Giants are focused on finding a center fielder.

In the same article, Bowden listed players most likely to be traded by the New York Mets, which included Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, and others.

Alonso, if he gets dealt, would arguably be the best player on the market.

San Francisco should see what the Mets are looking for as he'd add a massive power bat to a team that could use help on that front.

However, outside of Alonso, Marte wouldn't be a bad option.

His defense hasn't been great, ranking in the 1st percentile in OAA, according to Baseball Savant. That'd be a major issue if he was in center field as playing in the outfield at Oracle Park is tough, and having a below-average fielder like Marte wouldn't help. This would be a warranted worry for the front office as they look for help.

But perhaps the Giants could take a different approach and focus on his offense.

He's been playing right field during his time with New York, but has plenty of experience as a center fielder, playing in 119 games at the position in 2021.

Despite the defensive worries, he's produced in one of the worst lineups in baseball.

At 35 years old, Marte is slashing .275/.323/.406 with six home runs and 23 RBI. He's two years removed from an All-Star selection when he posted a 132 OPS+.

According to Bowden, the Mets trading getting back young assets in return would be their best option.

"The Mets have needs all over the diamond and throughout the pitching staff. Trading for as many good young players as they can would be their best play at the deadline," he writes.

While his price likely wouldn't be much, San Francisco does have players in the farm system who could interest New York.

This could be one of the smaller moves the front office should make, as adding a veteran hitter to a team looking to make a postseason push makes sense and that's exactly what Marte would bring.

It should be a busy deadline for this front office as a postseason birth is right there for the taking more than 60 games into the year.