San Francisco Giants: Why They'll Be Forced to Trade Pitching in July

Despite the recent success that the San Francisco Giants offense has enjoyed during the first 10 games of the season, it is not indicative of what the offensive limitations truly are in 2012.

Through the first 10 games, the Giants have scored a total of 45 runs—which is an average of 4.5 runs per contest. Compare that to last year when the Giants scored a total of 570 runs, an average of 3.5 runs per game—which was the second-lowest mark in the league—and it truly has been night and day for the offense in 2012.

So who is responsible for this sudden outburst in offensive production that the Giants have been experiencing thus far?

One name that jumps out at you is Melky Cabrera, and Pablo Sandoval leads the team in literally every offensive category. Combine that with the timely hitting of Brandon Crawford and the presence alone of Buster Posey's name on the lineup card, and you've got yourself what teams besides the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers would call an offense.

However, the Giants' recent success offensively is nothing more than a tease to the fans who thought that the torture was a thing of the past.

The Giants were simply taking advantage of the hitter-friendly ballparks that the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies play in, which gave us a construed insight to what the offense could potentially become in 2012. 

All you have to do is look at the stats from last year.

In 2011, the Giants averaged 4.2 runs per game when playing away, but only managed to score an average of 2.9 runs per game when playing in the friendly confines of AT&T Park. And let's face it, even though I would agree that the offense is better than last year, the Giants are still not a good offensive team.

So, when the day comes that the Giants need to decide whether to buy or sell at the trade deadline, chances are if they elect to add talent, it will be to bolster the offense.

One thing the Giants have always had an abundance of is minor league pitching. Brian Sabean, the general manager of the Giants, made a conscious effort to stockpile pitching prospects and construct the starting rotation with those who panned out.

Well, with Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain in the major leagues; and Tim Alderson, and Zach Wheeler on other teams, there suddenly isn't an abundance of pitching talent in the minor leagues anymore.

However, this doesn't mean the Giants can't trade away more pitching if they want to add another bat.

First of all, with the recent signings of Cain and Bumgarner, two-fifths of the Giants rotation is set for at least the next six seasons. And if the Giants find a way to lock up Lincecum for the long term, their rotation will be one of the best in the majors for years to come, no matter who the other two starters are.

Plus, Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong are under contract through 2013, so there might not even be any room for Eric Surkamp and Kyle Crick, the top two pitching prospects in the system.

This doesn't make Surkamp and Crick expendable, but it certainly makes them easier to trade if the right deal arises. And if Sergio Romo shines during his outings in the ninth inning, Heath Hembree would also be a valuable trade asset.

Even with the additions of Cabrera and Angel Pagan and the return of Posey to the lineup, the Giants are still a pitching-oriented team. If they are still in contention come July and the offense is struggling, don't be surprised to see Sabean part with some pitching in order to attain a bat.