The SF Giants kept moving pieces at the deadline, and one of the more intriguing swaps sends left-handed reliever Erik Miller to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Marcelo Mayer, coming shortly after the club traded Heliot Ramos to the New York Yankees.
Mayer was taken fourth overall by Boston in 2021 and was still viewed as a top prospect just last year. The production hasn’t matched that billing so far, though.
In his big league work to this point, he has hit .223/.278/.346 with seven home runs and 32 runs batted in over 114 games. That line doesn’t jump off the page, but the Giants are betting on the possibility that a return to the West Coast could help the Chula Vista native settle in and tap into the talent that made him such a highly regarded player in the first place.
There’s a path for Mayer to get real run in San Francisco the rest of the season. With Luis Arraez gone, second base is in play.
With Matt Chapman injured, third base is another option. For a player with his tools, the opportunity matters just as much as the raw numbers.
As for Miller, this is the kind of move that hurts a little because he has flashed real ability when he’s on. At the same time, he’s also been inconsistent, and his walk rate has long been a concern. The Giants chose to cash in while his value was strong, especially with Miller posting a 2.76 ERA this season.
That kind of sell-high approach is not new for this front office. The Giants already learned last year in the Camilo Doval trade that bullpen arms can be the type of asset worth moving when the return is there.
Nothing about Mayer is a sure thing, and there’s always the chance Miller thrives in Boston while San Francisco keeps searching for answers in the bullpen. But the appeal here is obvious: the Giants are adding another young player with upside, and they’re doing it in a season that has gone nowhere fast. If nothing else, that gives this deadline a chance to matter beyond the standings.
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Giants Just Sent A Clear Message About What Comes Next
The Giants made an early-summer pitching shuffle by moving Tyler Mahle to Atlanta and bringing back right-handed reliever Anthony Molina, a deal that fits the kind of deadline posture the front office has been signaling. Mahles time in San Francisco was uneven, but the team had started to see him settle in a bit more as the season went along, which made his departure notable even in a market where clubs are constantly chasing bullpen help and roster flexibility.
Molina gives San Francisco another arm to sort through as the deadline approaches, and the move suggests the Giants are not treating this as a one-and-done swap. There is still more activity expected before the cutoff, and this trade may be the clearest indication yet that the Giants are willing to keep reshaping the staff if it helps them cover innings now and keep options open for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Finally Have A Willy Adames Trade Opening To Watch
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One possible opening is in Boston, where the Red Sox are still looking for help at shortstop. If they cannot get what they want elsewhere, Adames could become a name to monitor, though any deal would still have to clear a few obvious hurdles for the Giants to move him at all. His no-trade clause gives him leverage, and the obligation on his contract runs deep enough to make any conversation more complicated than a simple swap of needs. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Gausman Trade Just Set The Robbie Ray Deadline Bar
Kevin Gausmans move from Toronto to the Chicago Cubs has already given the pitching market a new reference point, and it comes with a familiar name for Giants fans. The right-hander, who previously spent time in San Francisco, was dealt in the final season of his Blue Jays contract for two prospects, a reminder that contenders will part with young talent for a proven arm when the timing lines up.
For the Giants, the deal naturally shifts the conversation to Robbie Ray and what his own market might look like if they decide to move him. San Francisco has already dipped into that trade lane recently with the acquisition of reliever Anthony Molina, so the front office knows how quickly deadlines can turn into roster shuffles. Gausmans return is the kind of benchmark that can shape expectations, even if the Giants still have to decide how far they want to push the idea. [Read more 🡒]