SF Giants deadline preview: Ranking every one of Farhan Zaidi's 70 trades

With just one month until the trade deadline, Marc Delucchi took a look at every trade Farhan Zaidi has made during his tenure with the SF Giants.

The SF Giants are expected to be major players at this summer's MLB trade deadline. In the thick of the National League West divisional race and armed with a deep farm system, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has a chance to make a lot of moves. How exactly has it worked out when Zaidi has made trades over his Giants' tenure? Well, the Giants have made 70 deals since he joined the team, and I ranked every one.

NOTE: The rankings are based on aggregate big-league contributions up to this point in time. While younger players obviously have an opportunity to improve and make more of an impact, I wanted to avoid letting my biases as an evaluator seep into the rankings. Also, the rankings tried not to take into account whether a player went on to succeed with the team that acquired them, but rather, how they performed after the trade during the remainder of their contract (or team control). Also, contributions are discounted the further they are from the original trade.

Farhan Zaidi's home run trades with the SF Giants

SF Giants RF Mike Yastrzemski watches his walk-off home run. (2023) / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tyler Herb for Mike Yastrzemski (Orioles)
Yastrzemski has become the new Brandon Belt, with a sizable portion of the fanbase convinced he's not a viable starter for some baffling reason. Nevertheless, he leads the Giants in most offensive categories during Zaidi's tenure. He's posted an above-average .244/.326/.467 triple-slash with 107 doubles, 13 triples, and 83 home runs alongside above-average outfield defense and has two remaining years of team control via arbitration after this season. Herb, on the other hand, has still not made his big-league debut.

2. Cash for Thairo Estrada (Yankees)
The days of acquiring MLB starters for cash were supposed to be over, but Zaidi found a solid starting second baseman in Estrada for nothing but a check. Estrada was a valuable utility bat in 2021 and has been a consistently above-average option at second over the past two years. He flashed All-Star potential earlier this season, but even if he remains the .266/.325/.423 hitter he's been since joining the Giants, he adds plenty of value in the lineup, defensively, and on the basepaths. He's also under team control via arbitration for three years after this season.

3. Shaun Anderson for LaMonte Wade Jr. (Twins)
Wade could make a case to be the best player Zaidi has acquired via trade as well. The fact that he was acquired for Anderson, who has had four short MLB stints since the trade and is currently playing in Korea, makes it even more impressive. Wade, of course, was a clutch-hitting sensation in 2021. He stalled last season due to injuries but has stepped in and filled Brandon Belt's shoes at first base with an All-Star-caliber first half. Plus, he has two years of team control left beyond this season

4. Darin Ruf for J.D. Davis, Thomas Szapucki, Carson Seymour, Nick Zwack (Mets)
This deal remains one of the most lopsided deadline deals in recent history. Not only did Ruf struggle mightily in New York, getting a release earlier this season before briefly returning to the Giants (he's now with the Brewers), but J.D. Davis has emerged as a legitimate All-Star third baseman. The trio of pitching prospects still has some upside to make this deal even better as well. Szapucki was impressive in his big-league debut in 2022 but underwent thoracic outlet surgery earlier this year. Seymour and Zwack have been showing flashes at Double-A.

5. Franklin Van Gurp for Alex Dickerson (Padres)
Lost in the shuffle of Zaidi's other early-tenure acquisitions that are still on the team, Dickerson's impact should not be overstated. He caught fire almost immediately upon joining the Giants in 2019 and led them on one of their hottest stretches of the season. He was also excellent while playing nearly every day in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. All in all, Dickerson hit .265/.334/.489 with 33 doubles and 29 home runs in 219 games over two and a half seasons with the Giants while Van Gurp has not pitched above High-A since the trade and is currently playing in an Independent League.

Farhan Zaidi's trade wins with the SF Giants

6. Ray Black and Drew Pomeranz for Mauricio Dubón (Brewers)
The Giants may have moved on from Dubón too soon (more on that later), but that does not change the value of the original deal. Pomeranz was slated to be a free agent at the end of the season and did prove to be an excellent setup arm for Milwaukee. However, Dubón was equally valuable in the second half of the 2019 season, playing virtually every day on the infield in the final month. In the years since Dubón has proven to be a valuable soft-hitting bat capable of handling tough defensive assignments like shortstop and center field. He's already amassed more than 1,000 MLB plate appearances since the trade and seems slated for many more with the Astros, where he is under team control through the 2026 season.

7. Derek Law, Alen Hanson, and Juan De Paula for Kevin Pillar (Blue Jays)
Remember Pillar? Zaidi's first trade for a proven big-league player worked out incredibly well. While the Giants non-tendered Pillar after just one season, he hit .264/.293/.442 with 37 doubles, 21 home runs, and 14 stolen bases. Law has kicked around the majors as a mediocre middle reliever, but Hanson posted a .392 OPS in 48 MLB plate appearances after the trade and De Paula never eclipsed Single-A.

8. Alex Blandino and cash for Stuart Fairchild (Mariners)
The Giants used Blandino and some cash to jump the waiver wire and acquire Fairchild last summer. He went 0-for-8 across five games with the Giants and was quietly designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Reds. Since, he's proven to be a valuable contributor in Cincinnati, hitting .252/.346/.446 with 16 doubles, nine home runs, and eight stolen bases in 282 plate appearances. More advanced metrics are skeptical that Fairchild will maintain this level of offensive production, but he's graded out as an above-average defender at all three spots. While it looks like the Giants gave up on Fairchild a bit too early, his success has vindicated the decision to trade for him.

Former SF Giants prospect Alexander Canario swings at a pitch with the Cubs during spring training. (2022) :: Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

9. Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian for Kris Bryant (Cubs)
If there's one trade in the positive group that still has a chance to move way down this list, it's this one. Kilian made his MLB debut with the Cubs last season but has yet to solidify himself in their big-league staff. Canario, though, hit 37 home runs last season in the minor leagues and was a top-50 prospect in the league before a severe injury during winter ball. He recently returned to the field, though, and should be back at Triple-A soon. Nevertheless, Bryant was a solid contributor with the Giants, hitting .262/.344/.444 with seven home runs in 51 games during their 107-win season and helped them win the National League West.

10. Cash for Trevor Gott (Nationals)
It may not have ended well for Gott with the Giants, but Zaidi acquired him for cash during spring training in 2019, and he was a solid setup option for one season before imploding in 2020. For what it's worth, Gott is still under team control and put the pieces back together and has been a solid middle reliever over the past two seasons with a 4.10 ERA (3.89 FIP) with 76 strikeouts and 20 walks in 74.2 innings pitched (75 games).

11. Blake Sabol for Jake Wong (Reds)

Trading an upper minor-league prospect for a Rule 5 pick comes with plenty of risk, but the Giants look like they came out ahead. Sabol defense at catcher and left field may be subpar, but he's been a solid offensive contributor, particularly against right-handed pitching. He will probably never be able to be more than a bench contributor because of his swing-and-miss tendencies and defensive limitations, but that's nothing to scoff at. Wong did receive his first big-league call up this week, but that was more out of necessity than strong performance.

12. Cash for Alex Young (Guardians)
Young helped stabilize the Giants bullpen last season, posting a 2.39 ERA in 26.1 innings (24 appearances). The Giants actually had another year of team control but chose to non-tender him. He's remained effective with the Reds so far this season and has a 2.76 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched.

13. José Marte, Sam Selman, and Ivan Armstrong for Tony Watson (Angels)
The Giants gave up a surprising amount of for the final two months of Tony Watson's MLB career, but the southpaw posted a 2.96 ERA in 26 appearances with San Francisco in their 107-win campaign in 2021. Selman and Marte have combined for 51 MLB appearances of their own since the trade, but neither has proven to be more than a fringe option.

14. Malique Ziegler for Tyler Austin (Twins)
Austin was in many ways the lesser version of Dickerson. He hit .185/.279/.400 in 70 games with the Giants alongside a .813 OPS against lefties before he was designated for assignment. While he has not appeared in the majors since 2019, Austin has been a successful player in Japan. Ziegler, on the other hand, never even reached the upper minors and has not played affiliate ball since 2019.

SF Giants catcher Austin Wynns catches a ball during warm ups. (2023) / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

15. Michael Plassmeyer and cash for Austin Wynns (Phillies)
Backup catchers aren't exciting, but they are useful contributors. Wynns was a stable backstop with the Giants last season, hitting .259/.313/.358 in 65 games, and has already spent time with the Giants, Dodgers, and (currently) Rockies this season. Plassmeyer made two MLB appearances with the Phillies last season but was released earlier this month.

Farhan Zaidi's neutral trades with the SF Giants

16. Jordan Johnson and cash for Connor Joe
Sometimes player development can put teams in a catch-22. Joe has turned into a solid big-league player, vindicating the Giants' decision to trade for him in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft. However, he's also acknowledged that his failure to stick with the Giants pushed him to make the adjustments that have unlocked his potential. Nevertheless, Johnson is out of affiliate ball and never reached the majors.

17. Cash for Anthony Banda (Rays)
Banda briefly pitched with the Giants Triple-A affiliate after the deal and was traded shortly after for Will Toffey (more later). Since, Banda has been an up-and-down fringe middle reliever with the Mets, Pirates, Blue Jays, Yankees, and Nationals. Since this trade, Banda has made 80 appearances with a 5.61 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched.

18. Will Toffey and cash for Luke Williams (Phillies)
Acquired to be an optionable replacement for Dubón, Williams only had 12 plate appearances with the Giants before he landed with the Marlins and appeared in 71 games. He's now with the Dodgers. His career .598 OPS does not suggest he has big-time upside, but he's worth keeping an eye on. Toffey still hasn't reached the majors.

19. Cash for Cory Abbott (Cubs)
Abbott never appeared in the Giants organization and was claimed off waivers by the Nationals roughly two weeks after the trade. However, he's racked up 60.1 innings pitched with the Nats over the past two seasons, mostly as a starter last year, posting a 5.07 ERA.

20. Cash for Breyvic Valera (Orioles)
The Giants acquired Valera for cash during Zaidi's first offseason, but he was designated for assignment in May of 2019. He was claimed off waivers by the Yankees and appeared in 12 games for them before he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays and appeared in five games with them. He stuck in Toronto, and hit .253/.313/.356 in 97 plate appearances as a utility infielder in 2021.

21. Cash for Scooter Gennett (Reds)
Gennett ultimately finished his career with the Giants, hitting .234/.254/.391 in 67 plate appearances before he was designated for assignment.

22. Cash for Daniel Robertson (Rays)
Robertson hit .333 in 13 games with the Giants in 2020 but posted a .577 OPS in a more prolonged big-league audition with the Brewers the following season.

23. Sam Dyson for Jaylin Davis, Kai-Wei Teng, Prelander Berroa (Twins)
This trade led the Twins to file a grievance against the Giants, although it did not win. Dyson almost immediately landed on the injured list after the trade and has been out of baseball after his ex-girlfriend accused him of abusing her. The players the Giants received, though, have yet to make an impact at the big-league level. Davis has flashed potential but has yet to break through in several short MLB stints while Teng was recently promoted to Triple-A. Berroa may be the best relief-pitching prospect in the minors right now, but he's still at Double-A.

SF Giants outfielder Lewis Brinson hits a home run. (2022) / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

24. Cash for Lewis Brinson (Astros)
Of the flash-in-the-pan Giants, Brinson's was among the funnest, blasting a pair of home runs in his first two games and infusing some fun last September.

25. Tristan Peters for Brett Wisely (Rays)

I'm still high on Wisely's chances of becoming a solid big-league piece, but he's struggled at the plate thus far.

26. Cash for Luis Alexander Basabe (White Sox)
Basabe never did a lot in the majors, but he appeared in nine games with the Giants.

27. Cash for Kevin Padlo (Mariners)
Padlo has had a cup of coffee with the Giants and a couple of other teams since the trade, but is still trying to stick in the bigs.

28. Cash for Matt Beaty (Royals)
Beaty appeared in four games with the Giants before he became a free agent and returned to the Royals.

29. Jeremy Walker for Ford Proctor (Rays)
Proctor appeared in seven games with the Giants and is still in the org at Triple-A while Walker has not had any big-league stints.

30. Raynel Espinal for Dixon Machado (Cubs)
Injuries (and the decision to trade Dubón) left the Giants without a shortstop at one point last summer, so they swapped upper minors veterans with the Cubs. Machado made 17 plate appearances with the Giants while Espina appeared in two games with the Reds.

31. John Andreoli and cash for Michael Reed (Twins)
Reed was 0-for-8 with the Giants while Andreoli would record a pair of his in seven plate appearances with the Padres in 2021.

32. Trevor Rosenthal for Tristan Peters (Brewers)
Rosenthal never appeared in a game for the Brewers while the Giants turned Peters into another solid piece.

33. C.J. Hinojosa for Erik Kratz
Hinojosa still hasn't made his big-league debut, while Kratz appeared in 15 games for the Giants and remained a fringe MLB catcher for another year after the deal.

34. Prelander Berroa for Donovan Walton (Mariners)
As I mentioned earlier, Berroa is probably the best relief-pitching prospect in the minor leagues. Still only 23, he has struck out 64 hitters this season at Double-A in 42 innings (20 appearances) with a 3.21 ERA in the hitter-friendly Texas League. One AL scout said this trade was the "worst trade of 2022." But Berroa has not made them pay yet.

35. Jacob Lopez for Joe McCarthy (Rays)
While Berroa has gotten a lot more attention, Lopez may actually be an even better prospect. The Giants 26th round pick in the 2018 draft, Lopez has a 1.90 ERA with 79 strikeouts and 27 walks in 61.2 innings pitched (15 games) this season between Double-A and Triple-A. The Giants got 10 empty plate appearances from McCarthy in 2020, but Lopez has a chance to make this deal one of the worst of Zaidi's tenure.

36. Cash for Isan Díaz (Marlins)
Díaz has a chance to make this deal look even better and will likely receive more opportunities to prove himself with the Giants this season. Nevertheless, he's 0-for-8 so far with San Francisco.

SF Giants pitcher Tristan Beck delivers a pitch against the Cubs. (2023) / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

37. Mark Melancon for Tristan Beck and Dan Winkler (Atlanta)

Speaking of trades that could soon shoot up this list, Beck has taken a huge leap forward since learning to trust his arsenal, and has proven to be a valuable rookie long reliever with the potential to stick in the rotation down the line. While the Giants immediately designated Dan Winkler for assignment after the trade, he actually was under team control for another season and posted a 2.95 ERA with the Cubs in 18 appearances in 2020.

With that said, Melancon was a weirdly effective closer in Atlanta over the remainder of his contract, recording 22 saves in 46 appearances (43.2 innings pitched) with a 3.30 ERA (2.81 FIP). The Giants themselves would probably rank this deal a lot higher simply for dumping Melancon's significant salary, but that's not really relevant to fans (particularly since the Giants didn't invest that savings in the 2019 or 2020 offseasons).

Beck's contributions have a deduction at the moment for timeliness since Melancon made his impact immediately after the trade, but given his current trajectory, this deal looks to be heading for a spot among the 10 best trades of Zaidi's tenure very soon.

None of the players in the below group reached MLB after the trade
38. Cash for Jacob Nottingham (Mariners)
39. Cash for Sam Delaplane (Mariners)
40. Cash for Jake Barrett (Diamondbacks)
41. Cash for Dalton Guthrie (Phillies)
42. Cash for Ben Bowden (Rays)
43. Cash for Bruce Maxwell (Mets)
44. Cash for Tobias Myers (Guardians)
45. Cash for Francisco Peña (Cardinals)
46. Corey Oswalt for Cash (Phillies)
47. Cameron Rupp for Cash (Tigers)
48. Steele Walker for Cash (Tigers)
49. Nick Duron for Cash (Padres)

50. Garrett Williams for Will Wilson and Zack Cozart (Angels)
Not one player in this trade has appeared in the majors since the deal. The Giants immediately released Cozart, and his $12 million salary, because this trade was about adding Wilson. He's been fine this year at Triple-A and will likely reach the big leagues in some capacity, but time will tell if he sticks.

51. Rob Brantly for Cash (Yankees)
Brantly has appeared in seven games with the Yankees since the trade.

52. Erik Kratz for Matt Seelinger (Rays)
Kratz appeared in six games with Tampa Bay.

53. Billy Hamilton for Jordan Humphreys (Mets)
Hamilton stole six bases in 31 games with the Mets that season.

54. Derek Holland for Cash (Cubs)
Holland struggled in 20 games with the Cubs out of the bullpen after the trade.

55. Skye Bolt for Cash (Athletics)
Bolt appeared in 42 games with the A's last year, hitting .198/.259/.330.

56. Yunior Marté for Erik Miller (Phillies)
Miller has done well this year in the Giants farm system but is still at Triple-A for now. Marté has a 5.95 ERA with 22 strikeouts and eight walks in 19.2 innings pitched.

SF Giants pitcher Jay Jackson throws a pitch. (2021) / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

57. Jay Jackson for Tanner Andrews (Atlanta)
Jackson has not received a significant opportunity in the majors since the deal. But he's remained solid in his big-league stints and a dominant Triple-A force.

58. Burch Smith for Cash (Athletics)
Smith had been solid with the Giants in 10 relief appearances that season and posted a 4.72 ERA in 37.2 innings with the A's.

59. Matt Boyd and Curt Casali for Andy Thomas and Michael Stryffeler (Mariners)
Boyd was a solid lefty out of the Mariners' pen in the second half of last season (1.35 ERA in 13.1 innings), but Casali struggled mightily in 16 games. Rentals on expiring deals, neither did enough to make this trade a true loss, even if Thomas and Stryffeller are still in the minors.

60. Mike Ford for Cash (Mariners)
Ford has actually posted an OPS of around .700 in 202 MLB plate appearances since the trade. However, that's not quite enough from a first baseman/designated hitter to land in the trade losses.

61. Anthony Banda for Will Toffey (Mets)
See everything about Banda in #17 and Toffey in #18.

Farhan Zaidi's trade 'losses' with the SF Giants

62. Cal Stevenson for Sam Long (Athletics)
Stevenson is already no longer a member of the Giants organization while Long has been a solid member of the A's bullpen since the trade. He has a 3.82 ERA (4.09 FIP) in 30.2 innings pitched (23 games). Moreover, Long had an option remaining, so the Giants did not need to keep him on the big-league roster.

63. Sam Coonrod for Carson Ragsdale (Phillies)
There may be off-field reasons to rank this trade higher, but Coonrod was a solid middle reliever in 2021 with the Phillies, recording a 4.04 ERA (3.71 FIP) with 48 strikeouts and 15 walks in 42.1 innings pitched. He struggled in 12 appearances in 2022, but he had been derailed by injuries.

64. Matt Wisler and cash for Michael Plassmeyer (Rays)
Wisler was terrible with the Giants after inking a one-year, $1.15 million deal. However, San Francisco pulled the plug a bit too early. Wisler posted a 2.15 ERA in 27 appearances (29.1 innings pitched) with 36 strikeouts and five walks.

65. Matt Joyce for Cash (Atlanta)
Did you know Joyce was a Giant? Well, he inked a minor-league deal with the Giants prior to 2019, but failed to crack their Opening Day roster. So, he was traded to Atlanta. He appeared in 128 games with Atlanta that season, hitting .295/.408/.450 with 10 doubles, seven home runs, 38 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 238 plate appearances.

SF Giants relief pitcher Gregory Santos throws a pitch. (2022) / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

66. Kade McClure for Gregory Santos (White Sox)
It might seem early to rank this deal from last offseason so poorly, but Santos has emerged as a top setup reliever this season with the White Sox at just 23. In 36 appearances, Santos has recorded a 2.63 ERA (2.52 FIP) with 40 strikeouts and nine walks in 41 innings pitched. Meanwhile, McClure's most memorable moment this season at Triple-A was a viral response to surrendering a home run.

67. Chris Stratton for Williams Jerez (Angels)
Stratton never lived up to the expectations that came with being a first-round pick with the Giants, but since he was traded, he's been a solid middle reliever. He has a 4.39 ERA (3.81 FIP) in 218 games since the trade and has been even better (3.96 ERA/3.41 FIP) since moving to a traditional one-inning role in 2020. He is in his final year of team control this season.

68. Mauricio Dubón for Michael Papierski (Astros)
See trade #6

69. Wandy Peralta and Connor Cannon for Mike Tauchman (Yankees)
The Giants had a deep bullpen and lacked quality outfield depth in 2021, so Zaidi used southpaw Peralta and a low-level prospect for Tauchman. Tauchman gave the Giants multiple memorable moments in their 107-win campaign, and it should keep fans from viewing this trade too negatively. Moreover, Tauchman's return to the majors with the Cubs this season has vindicated this move a bit. However, Peralta has been one of the most consistent left-handed relievers in MLB since the trade. He has a 2.76 ERA in 139 appearances (130.1 innings pitched) with the Yankees and could have gone a long way toward solidifying San Francisco's pen in 2022.

70. Tom Murphy for Jesus Ozoria (Mariners)
Few Giants fans probably even knew that Tom Murphy was ever in the organization, let alone remember this trade. But toward the end of spring training in 2019, the Giants used an extra 40-man roster spot to claim Murphy off waivers from the Rockies. They did not view him as a fit on their roster at catcher but knew other teams did. So, a few days later, they traded him for Ozoria who was released in 2021 after never reaching Single-A. The Giants had Buster Posey and Casali at the time, but Murphy has done well enough to suggest they should have held onto him.

Murphy has hit .243/.318/.444 in 213 games over the past four years with the Mariners and has graded out as league-average in almost every defensive category, per Statcast. Murphy has dealt with injuries, including missing the entire 2020 season, but he's been better than every Giants catcher except Posey and Patrick Bailey. Right now, he'd be the perfect platoon compliment for Bailey.

The Giants may not have won every trade during Farhan Zaidi's tenure as the team's president of baseball operations, but they have surely won bigger and more often than they have lost. With the trade deadline approaching, the SF Giants will look to add some more successful deals to this list in the coming weeks.