Luis Arraez has already given the Giants enough to make the conversation interesting.
On Saturday, the second baseman was named a National League reserve for the All-Star Game, giving San Francisco at least one position player in the showcase. That part is the easy win. The harder question is what comes next, because Arraez is also the kind of player contenders tend to circle when the trade deadline gets close.
The August 3 deadline is looming, and Arraez is set to become a free agent. Teams sitting well below .500 usually do the math and move pending free agents for future value.
That’s why the obvious assumption has been that the Giants could deal him. But Arraez has been the best player on the roster this season, turning in the kind of offense people expect from him while also becoming a strong defender at second base.
So the natural fan reaction is simple: why move your best player?
There’s at least a path for San Francisco to keep him, and it starts with a crowded infield. Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge are splitting time at first base and designated hitter, Willy Adames is at shortstop, and Matt Chapman is locked in at third. Casey Schmitt has also played well enough that the Giants need to find him a place to stay in the lineup.
For most of the year, the cleanest solution looked like trading Arraez and sliding Schmitt to second. But there’s another route if the Giants really want to hold onto Arraez: move Chapman instead.
Of the big contracts on the roster, Chapman may be the easiest one to trade. He still brings value with his glove, and his deal doesn’t run as long as Adames’ or Devers’.
Schmitt is making a strong case to be the everyday third baseman anyway. He’s flashing web gems almost daily and has put together a breakout season at the plate. If Chapman goes, the Giants can keep Arraez, keep Schmitt in the mix, and then spend the rest of the season working on an extension.
That extension wouldn’t need to be outrageous. A three-year deal worth $45-50 million would make sense, especially if the Giants believe Arraez’s contact skills will hold up better than the power-heavy profiles of Chapman, Adames and Devers.
It may not be the most likely outcome, but Arraez has clearly won over fans in San Francisco, and he’s the kind of player who is just plain fun to watch. If the Giants want to make sure he stays beyond 2026, trading Chapman is the move that opens the door.
In Other News...
Giants Just Lost A Bullpen Arm Fans Thought Could Help
Gregory Santos latest stint with the Giants has taken another turn, and it leaves San Francisco without a bullpen arm it had hoped might still provide some help. Santos, who has spent parts of six major league seasons in the game, had been working his way back through the organization after injury setbacks and a recent run in Sacramento, where the Giants were trying to keep him close as depth.
Instead, Santos is moving on after clearing waivers and declining an outright assignment to Triple-A Sacramento. His departure comes with the kind of familiar frustration that follows a pitcher with talent but an uneven health track record, especially one who had already drawn interest from other clubs as a minor league free agent. For the Giants, it is another reminder of how quickly bullpen options can disappear when a player has enough leverage to test the market. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rotation Trouble Just Hit A Frustrating New Low
Trevor McDonalds start against Toronto quickly turned into the kind of afternoon the Giants have been trying to avoid as the rotation continues to wobble. He was hit hard from the outset, and San Francisco was left chasing the game in a 9-3 loss that put even more stress on a pitching staff already looking for stability.
Adrian Houser at least gave the Giants something to hang onto, covering 5 2/3 no-hit innings in relief and helping keep the bullpen from getting emptied out. Rookie Spencer Miles handled the start for the Blue Jays and allowed two runs over four innings, but the bigger concern for San Francisco remains the same: the rotation keeps putting the club in early holes, and this one felt especially frustrating. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Already Be Giving Up On A Key Winter Signing
Tyler Mahle arrived in San Francisco as one of the winter additions meant to stabilize a rotation that needed help, but the season has not gone the way the Giants envisioned. The right-hander has struggled to find consistency, and his name is now surfacing in the same trade chatter as other veterans the club could move before the deadline as it tries to retool around a disappointing year.
Buster Posey is reportedly open to dealing established pieces for prospects, and Mahle fits the profile of a pitcher contenders might still believe in because of what he showed a year ago in Texas. Even with the uneven results and a recent hamstring issue slowing him down, there is still a case for clubs to look past the rough stretch and bet on a rebound, which is exactly why his market will be worth watching in the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]