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As the Giants head into the final week before the All-Star break as bona fide, breakout contenders, the trade talk around the league is just starting to heat up. It’s clear San Francisco could benefit massively from adding another starting pitcher towards the front of the rotation, which would allow them to ease pressure off the shoulders of guys like Logan Webb and Johnny Cueto, who could be shifted towards roles as long bullpen arms in the postseason if need be.
What’s clear is that there’s one starting pitching name atop the pile in potential trade discussions: Max Scherzer. Scherzer is now 36 years old, but still dominant, and in the midst of a resurgent season, with a 2.10 ERA and on the final year of what was a seven-year, $210 million deal. He’s on a $34.5 million salary this season.
The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser joined KNBR’s Adam Copeland on Tuesday to talk about all things Giants and whether they could be viable contenders in the Scherzer sweepstakes.
“Scherzer’s gonna be the big prize,” Slusser said. “And how fun would that be? He doesn’t just come with that great resume and a lot of postseason experience, but he’s got a big personality. Everyone know him. That would be pretty fun. I mean, I think he’s got a pretty good reputation as a clubhouse guy and a leader. He’s been through the ringer. I’m sure he would love it – oh my gosh – to get another chance maybe at a postseason berth with a really good team and play with Buster Posey. Every starting pitcher is like, oh, wow, if I could play with Buster that would be phenomenal. So I’m sure he would love it.”
The obvious question, then, is cost. What would the Giants be willing to give up in order to get Scherzer for a playoff push?
“He’s gonna cost a pretty penny,” Slusser said. “Even if you pick up his payroll, he’s still going to probably cost you a decent prospect or two. So he’s the one everybody’s going to be circling. But yeah, I think somebody with club control; they might part with somebody interesting. No, (Marco) Luciano, No, (Heliot) Ramos is going to go anywhere. I can’t imagine but maybe somebody else in the top 15, maybe.”