San Francisco Giants: 8 Reasons They Should Stay Put at 2011 MLB Trade Deadline

As the trade deadline rapidly approaches, the San Francisco Giants are being linked to all sorts of names, most notably the New York Mets' Carlos Beltran.

But San Francisco does not need to give up an arm and a leg for a big-name player. The Giants are leading the NL West by a comfortable margin and have already acquired a veteran player in Jeff Keppinger.

Here are eight reasons why the San Francisco Giants should stay put at the trade deadline.

8. No Major League Trade Chips

Nate Schierholtz and his .288 batting average is the closest thing the Giants have to a trading chip at the major league level.

But even Brian Sabean would be hard pressed to find a suitor for a 27-year-old outfielder who has finally put together a nice stretch after four years of underwhelming performances.

The absence of major league trade chips already puts the Giants in a bit of a bind. If San Francisco wants to pull off a deal, it has no choice but to dip into its farm system.

7. Shallow Farm System

After graduating Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey, the Giants are left with a pretty shallow farm system.

San Francisco does not have a ton of quality players to move if it wants to acquire an impact player at the deadline.

The lack of farm depth further limits San Francisco's options. If the Giants want to make a splash, they'd have to give up one of their top prospects.

Brian Sabean is very unlikely to deal top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler, who projects as a top-of-the-rotation starter. Wheeler would be a fantastic addition to an already loaded staff two or three years down the road.

With Wheeler off the table, stud outfielder Gary Brown is the most likely prospect to be dealt. Currently in High-A San Jose, Brown is hitting .313 with seven homers, 24 doubles and 39 stolen bases.

Brown could develop into a five-tool player and is not a name to be tossed around lightly. San Francisco should attempt to hold on to him and watch his potential unfold.

6. No Need to Sacrifice the Future for the Now

While many experts say the Giants have a short window of possible success with their rotation, I'd argue the exact opposite.

With a core consisting of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and now Brandon Belt, the Giants are here to stay.

San Francisco will always be able to field a competitive team with these six guys and can fill in the pieces as it did in 2010 to put it over the top.

Prospects like Zack Wheeler, Gary Brown and Francisco Peguero could all be great additions to that core.

There is no need to panic and deal them now for a Carlos Beltran because we fear the window of opportunity is closing. The window will remain open as long as management doesn't close it prematurely by making rash decisions with prospects.

5. Already Made One Deadline Deal

On Tuesday, San Francisco acquired infielder Jeff Keppinger, a .284 career hitter who was hitting .307 for Houston through Monday.

Adding a solid middle infield bat was huge for the Giants, especially in the wake of Freddy Sanchez's injury and the uncertainty surrounding his return.

The Giants had to give up two minor league prospects, pitchers Jason Stoffel and Henry Sosa, to get the deal done. There's no need to raid the farm any further after the team has already made a significant deadline move.

4. Brandon Belt

A shot in the arm doesn't have to come from a trade.

Brandon Belt is back in a big way, having homered and doubled in his first game back from a wrist injury to propel the Giants to a victory over the Dodgers Tuesday night.

The highly touted prospect could turn out to be the impact outfielder San Francisco needs to make a push for the pennant.

Belt also represents another body that takes up space at first base and in the outfield, which should be taken into consideration regarding any trade involving an outfielder.

3. Market Doesn't Match Needs

With Jose Reyes presumably staying in New York for the balance of the year, there aren't any premium shortstop options, and quality catchers are always hard to come by.

Brian Sabean echoed this sentiment earlier this week, saying that the market for shortstops and catchers, San Francisco's biggest needs, is “almost nonexistent."

The latest player to be linked to the Giants is Reyes' teammate Carlos Beltran, who would presumably approve a trade to San Francisco.

Every Giants fan would be thrilled to get Beltran's production. But for the high price he is sure to command, it's not worth having yet another outfielder when the team can net serviceable production from its current players.

2. Cody Ross and Nate Schierholtz Are Just Fine

Though right field could use some improvement, the Nate Schierholtz and Cody Ross duo isn't doing too shabbily. 

Schierholtz is hitting .309 against righties, and Ross has an .888 OPS against lefties. Together they figure to be a pretty solid option in right field.

Last year the Giants won the World Series with a John Bowker-Schierholtz-Aubrey Huff-Jose Guillen combination in right that combined for a .246/.314/.393 line.

This year's right-field platoon is hitting .277/.329/.415, a definite improvement over last year's numbers.

Admittedly, it's much less attractive to use a platoon in right field than to have one star player. But we should keep in mind that the team's current players are hardly scrubs and will put up at least respectable numbers for the rest of the year.

1. Phenomenal Pitching Keeps the Giants Relevant No Matter What

The San Francisco Giants have the best pitching staff in the major leagues.

The Giants lead the majors in team ERA, strikeouts, batting average against and quality starts. They are third in WHIP behind only Philadelphia and Seattle.

San Francisco also leads the league with 36 saves, illustrating the team's propensity to win close games.

While the Phillies, Braves or Mariners could rival the Giants' rotation, none could match their bullpen.

Having 12 quality arms is a rare and deadly threat that can absolutely carry a team.

With incredible pitching behind them, the Giants don't need a lot of hitting. They are a proven team that is once again finding ways to win in 2011.

San Francisco leads the NL West by 4.5 games and currently has the fifth-best record in the majors despite a myriad of injuries and slumps.

They certainly have a good enough team to compete for the pennant without adding an impact player.