MLB Trade Scenarios: 5 Expendable Prospects Giants Can Use to Beef Up

Despite the lack of depth and talent in the San Francisco Giants' farm system, there are still some appealing prospects that Brian Sabean and the rest of the front office could trade in order to bolster the major league roster.

The Giants minor league system is currently in a replenishing stage. Top prospects from previous years like Buster Poesy, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Belt and Hector Sanchez have established themselves as everyday starters (with the exception of Sanchez) at the major league level.

Additionally, the Giants bit the bullet in 2011 and traded away their top prospect, Zach Wheeler, to the New York Mets in return for two months of Carlos Beltran's services.

With that, the Giants were left with a core of young and talented players at the major league level, but also a depleted minor league system.

This is why the Giants will not make a blockbuster trade at the deadline; they simply do not have the prospects to pull of such a deal. Sure, Gary Brown, the only prospect that the experts take notice of when speaking of in the Giants' farm system, could be traded. However, his stock is as low as its ever been due to his struggles adjusting to pitching in Double-A.

Plus, Sabean would get run out of town if he dealt Brown for another rental player—which is the only type of difference maker the Giants could get in return for Brown at this moment.

With this in mind, however, here's a list of five prospects that the Giants could trade in order to strengthen the big league team.

5. Ehire Adrianza

Ehire Adrianza's stock has been falling this year partly because his most glaring weakness—his inability to hit—has continued to be exposed.

The shortstop is currently batting .197 with an OPS of .538 in Double-A Richmond. Not only is his batting average below the Mendoza Line, but he's failing to get on base or hit for any power whatsoever.

However, what Adrianza does have going for him is his nifty glove at short and his above-average speed.

FanGraphs believes that barring he's able to reach the major leagues, he has the potential to bring home a few Gold Glove Awards. They also had him rated the fifth-best prospect in the Giants' organization before the 2012 season started.

Adrianza's position is another reason why, despite his unappealing numbers in Double-A, he has some trade value. Teams will me more inclined to take a chance on a struggling shortstop prospect due to the current lack of talent at the position.

Outside of Troy Tulowitzki, Derek Jeter and Jose Reyes (and possibly Starlin Castro within the next year or two) there are no other superstars at the position. Teams have started to realize this, which is why there were five taken in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft, including Carlos Correa, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

There might be a team out there that is willing to take a chance on Adrianza.

4. Roger Kieschnick

Roger Kieschnick wasn't considered to be a top prospect at the beginning of the season, but he has played well enough this season to get himself noticed.

The lefty outfielder is currently batting .319 with 14 home runs and 37 runs batted in. And with an already crowded outfield of Melky Cabrera, Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco (not to mention Gary Brown and Francisco Peguero being considered to be superior prospects), there aren't enough at-bats to go around for Kieschnick to make an impact now, or in the future.

He would need to be packaged together with another mid-level type of prospect in order for the Giants to get anything of value in return, and the Giants might be reluctant to do so since this isn't the first time that Kieschnick has been able to produce in the minor leagues.

However, if the right deal arises, Sabean won't be afraid to pull the trigger and possibly trade Kieschnick for a solid middle reliever.

3. Francisco Peguero

Francisco Peguero might be a player that Brain Sabean is reluctant to part with due to his limitless potential.

He has the speed, the ability to hit for a high average, the defensive capabilities and also possesses a cannon for an arm. Scouts believe that, despite his moderate power numbers in games, he has yet to tap his true home run potential.

This year, however, Peguero has yet put all of his tools on display. He is only batting .266 with five home runs and one stolen base. He does have 51 RBI, but his walk rate of 3.6 is certainly something to be alarmed of. Peguero has developed a reputation of being overly aggressive, and it's something that he needs to address if he hopes to make that next step in his career.

An as reported today, the San Franciso Giants announced that they signed Gustavo Cabrera, a 16-year-old prospect out of the Dominican Republic. The article also said that scouts believe Cabrera has the best tools of all the Latin America prospects.

Albeit Cabrera is far from being considered a sure thing (especially due to his age and raw abilities) his addition to the Giants organization could make Peguero expendable.

2. Andrew Susac

San Francisco Giants fans were ecstatic when they found out that Andrew Susac slipped to them in the second round of the 2011 MLB draft.

He has all the tools to become an above-average everyday catcher at the major league level. However, there is one problem: there won't be any room for him in San Francisco whenever he's ready to make the jump to the majors.

Not only is Tommy Joseph, another catching prospect for the Giants, ahead of him in the pecking order, but Buster Posey, 25, and Hector Sanchez, 22, are both young and will likely retain catching duties for possibly the next 10 years or so. Hence the reason why Susac is expendable.

This might not be the year Susac is traded because the Giants might want to continue to groom him and increase his trade value. However, Susac will inevitably be traded one day simply because the Giants have too many catchers in the organization.

1. Tommy Joseph

If the San Francisco Giants attempt to make a push for a quality player without having to surrender one of their top prospects (Gary Brown, Joe Panik or Chris Stratton) then expect Tommy Joseph to be the centerpiece of that trade.

Joseph, himself, is a catcher, and he's the most polished prospect of all the backstops in the Giants' minor league system. This does not mean, however, that he does not have any holes in his game.

Joseph has raw power and owns a strong arm from behind the plate, but has been known to be overly aggressive at times, which will impede from hitting for a high average unless he makes the necessary adjustments.

Since Joseph is a power-hitting catcher and the Giants have an abundance of catching talent in the minor leagues, he will be Brian Sabean's most prized bargaining chip once the trade deadline rolls around in July.

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