The San Francisco Giants are right in the thick of the playoff picture in the National League with a 33-26 record entering play on June 2.
They are within arm’s reach of the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, who look to be two of the elite teams in the NL along with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.
If the Giants are going to remain in the race, they know they will need to see an uptick in offensive production.
Their pitching is good enough to compete, especially with Logan Webb and Robbie Ray anchoring the rotation. With youngsters Landen Roupp, Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison all holding their own as well, the upside is there in the rotation.
In the bullpen, San Francisco has one of the best relief staffs in baseball with Randy Rodriguez, Erik Miller, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval all performing well.
Getting the offense on track will be the name of the game for the Giants to contend, which means they should be active ahead of the trade deadline looking for some help.
One position that is in desperate need of an upgrade is first base, where LaMonte Wade Jr. has finally remained healthy, but is not producing near the level he has the last two years.
San Francisco can try Jerar Encarnacion there, but that shouldn’t deter them from finding some alternatives outside of the organization.
With only a stopgap option needed since Bryce Eldridge is the long-term option at first base, they should be scouring the market for established veterans on short-term deals.
That would also keep the price tag down, which is partly why left-handed pitcher Joe Whitman was named the team’s most tradeable asset by Yardbarker.
“If San Francisco stays in the postseason hunt and becomes a buyer at the deadline, look for it to deal prospects to boost October chances. That could include Whitman, who is the seventh-best prospect in the Giants organization,” they wrote.
Dipping into a strength to address a weakness is the best course of action for a franchise looking to trade.
With so much young pitching already on the Major League roster and even more at the Triple-A level above Whitman, using him as the centerpiece of a trade package makes a lot of sense.
He isn’t a top 100 prospect who will bring back an All-Star-level contributor, but an established MLB veteran on a team not looking to contend this year should be within reason to acquire.
A second-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft, Whitman has a 3.53 ERA across 43.1 innings in 2025 with 49 strikeouts. He has done a wonderful job of limiting damaging contact, giving up only three home runs.
