The Giants may be headed for seller mode at the trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean Buster Posey has to treat the bullpen like a lost cause.
In a recent KNBR interview, Posey at least left the door open to adding relief help, and that idea makes sense if the Giants aren’t eager to chase free-agent relievers. If they’re going to improve the bullpen, trade market arms may be the cleanest path. And if they do go that route, the smarter play is targeting pitchers who come with team control beyond this season instead of short-term rentals.
That’s the thread running through three possible deals that would give San Francisco a better shot at fixing the bullpen for the long haul.
One idea sends Harrison Bader and J.T. Brubaker to the Phillies for Alex McFarlane.
The Giants would have reason to move on from Bader if they can, given how often he’s been banged up and how little impact he’s made when available. Philadelphia liked him last year and could use outfield help.
The Phillies also need bullpen support, which is where Brubaker comes in. He’s a free agent after the season, but he has a solid 2.87 ERA.
In return, the Giants would land Philadelphia’s No. 17 prospect, Alex McFarlane, a 25-year-old reliever with a 2.12 ERA in the minors in his first season out of the bullpen. He brings a plus fastball and looks like a low-cost arm with real upside.
San Francisco would likely have to cover part of Bader’s contract, but the payoff would be a controllable bullpen piece.
Another proposal has the Yankees sending back a package built around relievers and prospects in a deal for Luis Arraez. New York fits as a landing spot for Arraez, and the Giants could come away with a high-upside arm in LaGrange, the No. 4 prospect in the Yankees’ system.
He’s got a huge fastball and, despite a shoulder injury right now, could grow into a future closer. There’s also Kaeden Kent, Jeff Kent’s son, who is New York’s No. 13 prospect.
And then there’s Eric Reyzelman, the Yankees’ No. 28 prospect, who has a 6.26 ERA in 23 relief appearances this season. Reyzelman also brings a Bay Area connection, having gone to De La Salle High School before pitching at the University of San Francisco and LSU.
A return home could help him settle in and develop into a useful bullpen arm.
The third deal would send Robbie Ray to the Cardinals for Leo Bernal and Tink Hence. That move is centered on getting catcher Leo Bernal, but Hence would be part of the appeal too.
The right-hander has electric stuff, though his control is still a work in progress, which is hardly unusual for a young reliever. Even so, he profiles as the kind of arm who could become a closer down the line.
The Giants’ bullpen has been a problem all season. If they can land arms like these, they’d at least be giving themselves a better chance to feel good about that group beyond 2026.
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