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San Francisco Giants: Who could get dealt at the trade deadline?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:07 p.m. ET

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Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants find themselves in last place in the National League West going into action last night. Who could go at the trade deadline if they sell?

Since 2009, the San Francisco Giants have finished below .500 just once. They've won three world championships and made the playoffs last season as one of the Wild Card teams.

The 2017 season, however, has not been kind to them. The team is full of veterans with some bloated contracts who aren't worth that anymore. Madison Bumgarner is on the shelf after a dirtbike accident. A once proud farm system that developed the core of those teams in players like Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum has struggled to develop prospects and looks quite barren at this point.

This combination puts the club in the situation it finds itself now. Going into action last night, they were tied for last place with the San Diego Padres, 12.5 games behind the division-leading Colorado Rockies.

For the first time in a long time, the San Francisco Giants may become deadline sellers and look to get some youth and prospects onto a team that has a pretty good core, but also some glaring needs (left field being one of them).

With any trade, you need to give to get. So, who for the Giants could be on the move by the time we hit the trade deadline on July 31? Let's take a look at some names that the San Francisco Giants could get some pieces for.

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INF/OF – Eduardo Nunez

When the Giants were looking for a table-setter for the top of the order before the trade deadline last season, they sent pitching prospect Adalberto Mejia to the Minnesota Twins for infielder/outfielder Eduardo Nunez. The Giants could send the soon-to-be 30-year-old to a team that's looking for what the Giants were looking for last season.

For one thing, Nunez is having a decent season. His numbers are down across the board from where they were during his All-Star campaign last year, but he's coming off a May which saw him hit .307 and steal six bases.

Nunez can play every position except first base and catcher, so that versatility will make him appealing to teams, especially in the shift era. Secondly, it's a short commitment. Nunez will be a free agent at season's end and he's only making $4.2 million this year.

If the Giants can get a prospect that is around the same quality that Mejia was (he's the Twins' eighth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline) then it's something that the Giants need to consider to help them reload.

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RP – Hunter Strickland

When he's not busy hitting guys over homers from the playoffs back in 2014, Strickland has been solid for the Giants this year out of the bullpen. Teams in the pennant race will look to bolster their bullpens, whether it's internally or through trades, and Strickland could certainly be a guy who is in demand if the Giants decide to put him out there.

He's not a free agent until after the 2021 season, so the fact he's so controllable could also help the Giants get a better piece for him.

Strickland thus far has a pitched to a 2.29 ERA and a 2.69 FIP. His 9.2 K/9 ratio is the second highest out of the Giants bullpen. He's putting up these numbers even with an inflated walk rate and a BABIP of .327.

Controllable pieces that can impact pennant races can get you some nice pieces back. Even though the Giants have problems in the bullpen in front of Mark Melancon, trading Strickland to help reload the team is something they should consider.

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SP – Johnny Cueto

Cueto is going to be tricky to trade if the Giants decide to go that route.

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We've all seen the kind of impact Cueto can have on a pennant race.  EveRoyals back in 2015, he won two games in the playoffs as the Royals won their first World Series since 1985.

The problem is, how do you market Cueto? Do you offer him up as a hired gun for the stretch run like the Reds did in 2015? Or, is he a 31-year-old pitcher who's going to make $21 million a year for the next four years with an option for 2022?

Cueto is 5-5 in 12 starts this year with a 4.38 ERA and a 3.82 FIP. He's given up way too many hits (76 in 76 innings), but the strikeouts are there, as he's struck out 77.

His HR/FB rate is inflated, up to 16 percent from just 8 percent last year. His BABIP is up to .305 this season, the second consecutive season it has gone up. However, the Giants defense has been the third worst in the game at -17 DRS, per Fangraphs. Maybe if Cueto goes to a better fielding team, he can see his numbers improve.

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SP – Matt Moore

If the Giants decide to not deal Cueto and trade another starter instead, look for it to potentially be Matt Moore. Moore has club options for $9 million next year and $10 million for the 2018 season. With free agent pitching being quite costly, having a pitcher at that price is important.

Moore has struggled this season. He's just 2-6 with a 5.22 ERA. Moore's K-rate is down 4 percent while his BABIP against is up 20 points from last season. That could have something to do with the Giants defense, as I mentioned when speaking about Cueto earlier.

His velocity is down as well. His fastball is down from almost 93 MPH last year to 91.9 MPH this year. He also seems to be favoring his cutter more, from 4 percent to almost 20 percent this year.

The Giants need some retooling. Dealing these four pieces can help speed the process along so they can get some more prospects into a system that desperately needs some. Getting out from under the contract of Matt Cain after this year when they decline his option and the contracts of Hunter Pence and Denard Span after next will as well.

The Giants certainly have the pieces to contend. However, it doesn't appear to be in the cards this year. With some retooling, maybe they can get some of that even-year magic back in 2018.

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