The MLB trade deadline is less than six weeks away. If the SF Giants are buyers, they may need to part with some good players or prospects. Which players should be considered untouchable at the MLB trade deadline?
3 untouchable SF Giants players at the MLB trade deadline
The National League looks like it could be on the weaker side in 2024. This could bode well for the Giants and a bunch of other teams as well.
With a 36-37 record, the Giants in the Wild Card race. In fact, they currently hold the third spot in the Wild Card standings. As things currently stand, the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Chicago Cubs will be among the teams competing for a playoff spot.
The Giants could certainly look at ways to upgrade the roster. Interestingly, the starting rotation likely will not be a major area given that Blake Snell, Alex Cobb, and Robbie Ray are expected back soon.
The bullpen, bench, and outfield could all be areas of need at the trade deadline. If the Giants buy, they may need to part with some talent. That said, they have a few players who should be considered off limits.
1. Logan Webb
This one is straightforward. Logan Webb is in the first year of a five-year, $ 90 million extension he signed at the start of the 2023 season. That deal already looks like a bargain.
The right-handed hurler has a 3.02 ERA, 2.74 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 7.6 K/9, and a 3.90 SO/W ratio through 15 starts in 2024. He has been one of the best pitchers in the league for the past few years but looks poised to earn his first All-Star bid as well.
One quality that stands out with Webb is that he is a workhouse. He leads baseball with 500.2 innings pitched since the start of 2022. You do not see that type of durability these days.
Plus, the 27-year-old is local to Northern California, is a competitor on the mound, and has become a vocal leader for the organization. He is not going anywhere.
3 untouchable SF Giants players at the MLB trade deadline
2. Patrick Bailey
When teams start to turn the corner, a young catcher is usually at the forefront of that movement. Of course, Buster Posey coming up in 2010 is one example, but Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles and Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks are a couple more recent examples. A good team is normally anchored by a good catcher.
Have the Giants officially turned the corner yet? It might be too soon to say. The youth movement is slowly taking place and the pace of it has probably been slower than many fans would have hoped. That said, one thing is certain and it is that Patrick Bailey is the catcher of today and the future.
The 25-year-old catcher made a strong impression behind the plate last season as he was the runner-up to Moreno for the NL Gold Glove Award at catcher.
The bat slowed down late in the year as Bailey reached a career-high in games played at 125 games split between the majors and minors. Overall, he posted a .644 OPS with seven home runs in 353 plate appearances with the Giants last season.
However, he has quickly and quietly emerged as one of the better two-way catchers this season. The switch-hitter is slashing .286/.360/.435 (130 wRC+) with five home runs, 23 RBI, and 18 runs in 179 plate appearances. His control of the strike zone has improved as well as his ability to consistently hit the ball hard.
The Giants have not drafted and developed many position players over the past decade. but Bailey’s impact so far should be considered a win by the front office.
3 untouchable SF Giants players at the MLB trade deadline
3. Heliot Ramos
Speaking of players drafted and developed, Heliot Ramos has hit the ground runner since being recalled at the beginning of May. The 2017 top pick shuttled between Sacramento and San Francisco over the past couple of years, but it looks like he is here to stay.
This is not something I necessarily expected a month ago, but Ramos has not only solidified his role on the Giants roster, but he is in the running to be an All-Star in July. Who could have expected that?
The last time the Giants drafted an outfielder to make the All-Star team with the club was Chili Davis. He was selected in the 11th round of the 1977 draft out of Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, California. The longtime outfielder made three All-Star appearances with his first one coming in 1984 with San Francisco. 40 years later, the Giants could finally be on the cusp of breaking that curse.
Ramos has registered a .328/.404/.577 line (179 wRC+) with nine home runs, 31 RBI, and 16 runs in 156 plate appearances. He is tied with Thairo Estrada for the team lead in home runs despite being in Sacramento for the first month of the year. Plus, his wRC+ is fifth in baseball among hitters with at least 150 plate appearances. The few players ahead of him include Aaron Judge (207 wRC+) and Juan Soto (190 wRC+).
Not only that, but Ramos has seen more time in center field lately. He may never be a Gold Glove center fielder, but he looks like he can handle the position. His type of defensive acumen and power is tough to find.
