MLB rumors: Giants getting ‘a ton’ of trade calls on LHP Will Smith

Will Smith was one of the Giants' most dependable pitchers last season, and that makes the veteran reliever appealing to teams that are trying to contend.

The Giants are receiving "a ton of calls" on Smith, according to The Athletic's Mark Saxon.

Source: The #SFGiants have gotten a ton of calls on lefty Will Smith and the #STLCards are among the most aggressive pursuers. Might be tough as Giants aren’t keen on losing him.
— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) December 11, 2018

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According to Saxon, the Cardinals are making an aggressive push for Smith.

St. Louis, which finished with an 88-74 record but missed the playoffs, is pushing all its chips into the center of the table. The Cardinals acquired All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from the Diamondbacks last week, and adding a reliable back-of-the-bullpen arm would go a long way to bolstering their playoff hopes.

But would the Giants move Smith? They just non-tendered Hunter Strickland, and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said Monday that move was made partly because of the depth the Giants' bullpen possess with Smith, Tony Watson, Reyes Moronta and Ray Black.

After missing the 2017 season because of Tommy John surgery, Smith pitched in 54 games this past season and moved into the closer's role. He posted a 2.55 ERA and converted 14 saves while striking out 71 batters in 53 innings.