SF Giants rumors: Five potential trades with the Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are expected to be sellers at the MLB trade deadline, and they have many pieces that could entice the SF Giants.

The SF Giants have plenty of options heading into the upcoming MLB trade deadline. With several holes on the roster, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi could approach improving the team in a myriad of ways. The Detroit Tigers are a seller who seems to have several potential targets for the Giants. Moreover, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris was hired away from the Giants last offseason.

Here's a look at five potential trades the two sides could make:

SF Giants left fielder Luis González scores against the Minnesota Twins. (2022) / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Potential trades between the SF Giants and Detroit Tigers
1. José Cisnero for Luis González, Ben Madison

There is a clear impending roster crunch throughout the Giants organization on the 26-man, 40-man roster and throughout the minor leagues. With that in mind, it seems like the Giants could be a candidate to make a deal similar to the Tony Watson trade back in 2021 when San Francisco seemed to overpay for a rental reliever with several pieces on the periphery of the organization's depth chart.

José Cisnero has been a consistent middle reliever with the Tigers over the past four seasons and is slated to be a free agent at the end of the year. This season, Cisnero has a 3.86 ERA (3.68 xERA, 4.31 FIP, 4.27 xFIP) and is right in line with his career numbers. He's a perfectly solid middle reliever. 

Unless the Giants trade Heliot Ramos or Bryce Johnson before the deadline, Luis González seems like a legitimate candidate to be designated for assignment when he exhausts his minor-league rehab. 

Ben Madison has flashed an impressive two-pitch mix this season but will likely be selected in this offseason's Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to the 40-man roster. If the Giants are not planning to do that, they might package him at the deadline.

González could easily improve the Tigers' outfield depth this season and has plenty of team control remaining. Madison would be an easier add to the Tigers' 40-man roster and could compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster next year.

Potential trades between the SF Giants and Detroit Tigers
2. Zach McKinstry for Diego Velasquez, Bryce Johnson, and Jack Choate

The Giants hoped Brett Wisely (Giants Top 22 Prospect) could be a solid left-handed hitting utility infielder/outfielder off the team's bench. However, the rookie clearly needs more time to develop at Triple-A. Zach McKinstry is a left-handed hitter who has been solid defensively at nearly every spot, including second base, shortstop, third base, left field, and right field.

McKinstry actually began his career with the Dodgers, overlapping with Zaidi and Giants manager Gabe Kapler's tenure in the organization before he was traded to the Cubs last July. He was dealt once again, this time to the Tigers, in March.

Over 699 big-league plate appearances, McKinstry has a .224/.291/.377 triple-slash, which is right in line with his .242/.315/.369 line this season. That's obviously not exceptional, but it would be a notable upgrade for the Giants over the production they have gotten from their left-handed hitting options at third base, shortstop, and second base this season.

McKinstry is under team control for several seasons following the year, which obviously adds to his value. However, he's not proven to be a productive enough piece to come with a massive price tag. A trio of intriguing prospects like Diego Velasquez (Giants Top 25 Prospect), Johnson, and Jack Choate could be enough to do the trick.

Velasquez has had a breakout season at Single-A, hitting .310/.391/.440 as a 19-year-old with an advanced hit tool, eye, and plate approach. Johnson is one of the fastest players and best defensive outfielders in the Giants organization and has an .889 OPS this season at Triple-A. He's struggled in limited MLB opportunities, but the 27-year-old should at least be a viable fifth outfielder. Choate is a lanky lefty who the Giants drafted in the ninth-round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He has a 2.25 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 24 walks in 68 innings pitched (18 games) between Single-A and High-A this season.

Potential trades between the SF Giants and Detroit Tigers
3. Jason Foley for Wade Meckler, Tyler Fitzgerald, Tristan Beck, and Randy Rodríguez

Jason Foley might be one of the most underrated players in the major leagues right now. Foley has emerged as an elite setup arm this season, posting a 2.38 ERA in 45 appearances with peripheral stats that suggest his performance has only benefitted from a marginal amount of good luck (3.01 xERA, 2.24 FIP, 3.35 xFIP).

The Giants' bullpen is already one of their greatest strengths, but adding another dynamic late-inning option could be another way to approach the deadline if they are unwilling to part with the prospects to get a starting pitcher.

High-end relievers with several years of team control, like Foley, usually command at least one top-100 prospect, which is part of what would make this deal potentially attractive to the Giants. However, Foley still has a limited track record and rarely generates swings and misses. If Harris is concerned about Foley's long-term prospects, a package of several high-floor, low-ceiling pieces that he knows from his time in San Francisco could be intriguing.

Tristan Beck might be the biggest piece of this potential package. Beck has been a consistent swingman for the Giants this season, posting a 3.06 ERA (3.78 xERA, 4.17 FIP, 4.48 xFIP) in 50 innings pitched (20 appearances) with 38 strikeouts and 12 walks in the majors as a rookie. Beck may not have a strong enough arsenal to be a starting pitcher, but he's already been an effective multi-inning arm.

The Tigers do not have a clear long-term option at second and third base, both spots where Tyler Fitzgerald should be able to hold his own. He's also a viable shortstop and has begun playing the outfield for the first time this season, something scouts have long speculated he could do. An excellent athlete, Fitzgerald has hit .294/.361/.517 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases (24 attempts) in 80 games this season between Double-A and Triple-A.

Wade Meckler has been one of the Giants' breakout stars from their 2022 draft class, reaching Double-A in his first full season. Meckler lacks power but has an incredible hit tool and has the potential to be at least an average defender in all three outfield spots. Between High-A and Double-A this season, Meckler has a .377/.452/.513 triple-slash with nearly as many walks (31) as strikeouts (38) in 261 plate appearances.

Rounding out the package would be reliever Randy Rodríguez, a 23-year-old righty with a fastball that has reached the high-90s and a potential plus slider. Rodríguez has struggled with command but has dominated his way through the minors before struggling this season at Triple-A. He could easily be a viable seventh or eighth-inning arm by the end of next season.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws a pitch against the SF Giants. (2023) / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Potential trades between the SF Giants and Detroit Tigers
4. Michael Lorenzen for Grant McCray, Landen Roupp, Sean Hjelle

Michael Lorenzen was the Tigers' lone All-Star selection this season and has been a solid mid-rotation starter. Lorenzen has completed 105.2 innings pitched over 18 starts and posted a 3.58 ERA with solid peripherals (4.06 xERA, 3.89 FIP, and 4.22 xFIP). He may not seem like a significant upgrade over other players currently in the rotation, but he's averaged nearly six innings per start this season, which would easily rank second on the Giants this season behind ace Logan Webb.

Lorenzen signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Tigers last offseason and is slated to be a free agent, making a trade likely. The Giants also pursued Lorenzen in free agency, suggesting the front office and coaching staff like what the righty has to offer.

Grant McCray (Giants Top 12 Prospect) is a dynamic athlete with plus-plus speed, plus power potential, and a penchant to work walks. After a breakout 2022 season at Single-A San Jose, McCray has struggled a bit more at High-A in 2023. With that said, he's still hitting .253/.350/.423 with 12 home runs and 35 stolen bases in 92 games.

Landen Roupp (Giants Top 14 Prospect) is a sinker/slider pitcher who has been dominant at Double-A this season, recording a 1.74 ERA with 41 strikeouts and nine walks in 31 innings pitched (10 starts). He has been limited by injuries and may lack a third pitch, but he seems to have a decent shot to at least reach a Jakob Junis-esque outcome.

Former second-round pick Sean Hjelle (Giants Top 34 Prospect) has bounced between Triple-A and the majors this season and has been usurped on the organizational depth chart by other arms. That said, he has a 3.73 FIP in 42.1 career MLB innings pitched and would be an upgrade over several depth arms toward the fringes of the Tigers 40-man roster.

Potential trades between the SF Giants and Detroit Tigers
5. Eduardo Rodríguez for Mason Black, Heliot Ramos, David Villar, Sean Manaea

While Cardinals southpaw Jordan Montgomery and Cubs ace Marcus Stroman have gotten the lion's share of attention, Eduardo Rodríguez belongs in the conversation amongst the best rental arms on the market. A consistent mid-rotation starter throughout his career, Rodríguez has bounced back from a down 2022 with one of the best seasons of his career.

Rodríguez spent some time on the injured list with a blister this summer, which likely robbed him of his first-career All-Star selection, but he still has a 2.95 ERA (3.45 xERA, 3.18 FIP, and 3.62 xFIP) with 91 strikeouts and 21 walks in 88.1 innings pitched (15 starts).

Rodríguez technically has three years, $49 million remaining on his current contract, but is almost a lock to opt-out if he finishes the season healthy. While that presents some downside risk for an acquiring team, since Rodríguez will presumably only opt in if he suffers a serious injury or has a big step back in his production, the fact that declining his opt-out would keep him under team control for multiple seasons beyond 2024 makes it easier to envision him eventually producing.

Mason Black (Giants Top 12 Prospect) would be the centerpiece of this trade package. The Giants third-round pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, Black has emerged as the team's best prospect from that class. Black overhauled his mechanics at the start of the season to terrible results, but he has been dominant at Double-A and Triple-A since returning to his old form.

Over his last 10 starts, which includes three at Triple-A, Black has a 2.23 ERA in 44.1 innings pitched with 60 strikeouts and 16 walks. He could easily make his big-league debut before the end of this season. While he has all the pieces to become a mid-rotation starter, the Giants may be willing to give up Black's upside for a more immediate upgrade.

David Villar and Heliot Ramos are two power-hitting bats that seem to have fallen out of favor in San Francisco that would have a much easier path to playing time in Detroit. Villar might immediately become the Tigers' everyday third baseman and Heliot Ramos might be a much-needed right-handed outfield bat. Sending that duo to the Tigers would free up a pair of Giants' 40-man roster spots for other moves and give each of them an easier path to a full-time MLB role.

As the final piece of the deal, the Giants would send back veteran lefty Sean Manaea, unloading the rest of his two-year, $25 million contract that also has a player opt-out at the end of this season. Manaea has been trending in the right direction, which could be promising enough for the Giants to hold onto him. With that said, he still has an ERA north of 5.00 this season.