Farhan Zaidi

Zaidi vows Giants will be ‘aggressive' at trade deadline

Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi made it clear he's willing to make the moves necessary for his team to be playing in October.

Share
NBC Universal, Inc.

The month of June typically represents the make-or-break point for MLB playoff contenders.

The Giants, one game below .500 through 59 games, fall into that category. Their 2023 MLB season has been a mixed bag so far, exemplified by their 5-2 road trip against division leaders in Minnesota and Milwaukee only to return home to Oracle Park and drop four of six games to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles.

But when the playoffs roll around in October, the Giants plan to be there. And they are willing to do what it takes at the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

"We think we have everything we need to compete within the walls of our clubhouse," Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said to MLB Network Radio's Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on Sunday's "Front Office Show" episode. "But the trade deadline is a long ways away. Injuries can happen, other things can happen.

"As we approach it, it’s really a goal of ours to be in the playoffs this year. So, I think we’ll be aggressive when we get to [the trade deadline]."

Entering Monday, the Giants are 5 1/2 games out of first place in the NL West, a stage currently shared by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers. It's way too early to start talking wild card, but it is noteworthy San Francisco is 2 1/2 games behind there, too.

The Giants' offense, fueled by LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto and a few up-and-coming rookies, ranks in the middle of the pack in just about every category. 

The bullpen appears to be a strength after a dominant month of May led by flamethrower Camilo Doval, who is establishing himself as one of the best closers in baseball. But depth in the starting rotation, considered a strength heading into the season, now is looking shaky at best.

Logan Webb and Alex Cobb have pitched like All-Stars, but Alex Wood and Ross Stripling are on the injured list and Anthony DeSclafani has allowed 17 earned runs over his last five starts. Sean Manaea now resides in the bullpen after struggling through his first six starts in Orange and Black.

RELATED: Humm Baby: Remembering former Giants manager Roger Craig

While Zaidi is open to making moves at the trade deadline in 57 days, he still believes in the roster he constructed in the offseason.

"When we look at our team, we think it’s a pretty deep team," Zaidi said Sunday. "We’ve worked really hard on our depth. We’ve worked really hard on creating a layer of younger depth where, when we have injuries, we can go to Triple-A Sacramento and bring guys up. That’s been a theme for us.

"And that’s what our hope is -- as we need reinforcements, or even as guys are banging the door down, that the improvement comes from within."

Giants fans hope those reinforcements include the long-awaited debut for top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison. And if the team continues to hang around the playoff picture, they'll be calling for trades come Aug. 1, too.

It appears Zaidi will be listening.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Contact Us