10 Giants to watch ahead of Trade Deadline

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Buy? Sell? Stand pat?

The Giants’ direction is still unclear as they inch closer to Tuesday’s 3 p.m. PT Trade Deadline, but their chances of selling likely increased following their disappointing 2-5 road trip through Colorado and Los Angeles. They showed signs of life in an 11-4 romp over the last-place Rockies on Friday night, but they still entered Saturday five games below .500 (50-55) and 5 1/2 games out of the final National League Wild Card spot.

With only a 14.1% chance of making the playoffs, the Giants could ultimately decide to take advantage of the seller’s market and try to acquire more young talent that could help the club in 2025 and beyond. Here are 10 players they could shop if they decide to head down that path:

The All-Star starters: LHP Blake Snell, RHP Alex Cobb

After a disastrous start to his Giants tenure, Snell is finally looking like the two-time Cy Young Award winner that everyone expected him to be after signing a two-year, $62 million contract in March. He’s posted a 1.00 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 18 innings in three starts since returning from the injured list and should have plenty of eyes on him when he takes the mound for Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Rockies.

Snell, 31, is owed $30 million next year, with $15 million deferred to 2027, though he will have the ability to opt out at the end of this season. The Giants struggled to move another All-Star left-hander, Carlos Rodón, due to the opt-out clause in his contract two years ago, so there’s no guarantee Snell will be dealt, though he still figures to generate significant interest from teams in need of a frontline starter.

Cobb has yet to pitch in the Majors this year due to a lengthy rehab from left hip surgery and right shoulder issues, but he’s on track to make his season debut next week and could be another trade target for contenders who are on the hunt for more starting pitching depth. The 36-year-old veteran is making $10 million this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season, making him a pure rental this summer.

The corner infielders: 3B Matt Chapman, 1B LaMonte Wade Jr., 1B Wilmer Flores

Chapman, like Snell, will have the ability to test free agency again this offseason if he declines his $17 million player option for 2025, which could complicate his trade market. Still, the two-time Platinum Glove Award winner has started to heat up after a slow start, logging an .857 OPS with six homers over his last 27 games, and continues to play otherworldly defense at third, making him one of the Giants’ most valuable players this year.

Wade, 30, missed a month with a left hamstring strain earlier this year, but he’s been an on-base machine when healthy and could be an attractive option for teams in search of an impact bat. Wade is earning $3.5 million this year and will be under team control through 2025. Flores’ chances of being traded likely diminished after he landed back on the 10-day injured list with right knee tendonitis on Thursday, but he has a track record of crushing lefties and has shown he can be effective in a bench role.

The veteran outfielders: OF Michael Conforto, OF Mike Yastrzemski

After receiving a jolt from the emergence of young players like Heliot Ramos, Brett Wisely and Tyler Fitzgerald, the Giants could be motivated to trade Conforto or Yastrzemski to open up a path to regular playing time for Luis Matos down the stretch.

The Mets are reportedly open to a potential reunion with Conforto, who spent the first seven seasons of his career in New York before joining the Giants on a two-year, $36 million deal ahead of the 2023 campaign. Yastrzemski could be a more affordable option for teams in need of a left-handed-hitting outfielder, as he’s owed $7.9 million this year and will be under team control through 2025.

The bullpen cogs: LHP Taylor Rogers, RHP Tyler Rogers, RHP Camilo Doval

With Jordan Hicks expected to transition to the bullpen soon, the Giants could likely afford to part with some of their relief depth. Taylor Rogers might be the most obvious trade chip, as he’s recorded a 2.27 ERA over 42 appearances and is making $12 million this season, the second year of the three-year, $33 million deal he signed in December 2022. It would probably take a lot for the Giants to consider moving Tyler Rogers or Doval, but high-leverage relievers are always in demand this time of year, so they should be open to listening to offers.