SF Giants Trade Talk: 5 Players to Showcase in Last Week of Spring Training

The San Francisco Giants' season ended up being far from their phenomenal 2010 World Series championship season when they failed to reach the playoffs in 2011. 

The 2012 campaign will be a whole new season for the Giants, and fans should be very excited. The Giants still have their stellar pitching staff in place, and the offense should be much better. 

However, there are still some big holes to fill, and the Giants have some trade bait that could really help fill these holes. Some of the players are young, some are veterans and one is a fan favorite that has rocked the entire baseball world. 

Ryan Theriot

Ryan Theriot hasn't looked like a veteran hitter in spring training, posting a .180/.226/.300 slash line. 

However, Theriot could still help many teams and bring the Giants back a few solid pieces in a trade. Theriot is a backup shortstop and second baseman for San Francisco and would likely play the same role for another team if traded.

San Francisco currently has Brandon Crawford, Freddy Sanchez and Emmanuel Burriss in the middle infield ahead of Theriot. Sanchez will start the season on the DL, but Burriss should get the nod at second base after he had a hot spring by posting a .310/.385/.431 slash line. 

Theriot has had a rough spring, but he is still a career .282 hitter. If he can show signs that he's still capable of being a professional hitter, the Giants could trade him for some solid pieces. 

Gregor Blanco

Gregor Blanco may be the biggest surprise this spring for the San Francisco Giants. 

Blanco has bounced around the league for different teams and has spent plenty of time in the minors. This spring, Blanco has posted a surprising, .333/.392/.431 slash line and has made a great impression on the Giants.

Unfortunately for Blanco, the Giants have a pretty packed outfield with Melky Cabrera, Angel Pagan, Nate Schierholtz, Aubrey Huff and Brandon Belt ahead of him on the depth chart. It will be hard for Blanco to find playing time in that outfield.

If Blanco stays hot, teams may become interested in the veteran. Blanco may have been a great surprise for the Giants, but he may be even better trade bait.  

Brett Pill

Brett Pill is stuck in a rut playing for the San Francisco Giants. 

Pill has the power to be a solid first baseman, but he is stuck behind both Aubrey Huff and Brandon Belt. This spring, Pill is hitting .267, but has showed power with belting three home runs and 12 RBI.

In only 15 games played in the bigs in 2011, Pill had a .300/.321/.560 slash line and hit two bombs. He proved he can hit at the highest level, but he is stuck in San Francisco.

Pill is 27 years old and it took him awhile to get to the majors, but he still has plenty of time left in the bigs. Pill is valuable trade bait as he could play first, second and even third. The Giants could get plenty of solid pieces in a trade involving Pill.  

Aubrey Huff

In 2011, Aubrey Huff must have forgotten his lucky red thong, as he posted a .246/.306/.370 slash line, making it one of his worst seasons in his career. 

Huff is looking to rebound in 2012 and has had a solid spring. Spring training numbers usually do not matter, but after last year, Huff had to prove he can still hit. 

This spring, Huff has posted a .304/.350/.464 slash line and has hit two home runs. The Giants will need this Aubrey Huff if they expect to win in 2012. If Huff and Belt are both hitting, Huff could be the odd man out. 

As badly as Belt played in the bigs last year, the Giants ultimately want him to be the starting first baseman. Huff will most likely start at first to open the season, but the veteran slugger could be trade bait to get Belt at first base. 

Brian Wilson

Deep breath Giants fans. Brian Wilson will be in black and orange in 2012. 

San Francisco and Giants fans everywhere would go crazy if Wilson and his beard was traded, but it may happen sooner than later. Wilson has been great in San Francisco and has taken the entire baseball world by storm. 

Why would the Giants ever trade a fan favorite who has saved at least 36 games each year for the Giants since his first full season as the Giants' closer in 2008?

Wilson actually had his worst season in 2011, going 6-4 with a 3.11 ERA and a career low 36 saves. Also, Wilson battled an elbow injury in 2011 that caused him to miss a significant amount of time. The Giants have to be somewhat worried about the injury lingering on.

The biggest reason Wilson may be traded is that the Giants have a great closer in waiting in the minors. Heath Hembree is a 6'4'', 210-pound, 23-year-old closer who tore up the minors in his first full season. He pitched at two different levels, posting a 1.86 ERA and leading the minors in saves with 38.

While Wilson is at top value and the Giants have a star closer in waiting, don't be surprised if Wilson is traded in the near future. He could bring in great value, even though many fans would be crushed.