The Aug. 2 trade deadline is fast-approaching, and the Giants picked a poor time to play some of their worst baseball of the season.
After taking five of six games before the All-Star break, San Francisco has lost eight of nine — including their first 0-7 road trip since 1985. According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the front office is listening to trade offers on veterans Carlos Rodón and Joc Pederson.
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman also reported that the Giants are open to moving anyone outside of ace Logan Webb. This doesn’t necessarily mean the Giants will sell, and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters earlier this month that he considers his club a playoff team.
“Any time you’re in a position — and I consider us to be in a position to make the playoffs this year — you’re going to want to push some chips in,” Zaidi said July 12.
But those comments came before the Giants’ recent slide. San Francisco is currently four games out of the third wild card spot and Fangraphs gives SF an 18.1% chance at making the postseason. At the All-Star break, that number was over 50%.
Moving Rodón and Pederson would signal punting on the second half of the 2022 season, but would make sense to build for the future.
Neither Rodón nor Pederson would likely wear a Giants uniform next year; Rodón can opt-out of his contract and seek a long-term deal, and Pederson will be a free agent. Both players, then, are considered rentals on the trade markets.
If Rodón is in fact available, he’d be the most sought-after talent for a contender. Every team pushing for the playoffs would improve with Rodón, an All-Star who has a 3.18 ERA and National League-best FIP.
Rodón is talented enough to start the first or second game of a postseason series. Although he has an extra year of control, the Mariners just unloaded four prospects — including the No. 12 ranked Noelvi Marte — for starter Luis Castillo. High-end starters are in demand, and Rodón would be the top arm.
Aware of possible trade rumors, Rodón told The San Francisco Chronicle this week that he would prefer to stay with the Giants.
“Some of this is out of my control,” Rodón told The Chronicle. “I’m sure it crosses other players’ minds. I look forward to winning with this team,” Rodón said. “I don’t really want to be traded, but I understand the business aspect of it. It’s part of the game.”
Rodón’s next scheduled start is Sunday against Chicago in Oracle Park.
Pederson, meanwhile, is currently on the injured list with a concussion and has been slumping. He leads the Giants in home runs with 17, but his last one came on June 25. He’s hitting .133 in 16 July games.
But Pederson showed last year when Atlanta traded for him at the deadline that he can provide serious pop. Perhaps a change of scenery would benefit the 2021 two-time World Series champion. And if the Giants don’t expect to re-sign the Palo Alto native after this season, it could behoove them to recoup value for him.
Other Giants whose deals expire at the end of the year include Dominic Leone, Wilmer Flores and Brandon Belt.