San Francisco Giants All-Star Deemed 'Buy-Low' Trade Candidate

The San Francisco Giants could move on from a player who hits free agency in a few months.

Jun 26, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Michael Conforto (8) hits a home run against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Oracle Park. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants have their biggest series of the year starting on Monday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nearly a week from the trade deadline and 3.0 games out of the third Wild Card spot, the Giants can't afford to lose this four-game set.

Beating the Dodgers in Los Angeles won't be an easy task, but if this ball club wants to be buyers in a week, it might be the only thing that allows them to do so.

Around the industry, San Francisco has been one of the teams at question in recent weeks. It's still uncertain what the team will do in the next few days, and their inconsistent play is the reason for that.

While they've dealt with plenty of injuries and haven't played well for much of the year, the National League struggling as a whole has kept them in the playoff picture. Other teams are giving the Giants every opportunity in the world to make the postseason, but they've failed to take advantage of that just yet.

Losing this series against the Dodgers doesn't end their season by any means, but it could be a good indication that they might sell. In the event that they do sell, there are multiple players who could be moved to contending teams.

Blake Snell has pitched well since returning from injury, but if a contending team is willing to move a decent haul for the former Cy Young Award winner, it wouldn't be surprising to see him moved. The same could be said for other veterans, too, including outfielder Michael Conforto.

Conforto, who hits free agency in the offseason, could be the ideal player to trade, given his contract situation. He hasn't played well recently, either, making it easier to move on.

His below-average play led Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report to name him one of the "buy-low" trade candidates of the deadline.

"Perhaps Michael Conforto has never developed into the perennial All-Star he seemed destined to be early in his career with the New York Mets. But his home/road splits in 2024 suggest he could provide a big boost if the Giants are willing to move him in the coming weeks."

If they were to move the one-time All-Star, it's tough to imagine a scenario where they get back a big haul. However, if they believe they're out of the playoff race next week, there's not much of a reason to hold him and then lose him for nothing in a few months.