For the last couple weeks, the Hot Stove League has been unseasonably cold. Following the trade of Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees and the Angels’ signing of Shohei Ohtani, all of Major League Baseball appears to be in a waiting period, in the hopes that the market value of a number of high priced free agents will dwindle as we approach Spring Training.
The Giants, who need at least another outfielder, are in the same boat. Additionally, trading for a big name player could also prove difficult, as the Giants seem to be unwilling to part ways with top prospect Heliot Ramos, who Giants beat writer Henry Schulman says is being asked about by every potential trade partner.
“Everybody on the trade market wants Heliot Ramos, the Giants’ No.1 pick from this year,” Schulman told Murph & Frandsen on Friday. “Everybody should be asking for Heliot Ramos — if you’re asking for a player who is young and in control — because that’s the best, maybe the only high impact prospect the Giants have right now. The Giants don’t want to part with him and they’re just waiting this out like everybody else.”
The Giants selected Ramos, 18, with the 19th overall pick in last year’s draft. Ramos is expected to be an outfielder and had a .348 batting average in rookie ball before a pitch to the head cut his season short. While Ramos is far and away the top prospect in San Francisco’s farm system, Schulman still believes the club is optimistic about a number of minor leaguers having an impact in the near future.
“Ramos is (the Giants’) only what I would consider ‘Top 100 Prospect,’” Schulman said. “The Giants have other prospects and they really do believe Steven Duggar is going to help them in 2018, but they don’t want to have him come to Spring Training after a year where he was hurt, didn’t have a full year, and say ‘okay, we’re trying to win a World Series this year, you’re our opening day centerfielder.’ That’s not something the Giants do, but they do believe he can play.
“Chris Shaw, they know he can hit, the only question with him is where they’re going to put him on the field, and that’s an issue right now. Bryan Reynolds they believe could be a decent corner outfielder, but you have to be honest, the Giants have not had a track record with outfielders and everybody knows the note that Chili Davis was the last All-Star outfielder they developed. The Giants don’t really draft for outfielders, they do that strategically. Now they have been. They used that pick for Ramos. This year they have the No.2 pick in the draft that could be an outfielder as well. It’s been an issue and they acknowledge it’s been an issue.”
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Hank’s comments on Ramos, skip to 4:20.