The San Francisco Giants have already pulled off the biggest trade of the MLB season by acquiring Rafael Devers, a move that not only reshapes their own roster but also alters the balance of power in the NL West. However, their trade activity likely isn’t over. Despite the addition of Devers, the Giants have a clear strategy heading into the deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal.
“They still need another bat—preferably at second base, where they ranked fourth-worst in OPS entering Thursday,” Rosenthal noted. “The only player close to fitting that role on The Athletic’s first edition of its Top 30 trade candidates was Ramon Urías of the Orioles, who primarily plays third base. But more options may surface as the deadline nears.”
San Francisco has tried Tyler Fitzgerald, Christian Koss, and Brett Wisely at second base. Fitzgerald excelled in a utility role last season with an .831 OPS across multiple positions, but his numbers dropped significantly (.629 OPS) when used exclusively at second this year. Shifting him back to a utility role and adding a true everyday second baseman seems like a logical next step.
As Rosenthal highlighted, the trade market doesn’t offer many clear options. If the Giants are open to a rental, they could look at Pittsburgh’s Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, who, while playing mostly shortstop and third this year, has experience at second.
Another possibility is Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe, arguably the top second baseman on the market. But with the Rays on a hot streak, they may be reluctant to deal one of their key hitters. The Giants still have assets to move, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see one of these names end up in San Francisco before the deadline.
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