Matt Johnson
The San Francisco Giants have one of the highest payrolls in MLB this season yet sit well below the .500 line in late May. It’s led to recent MLB trade rumors about the club being sellers this summer, but it might not be quite as aggressive as first reported.
Less than a week after Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Giants “would love to unload” Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee, MLB insider Robert Murray of Fansided has refuted that information.
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The Giants front office is reportedly “optimistic” regarding all four players getting back on track. There have already been promising signs of a turnaround at the plate from Devers, who entered MLB games today with a 1.078 OPS in May with 3 home runs.
Adames, the club’s only viable option at shortstop for the foreseeable future, is also performing better as of late. He boasts a .333/.344/.367 triple-slash line in his last 30 at-bats, recording 5 RBI in that span.
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That’s not to say that the Giants aren’t willing to be sellers at the MLB trade deadline. It’s an option for the regime, but a complete teardown of the roster and moving the players who Buster Posey signed to long-term deals is unlikely.
Instead, San Francisco would likely do what other sellers do in the summer. Pending free agents, from starting pitchers Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle to second baseman Luis Arraez, would be made available. There are always teams in need of pitching and infield help, so the Giants won’t have a shortage of suitors if they decide to move the trio.
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