Five trades the SF Giants could make to get more athletic

The SF Giants reportedly want to get more athletic this offseason. Marc Delucchi identifies five trades that could help them achieve that goal.

As the SF Giants head into the offseason, many fans are hopeful the franchise will find a way to add some athleticism to their team. It seems that the front office is indeed looking to do exactly that. Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle, "We’ll look to add a little bit more speed, a little bit more range to the outfield.” While they could look to address that via free agency, it's almost always easier to add young, athletic talent in trades. After all, a September report that the Giants would consider shopping starting pitching depth to upgrade their lineup suggests that could be the case.

If they indeed go in that direction, here's five potential trades that could help address the team's needs.

SF Giants SP Keaton Winn pitches against the Rockies at Coors Field. (2023) / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

5 trades that could make the SF Giants more athletic
1. Mitch Haniger, Keaton Winn, Ryan Walker for Tyler O'Neill, Tommy Edman (Cardinals)

There are two ways to get more athletic. One way is acquiring exceptional athletes. The other is parting with less athletic players to free up roster spots for more athletic alternatives. The Giants need roster spots, want to get more athletic, and have a surplus of upper organizational pitching depth. The Cardinals have a surplus of athletic upper organizational hitting depth and need pitching.

It's no secret that San Francisco's decision to sign Mitch Haniger last offseason has not paid dividends thus far. While Haniger's offensive production was seriously lacking in 2023, his lack of defensive versatility further limits the Giants' roster flexibility. Of course, the Giants would not be able to move Haniger under his current contract, which guarantees him $32 million over the next two seasons, without some packaging a valuable piece.

Enter Keaton Winn and Ryan Walker, two of the Giants most promising rookie pitchers in 2023. Walker was one of San Francisco's most consistent relievers and even showcased the ability to be successful in multi-inning roles. Winn, on the other hand, was effective at Triple-A and the majors with an impressive splitter and upper-90s fastball.

Winn and Walker are the kind of arms who could immediately help the Cardinals solidify their pitching staff. The fact that they come with plenty of team control and upside makes it even more enticing.

The Giants return is undeniably light on upside, and that's the cost of St. Louis taking back Haniger's contract. However, Tommy Edman and Tyler O'Neill are both excellent athletes who would be immediate upgrades on the Giants.

O'Neill is a career .248/.318/.458 hitter with above-average speed who has been a consistently solid defender in all three outfield spots, although he has primarily played left field in recent years. Edman lacks O'Neill's big-time power but is a contact-oriented career .265/.319/.408 hitter who has stolen 89 bases over the past three seasons and is one of the most valuable all-around defensive players in the league. Edman has consistently graded out as elite defensively at shortstop and center field, two valuable positions where the Giants have clear needs.

While they are both solid players, O'Neill and Edman play positions where the Cardinals have higher upside prospects vying for more consistent playing time. Furthermore, O'Neill is slated to be a free agent after the 2024 season and Edman is only under team control via arbitration through 2025.

It would be difficult for the Giants to part with two young arms as promising as Winn and Walker, but the organization has plenty of pitching depth and already seems to be planning to add to the rotation this offseason. However, O'Neill and Edman would immediately plug multiple holes on the roster and enable them to unload Haniger's contract. In one trade, the Giants could get a lot more athletic and give themselves plenty of offseason flexibilitydd.

Twins DH Byron Buxton doubles against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. (2023) / Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

5 trades that could make the SF Giants more athletic
2. Carson Whisenhunt, Kai-Wei Teng for Byron Buxton (Twins)

If the Giants want to get more athletic, it's hard to imagine acquiring a better athlete than Byron Buxton. With the Twins looking to cut payroll this offseason, and Buxton coming off another injury-riddled season, it's not hard to imagine Minnesota considering shopping the former top prospect in the league.

Acting like Buxton would solve all of the Giants' problems would be disingenuous. He's only played at least 100 games in a season once in his entire career and Minnesota did not have him play center field at all in 2023 because of a hamstring injury. While he underwent a knee procedure that the team hoped would allow him to return to form at 100%, there is undeniable uncertainty.

Yet, despite his struggles to stay on the field, Buxton's production is hard to argue with. Buxton has consistently been arguably the best defensive center field in the league when he has been on the field, and has an OPS north of .800 since 2019. In fact, Buxton accumulated at least 4.0 fWAR in 2021 and 2022, something no Giants center fielder has done since Ángel Pagán in 2012.

Buxton has five years left on his current contract, which obviously carries risk given his durability concerns. However, his contract only pays him $15 million per season, far from an amount that would overwhelm a MLB payroll. Given Buxton's undeniable upside and the Giants need for star power, that's worth the risk.

Of course, it takes two teams to make a trade. If the Twins are cutting payroll, it might make sense to trade the player who was limited to designated hitting last season. With Minnesota's biggest needs in the rotation, a top-100 pitching prospect like Carson Whisenhunt and another upper minors pitching prospect who was effective out of the rotation at Triple-A (Kai-Wei Teng) would have to be an intriguing package. 

While trading a top pitching prospect for someone with health concerns, there are limited offseason options with true All-Star upside this offseason. Would the Giants rather bet on Jung-Hoo Lee's making the jump from the KBO, guarantee Cody Bellinger $150 million or more and give up a future draft pick despite some concerns in his batted-ball profile, or-if it's on the table-part with Whisenhunt and a secondary piece to commit to a five-year, $75 million contract to Buxton? 

SF Giants third baseman J.D. Davis hits a two-run home run at Oracle Park. (2023) / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

5 trades that could make the SF Giants more athletic
3. J.D. Davis, Austin Slater for Joey Wiemer (Brewers)

J.D. Davis and Austin Slater are both solid big-league players who have helped the Giants win plenty of games over the past two seasons. However, they both are going to be free agents after next season and are unlikely to provide the premium upside San Francisco is searching for. The Brewers, on the other hand, are a team that constantly looks to patch holes to remain relevant.

Milwaukee may be on the verge of pulling the plug and entering a full-blown tank, but if they want to try and build one more contender before several prominent players likely depart in free agency next offseason, Davis and Slater would fill immediately holes on their roster. (If the Brewers bow out of adding proven talent, I would keep an eye on the Blue Jays as a potential landing spot for Davis and the Guardians and Mariners for Slater).

For the Giants, Joey Wiemer would give them a bonafide elite defensive center fielder with plus-plus speed and power potential. Wiemer was a borderline top-100 prospect entering last season but saw his stock dip as he hit just .204/.283/.362 in 410 plate appearances as a rookie. He did show some platoon splits, suggesting he may be ready to step into a Slater-like role, but more importantly, it would give the Giants an optionable player with a high defensive floor in center field behind Mike Yastrzemski.

The Brewers already have outfielders Christian Yellich, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell (all of whom bat left-handed) already at the MLB-level. While Wiemer could emerge as the perfect fourth outfielder to compliment them, Slater is far more proven in that role. Moreover, with Jackson Chourio, arguably the best prospect in the minor leagues, knocking on the door of the majors, Milwaukee might be more willing to part with Wiemer than they would otherwise. Milwaukee also has a massive hole in third base that Davis would immediately address.

Orioles 2B Jordan Westburg fields a ground ball against the Rangers. (2023) / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

5 trades that could make the SF Giants more athletic
4. Tristan Beck for Jordan Westburg (Orioles)

The Orioles are another squad with a surplus of bats who are expected to keep their eye on pitching depth. While the Giants would love to find a way to pry Cedric Mullins or even Joey Ortiz away from Baltimore, Jordan Westburg seems like a more likely fit. Westburg, the 30th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, was excellent in the minor leagues and hit .260/.311/.404 in 228 MLB plate appearances as a rookie with underlying data that makes it easier to envision him maintaining at least that level of production.

Westburg lacks the big-time tools of many other players in the Orioles organization, which is a key reason it's easier to envision him getting traded, but he also was a solid defender at second and third base in the majors and has held his own at shortstop in the minors. 

While Marco Luciano would still be ahead of Westburg on San Francisco's shortstop depth chart, having another young player capable of playing shortstop would give the Giants a much-needed backup plan at such an important position. If Luciano thrives, Westburg would be able to fall into a super-utility role and could possibly even experiment defensively in the outfield, where his plus speed would seemingly give him a shot at viability.

Tristan Beck was very effective as a rookie swingman with the Giants this season, but like Westburg, is not someone who succeeds with exceptional tools. With Baltimore and San Francisco looking to balance their rosters, swapping two valuable young players could make sense for both sides.

SF Giants OF Michael Conforto hits a three-run home run against the Twins. (2023) / Jesse Johnson -USA TODAY Sports

5 trades that could make the SF Giants more athletic
5. Michael Conforto for Marco Gonzales, Reid VanScoter (Mariners)

While the Giants may be inclined to gamble on Michael Conforto bouncing back, they are probably better off trying to find a trade partner for the former Mets' All-Star, clearing the way for younger, more athletic, players like Luis Matos, Wade Meckler, Heliot Ramos, and Tyler Fitzgerald or a free-agent/trade pursuit of an upgrade. Enter the Mariners, who are looking for a cheap replacement for Teoscar Hernández.

Conforto's $18 million 2024 salary may not seem like a bargain on the surface, but the Giants could easily offset that deal by taking back a player whose salary Seattle would like to get off their books. The two prime candidates are Evan White and Marco Gonzales. Unless the Mariners are willing to attach a top prospect with White (probably in the Emerson Hancock-tier), Gonzales makes the most sense.

Gonzales is owed $12 million in 2024 and only made 10 starts last season before undergoing season-ending surgery on a compressed nerve in his throwing elbow. Gonzales is expected to be available by spring training, but he's unlikely to be more than a five-starter in Seattle next year. 

This swap would essentially make Conforto's net effect on Mariners' payroll just $6 million, a bargain even given his down 2023. Enter Reid VanScoter, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, or another secondary prospect heading back to San Francisco in the exchange.