Let’s see what we can do to help the Giants in their quest to challenge those pesky Dodgers.
The Boys of Summer are back, and words cannot express my excitement! The first MLB pitchers and catchers will report in four days, and the first NCAA Division I games start five days later.
As happens every year, big questions loom as we approach the new season. On the MLB front, one of the most significant issues is how we will stop the Dodgers from winning again.
At least for the guys at my bowling alley, there may be an answer. They are big Giants fans, three of many transplants from the Bay Area to the Tulsa metro. Unfortunately for them and the Giants, per FanGraphs, the NL West is projected to be the group of death this season in the National League. There is still a lot of pressure on San Fran to contend this season, as they have already committed $176 million to players for the year, with four commitments of over $20 million already penciled in for 2026.
One suggestion that could be made would be signing Pete Alonso over LaMonte Wade Jr., who is eligible to become a free agent next season. This would be another commitment of $20+ million for at least until 2029. Alonso has just turned 30, so his value will likely decrease throughout the potential deal from his THE BAT X projection of .332 OBP and .480 SLG. He also hasn’t been a great player at getting hits off balls in play throughout his career, with a career mark of .262.
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Instead, I would try to make something happen in the trade market during Spring Training. Matt McLain from Cincinnati may be the answer. Tyler Fitzgerald is the Giants’ current second baseman but only played six games last season, as most of his time was spent at shortstop. Now, that role is filled by Willy Adames. Fitzgerald also was fortunate in his at-bats last season when he put the ball in play and struck out over 30 percent of the time. His fielding wasn’t great either, with a .958 fielding percentage in 594 innings last season at his primary position, one of the six he played in the year.
For math nerds like me, that is a -2.9 Ultimate Zone Rating per 1242 innings (7 2/3 per game.) That isn’t good enough to start in the middle infield, where teams trade offense away for the ability to field. To get McLain, the Giants will likely have to give up a few prospects to make the deal work. The Reds need relief pitching, and trading McLain would likely send them more toward a rebuild. I would deal away some low-level starting pitching prospects like Jacob Bresnahan, the 26th-ranked prospect in the Giants system. He will likely move to relief as he moves up the ranks or near-ready relievers like Trent Harris (15th in the system) and Reggie Crawford (10th in the system.)
Another option would be to look at a designated hitter, as the Giants don’t have one. Currently slotted there is Wilmer Flores, who is now entering his age-33 season. He also had a knee injury that made him miss half of the season in 2024. What performance he had was a complete collapse compared to the previous three seasons, with his power vanishing almost into thin air. His average exit velocity went down from 86.4 mph in 2023, a mark below his career average, to 83.5 mph last year. That may not seem like much, but that is the difference between sending the ball over the fence and putting it on the front edge of the warning track.
A good replacement would be Kyle Manzardo from Cleveland. He still has six years of team control and has developed well. He is more of a contact hitter with some power and a lot of plate discipline, though he is only beginning to find it at the major league level. He is also about league-average on defense at first base, should it be needed. I think personally, however, slotting into the 3-hole every day between Adames and Chapman would be enough to make a deal worthwhile.
The Guardians are weak in the back end of their rotation, and I would offer some Triple-A level starters for Manzardo. The Giants are spoiled for choice in this regard, as they have four highly ranked young right-handers to trade away. All four of them are on the 40-man roster, as well. I think that any of them would work for the deal, but Mason Black would be the one I trade for him, along with some cash or another prospect.
Finally, I would sign David Robinson for one year and $10 million. He has been remarkably consistent in the bullpen when he has had the opportunity to pitch, with an ERA under 4.00 every year he has pitched over 20 innings. His age seems to have never affected him. I think he would slot in as the set-up man for Ryan Walker or as a co-closer.
Overall, these deals help the Giants get into a playoff position in a wild NL West. I can see this team not being one the Cubs, Brewers, Mets, and Phillies would want to draw in the Wild Card round. And after that, who knows?
