As we inch closer to the August 1st MLB trade deadline, buyers and sellers across the league are finalizing their respective wish lists and preparing to do business.
One team that will certainly be buyers this season is LaMonte Wade Jr.’s San Francisco Giants. After Monday night’s loss, San Francisco has six dropped six a row and are fighting for the final National League Wild Card spot.
They do, however, know exactly how they want to improve their ball club before falling out of the race completely.
San Francisco Giants Want Shortstop & Frontline Starting Pitcher
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, San Francisco has reportedly “Prioritized” shortstop and a “Significant” starting pitcher as their target upgrades as they look to overtake the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
As we saw with their pursuit of Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge this pervious offseason, the Giants have never been afraid to pursue the biggest stars. This deadline, two of the biggest names available that fit exactly what they are looking for are both currently in Chicago.
Marcus Stroman, Tim Anderson Would Put Giants Over The Top?
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman and Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson are two names that should rate high on San Francisco’s list. Stroman especially, who is extension eligible after this season and would provide another quality arm to a Giants rotation that gets incredibly thin after number two starter Alex Cobb.
Stro has been open about his desire to return to Wrigley, and made it be known again after his last start. “At the end of the day, it’s a business so we hav e to treat it as such, even though we have this love for this fan base and this organization,” said Stroman. “It’s hard to kind of separate it at times. I love being a Cub. I love everything about it.”
The Cubs are waiting to see how their squad finishes 2023 before deciding their budget for the future, a plan that puts a hold on Marcus and his desire to return. Despite the delay, He still is open to a return.
“No matter what happens, I would hope that they would be in the mix in the offseason when it comes to my free agency. Whatever happens, happens. If I have to go somewhere else and pitch for two months and then come back, you know what I mean?”
If he is unable to secure a deal with Chicago, the Giants present a scenario where we could see Stroman be rewarded for his work during the playoff push with a new contract. As for the other area of need, Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox is a player San Fran should be all in on. He struggled to begin the year, but since the All-Star break Anderson has once again looked like the dynamic leadoff man we love.
Over his last 7 games (as of July 23rd) TA is slashing .414/.485/.483 and only struck out four times in his last 29 AB’s. Anderson would be perfect to replace the injured Brandon Crawford and could slide over to second base when Crawford returns like he did in the World Baseball Classic.
The Dodgers are rumored to be interested in Anderson, so a move like this could serve multiple purposes for the Giants.
Anderson would give them a quality hitter at the top of their lineup, setting the tone. Sprinkle in a Cy Young contender like Stroman and this may be a recipe for playoff success.
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