The Giants’ rotation is where this offseason has to start. Before San Francisco can even think about building something sturdier for 2027, it needs starters it can trust to get through innings on a regular basis. The bullpen matters, sure, but relief arms get stretched thin fast when the rotation keeps handing them extra work.
Logan Webb and Landen Roupp give the Giants a base to work from, and Adrian Houser is still under contract. Even so, injuries to younger starters have left the club looking for both a dependable addition and some depth behind it.
Three trade candidates stand out as possible answers, though the price tags vary a lot.
Reid Detmers of the Angels is the biggest swing. He turned in a 3.36 ERA with 211 strikeouts over 185 innings in 2026, and he also handled 32 starts.
That kind of durability and bat-missing ability makes him the best fit on this list. He’s under club control through 2028, and MLB Trade Rumors’ arbitration projections, republished by Yardbarker, have him at $7.5 million in 2027.
That’s the kind of contract that can change a rotation without dragging in a long free-agent commitment.
The Angels have shown they’re willing to move established pieces for younger talent, too. Their Jose Soriano trade brought back three prospects, with Arjun Nimmala headlining the return.
Detmers could fit that same pattern if Los Angeles decides a longer rebuild is the better route, though keeping him or extending him would also make sense. For San Francisco, the ask would likely be steep: a top-100-caliber prospect at the front of the package, plus more meaningful talent on top of that.
The Soriano deal is the clearest guide. Detmers would cost real prospect capital, but two years of a productive starter could make it worthwhile.
Michael Wacha sits in a different lane. He logged a 3.32 ERA over 200.2 innings in 2026 and is owed $14 million in 2027, with a $14 million club option for 2028.
That workload is exactly the sort of thing the Giants need from a trade addition. Wacha would give them another starter who can shoulder a major share of the season while the younger arms sort themselves out.
Kansas City kept Wacha for its 2027 contention plans and was seeking Major League talent in trade talks. That matters.
A package built only around prospects probably won’t get it done, especially with rotation injuries complicating the Royals’ situation. After a 69-win season, the most realistic path is a deal that helps Kansas City’s lineup while also giving it pitching coverage.
The likely cost would be a controllable Major League hitter, possibly with a pitching prospect attached. Wacha belongs on the Giants’ inquiry list, though he comes with a tougher availability hurdle than Ober.
He’ll be 36 next season, so the fit has to be weighed carefully.
Bailey Ober is the more modest option. He posted a 4.47 ERA over 131 innings in 2026 and profiles as a back-of-the-rotation addition who would let the Giants keep more resources available for another established starter.
He finished healthy and has one year of control left, while younger starters compete for rotation spots in Minnesota. MLB Trade Rumors projects his 2027 arbitration salary at $6.9 million, and the Twins have a straightforward reason to convert that into younger talent.
The cost should reflect that. A middle-tier San Francisco prospect, maybe with a secondary piece, feels like the right neighborhood.
One remaining season and uneven recent production should keep Ober below Detmers in trade value. Still, the medical file matters.
His 2026 elbow inflammation and lower strikeout production need to be checked closely, because he’s a support piece, not the centerpiece.
That’s the shape of the market for San Francisco: Detmers for the bold move, Wacha for the veteran innings, Ober for the lower-cost add. The Giants need a successful offseason to combine a real rotation upgrade with enough depth behind it, and the trade market can supply both if Posey lines up the player cost with the expected return.
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