Sources: Giants shopping Chris Heston

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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- With an abundance of starters on their 40-man roster and in the high minors, the Giants are shopping Chris Heston, per league sources. 

The team is discussing a deal with the Mariners, a source confirmed to CSNBayArea.com.

Heston, 28, was the pleasant surprise of the 2015 season, starting 31 games and posting a 3.95 ERA with 12 wins, one of which was a no-hitter in New York. He was a first-half savior for a staff limited by age and injuries, but the Giants filled their rotation that winter by signing free agents Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. Matt Moore was acquired in the middle of the summer and Ty Blach and Matt Cain are expected to compete for the fifth starter spot.

The urgency to deal Heston comes because the Giants have to add Mark Melancon to the 40-man roster this week and they are currently out of open spots. 

Heston made just four appearances in 2016 after being moved to the bullpen. It was a transition that didn't quite take, and he ended up back in the minors, making 14 starts for the River Cats as he worked to regain some of the velocity that was lost when he dropped 15 pounds during offseason workouts. An oblique injury led to Heston being put on the 60-day DL in June, and ultimately ended his season. 

It was unclear if the Giants were gaining any traction in discussions Wednesday, but at least a couple of teams had reached out to see if Heston might be the right fit. In a market completely lacking starters, he could be a cost-effective option for the back end of a rotation. 
 

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