NEW YORK -- The Giants have watched for two days as Aroldis Chapman has hit 104 mph with his fastball, but they don't anticipate the radar guns at AT&T Park being tested. The sense around the team on this final day of the road trip is that Chapman is headed elsewhere.
The Giants checked in on Chapman repeatedly, but it has been all silent in recent days from the New York end. The price is said to be exorbitant, and one the Yankees likely don't believe the Giants can match. Chapman is known to be a target of the Cubs, Nationals and Indians among others, along with left-hander Andrew Miller, who doesn't seem all that available a week from the deadline.
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So, the Giants won't be leaving New York with a new closer on the plane, but their search continues. Team officials have said repeatedly this week that they're looking for a significant piece for the bullpen, and and that remains the focus. Philadelphia's Jeanmar Gomez is one player the Giants have targeted, and with 26 saves and a 2.76 ERA he is the kind of player who could slide right into the eighth or ninth.
While there was some trade action earlier this month, several teams with ninth-inning arms are still trying to figure out if they are buyers or sellers. Kansas City (Wade Davis) and Pittsburgh (Mark Melancon) certainly fit this mold. Even the Yankees, who have made Chapman available, haven't been all-in on a selloff. They have signaled they will keep Miller.
The Giants have talked to teams within their division, but the fit is hard to see. The Brewers have two players, Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith, who would help, but those players are currently packaged with bigger names like Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy. The catcher obviously can't help the Giants, and Braun has never been a target.
On this front, the staff certainly likes what Mac Williamson has done on this trip, and that lessens the need a bit to go out and find an extra outfielder, especially with Hunter Pence due back soon. Regarding position players, the Giants are focused on depth, and Tampa Bay's Steve Pearce is one player they have publicly been connected to. Pearce plays all over the field, and could provide coverage in case Matt Duffy is slow to recover from an Achilles injury.