San Francisco Giants Trade Deadline: Preview and Predictions

With just nine days until the trade deadline, it is most definitely crunch time for Brian Sabean, the general manager of the San Francisco Giants. 

The Giants have some serious question marks on the roster that will have to be addressed very soon.

Can we expect to see Angel Pagan again this year? Who is going to be the second baseman for the remainder of the season? How serious are Matt Cain’s elbow problems? Should they go after another starting pitcher?

Here are the two biggest areas the Giants will concentrate on leading up to the July 31 deadline. 

Adding a Second Baseman

Plain and simple, the Giants need a second baseman who will help them win ballgames, and Dan Uggla is not the solution. 

The Giants virtually offered Uggla a tryout, via Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports—a chance to get some playing time in Triple-A in order to see if he has any gas left in the tank. 

Giants second basemen are hitting .180 this year and have not produced a home run since May 23. 

If the club could bring in a Ben Zobrist, Mike Aviles or Martin Prado, the second base woes would be long gone. 

These three guys would give the Giants enormous flexibility both offensively and defensively. Sure, there might be a big asking price, but Sabean should just bite the bullet and bring in a quality second baseman. 

Don’t be surprised if one of these guys is on the Giants roster by next week. 

Padding the Rotation

David Price is undoubtedly the most talented starting pitcher left on the market, but I don’t know if the Giants have the trade pieces to bring the southpaw to San Francisco.

That leaves the Giants moving down a tier or two of the available arms.

One of the most intriguing names is Boston’s Jake Peavy.

Giants skipper Bruce Bochy managed Peavy from 2002 through 2006, and it is not unrealistic to think that a reunion may be in the mix.

Cain has been very inconsistent this year and just began his third stint on the disabled list in 2014. 

It would make a lot of sense to add another veteran arm like Peavy who has pitched in a pennant race and postseason before. 

There is no getting around the fact that Peavy is having a poor year with a 1-8 record and 4.59 ERA, but maybe a change of scenery would help turn his season around.