Should San Francisco Giants Put Together Trade Package For Cy Young-Caliber Ace?

The San Francisco Giants could bring in a star this offseason who could boost their rotation for years to come.

Sep 18, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

This offseason will be huge for the San Francisco Giants and their new executive Buster Posey.

After missing out on the playoffs for the fifth time in six years under the leadership of former president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, they moved on from him and brought in the legendary player to take over those responsibilities.

But with Posey's contract being much shorter than other deals around the league, it seems like the window for him to turn this Giants team into a contender is small.

How San Francisco approaches things this winter will be telling as well.

They have not shied away from spending money in the past, but they haven't been able to land the superstar free agents who hit the open market.

Perhaps that changes this time around and they are able to lure Juan Soto away from the New York Yankees, or convince Corbin Burnes to come out west, or sign slugging first baseman Pete Alonso to a long-term deal.

One thing Posey and the Giants have to figure out first is if they want to bring back their ace Blake Snell on a huge contract after he put together an elite back half of the season that will allow him to opt-out of his current deal and hit the open market.

The two-time Cy Young winner was searching for something in the $300 million range last winter, and despite his elite form in 2023, no team was willing to meet those demands.

San Francisco was able to land him on a relatively affordable deal that had outs if he performed well, and after it looked like they would surely have him back next year, his execution down the stretch now should earn him the massive contract he originally was seeking.

If the Giants aren't willing to hand out that much cash, they'll have to bring in another top-end arm so they can compete for a spot in the playoffs.

Someone they could make a trade for is Framber Valdez.

Chandler Rome of The Athletic highlighted how the Houston Astros are weighing options on how to ensure they'll be competitive in 2025 and beyond, and that could include moving the star left-hander if they get back the right package in return.

"Replenishing the farm system while maintaining the Astros' status as a contender should be one of Brown’s foremost goals this winter. No easier path exists than exploring trades for one of these two impending free agents, even if it goes against the club's previous patterns. Remember, nothing is off the table ... The surplus of starting pitching Houston accrued this season might make it easier to part with Valdez," the insider writes.

Adding the two-time All-Star and World Series champion would be a huge boost for this rotation.

Not only would Valdez be a replacement for Snell, but he would also cost much less than the two-time Cy Young winner if they work out a long-term deal. He would also still give San Francisco a one-two punch at the top alongside Logan Webb.

Because the Giants are in the National League, the Astros might be much more inclined to trade him to San Francisco, which could help them outbid other pitcher-needy teams.

There has been no indication the Giants are interested in making this type of move, but if they decide signing Snell to a megadeal isn't in their plans, then this is definitely something Posey and his front office should pivot to this offseason.