Could San Francisco Giants Target Red Hot Utility Man?

The San Francisco Giants could look to the Tampa Bay Rays utility man to fill a need ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Jun 2, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Amed Rosario (10) runs during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants are staying afloat in the race for a Wild Card spot, but still need some help on offense to close the gap.

As MLB.com's Mark Feinsand surveyed exactly what teams need ahead of the MLB trade deadline, San Francisco's holes couldn't be addressed by just one player.

"The Giants could use some middle-infield help, and although Mike Yastrzemski doesn’t believe his oblique strain will keep him out very long, adding an outfield bat would help the lineup, too," said Feinsand. "San Francisco’s sub-.500 record and negative run differential would indicate that the Giants need to improve in a few areas to boost their postseason odds."

An intriguing player to keep an eye on will be Tampa Bay Rays utility man Amed Rosario.

Though Tampa Bay has picked up some slack over the past couple of weeks, their season has been a bit of a disappointment. The front office could be open to moving on from some of the expiring contracts in return for prospects.

Rosario is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and his red hot bat will be attractive to suitors.

He's currently slashing .296/.320/.407 at the plate this season, but that has jumped up to .362/.415/.447 over the last month.

He doesn't hit a lot of home runs and doesn't draw a ton of walks, but drives in runs and can get on base consistently.

The 28-year-old fills a lot of holes defensively as well. He doesn't have a stellar glove by any means, but is serviceable in a lot of areas. Just this season he has played second base, third base, shortstop and right field but also has experience in the other outfield spots.

He's best on the infield, which is where the Giants need him the most. The current infield of Brett Wisely and Nick Ahmed aren't getting the job done and getting Thairo Estrada back from injury at some point won't suffice.

Rosario offers a more reliable bat than Ahmed or Estrada. Wisely has been a bit of a surprise since being being recalled, but isn't exactly someone to stake the season on.

The Rays signed Rosario to a one-year 'prove it' deal in the offseason and could cash in on the journeyman. A trade would bring him to his fourth team in two seasons. San Francisco's needs lineup perfectly with what he has to offer, making it a win-win situation.