San Francisco Giants Should Target Slugger as Hitter ‘Who Could Be Available'

The San Francisco Giants offense would improve if they traded for this one-time All-Star.

Jun 21, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Jesse Winker (6) in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The 39-42 San Francisco Giants need to make moves in the coming weeks as they head into the MLB trade deadline.

While a variety of injuries have slowed the offense down, much of the issue with the team has been due to the multiple setbacks they've faced on the mound. Adding an offensive threat wouldn't be a bad decision.

The Giants currently rank 13th in batting average, 12th in OBP, 17th in OPS, and 14th in runs scored as a team. As a whole, it's fair to say that this offense is the definition of average.

In some scenarios, teams can get away with having an average offense. It isn't always the case, but if that team has one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, they can often find some success.

Still, that's a risk, and one that the front office shouldn't be willing to take. It doesn't mean that they need to overpay for a star if one becomes available, although adding one certainly wouldn't upset the fan base.

In the event that a star doesn't become available, or they aren't willing to move multiple pieces for one, San Francisco could take a different approach. With a team full of proven veterans, why not add another one?

According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, an anonymous scout doesn't know what to think about the Giants' deadline plans.

Rogers added that under Farhan Zaidi, there haven't been many leaks about what they plan on doing.

"Under Farhan Zaidi, San Francisco has kept things close to the vest. The Giants have landed in the muddled middle because they are void of stars in a competitive NL West that includes fellow wild-card competitors in the Diamondbacks and Padres, all of them well behind the division-leading Dodgers."

Despite being behind in the division, they're right in the hunt to land a Wild Card spot, so making a move or two should be part of their plans.

Eno Sarris of The Athletic listed players on the trade block, including Jesse Winker.

Winker does pose a challenge in terms of finding a place for him to play, but he's having an impressive offensive season. If he continues to produce and San Francisco traded for him, they'd have to find a way for him to get consistent at-bats.

The one-time All-Star is currently slashing .261/.378/.414 with nine home runs and an OPS+ of 132.

He'd be an immediate upgrade to some of the struggles the offense has faced, making him an intriguing, cheap option.