The Giants are hanging tough in the playoff race, but they’ll need reinforcements to stay there.
After a hot 19-10 start, San Francisco has cooled off in May, playing .500 baseball. They’re currently 31-22, clinging to a one-game lead over the Cardinals for the third Wild Card spot — though it’s probably too early to obsess over playoff positioning.
Whether it’s another arm for the rotation or a new first baseman, the Giants could use some help at the trade deadline. The challenge this year? With so much parity across baseball, it’s tough to identify which teams will be selling when July rolls around.
But one baseball analyst sees a clear opportunity with the Baltimore Orioles, who sit in the AL East cellar and could provide San Francisco with a reliable starter for the stretch run.
Jim Riley of BALLCAP Sports recently predicted the Giants would trade for Tomoyuki Sugano, the 35-year-old MLB rookie who came over from Japan this winter on a one-year, $13 million deal.
“Give me the San Francisco Giants,” Riley said. “I’m building my postseason rotation here. I would feel much better going (Logan) Webb, Sugano, and then Robbie Ray.”
“If you’re getting bad Robbie Ray in October, you won’t have to worry about it if you have added another reliable arm like Sugano.”
Sugano has been impressive through his first 10 major league starts, posting a 3.07 ERA and 1.3 bWAR. What’s remarkable is he’s doing it without missing many bats. He’s struck out just 32 hitters in 58 2/3 innings while allowing 10 home runs.
That’s where Oracle Park comes in. If home runs are your weakness, there’s hardly a better place to pitch than San Francisco. Sugano’s low walk rate and reliance on his defense to make plays behind him makes the Giants an ideal landing spot. The veteran-rookie hybrid could be exactly what the Giants need to bolster their rotation for a playoff push.
