A week after the MLB trade deadline, the SF Giants’ roster shake-up is already producing a pretty wide range of early returns.
San Francisco moved six players who had been a major part of the big league club this season, and the first look at how they’re fitting in elsewhere has been uneven. One guy has come out firing, a couple have stumbled, and a few are somewhere in between. Here’s where things stand.
Tyler Mahle may have been the best early headline of the bunch. After the Giants sent him to the Atlanta Braves in the first deadline deal, he turned around and carved up the New York Yankees in his first start, throwing six scoreless innings and striking out nine. That’s the kind of debut that makes a trade look brilliant in a hurry.
Luis Arraez, on the other hand, has had a rougher stretch since landing with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Giants moved the second baseman knowing he was a pending free agent, and he did make a strong first impression in Philly.
But the last few games have cooled things off fast. He went 0-for-6 on Sunday and then 0-for-5 on Monday, which is a far cry from what the Phillies were hoping to see.
He’s now hitting .219/.235/.375 with Philadelphia.
Caleb Kilian was included in that same Phillies deal, and his start there went sideways quickly. He gave up five earned runs in 3 and 1/3 innings before landing on the IL with an oblique injury. He’s reportedly going to be out for a while, which only makes the trade look rougher on the surface right now.
Robbie Ray’s first outing with the San Diego Padres wasn’t exactly smooth either. In his debut for the NL West rival, he worked five innings and gave up four earned runs while issuing five walks and allowing seven hits. It’s only one start, but the Padres were surely expecting more, especially with Casey Mize also struggling in his first start after being acquired.
Heliot Ramos has had a difficult beginning with the New York Yankees as well. He has only two hits in 21 plate appearances, has already had some trouble in the outfield, and even dealt with a wardrobe malfunction. The early returns are not exactly calming a fan base that can be notoriously hard on players, and the situation is already trending a bit like Camilo Doval’s rough tenure with the Yankees.
The brightest relief note belongs to Erik Miller. The Giants sent the left-hander to the Boston Red Sox in their final deadline move, and he has been sharp so far.
In three appearances, he hasn’t allowed a run, has struck out six, and has walked only one. For a pitcher who can get a “wild hair up his nose” in the parlance of Mike Krukow, that’s a promising start.
Miller also shared a personal note after Krukow’s retirement announcement, saying that early in his career Kruk told him his stuff was good enough to play at the big league level. It clearly stuck with him, and it’s another reminder of why Krukow means so much to so many around the game.
Of course, it’s still only been a week. Mahle could get hit for 10 earned runs in his next start, Ramos could go deep three times tonight, and this whole thing could look foolish in a heartbeat. But for now, this is the snapshot: some Giants are thriving, some are flailing, and the deadline deals are already telling their own stories.
In Other News...
Giants Are Finally Seeing Why The Tyler Rogers Trade Could Matter
The Tyler Rogers trade always carried a delayed payoff for the Giants, and thats starting to come into view as the club watches the pieces it got back settle into bigger roles. Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert are both working their way toward possible 2027 roster spots, giving San Francisco a reason to keep an eye on a deal that was designed more for the future than for immediate help. Tidwells move toward starting duties has been especially notable, because the Giants have been looking for young arms who can grow into a larger job rather than just fill innings.
Gilberts path has looked different, but no less important, as the organization sees whether his bat and defense can translate into an everyday profile down the line. The broader significance of the Rogers trade is still tied to projection more than proof, which is why these next few months matter so much. If both players keep trending in the right direction, the Giants could end up with something they rarely get at the deadline: a move that helps now in theory and later in practice. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Tribute To LaMonte Wade Jr. Says More Than Fans Wanted
LaMonte Wade Jr. came back to Oracle Park on Monday night in a very different uniform, and the Giants still made room to salute him. Before and during the game against the Astros, San Francisco honored the former first baseman, a familiar face from the clubs recent past and one of the more memorable pieces of its 2021 run. Wade earned his Late Night LaMonte nickname with timely hitting that made him a fan favorite, and even as the roster around him has changed, his presence still connects directly to the last time the Giants felt like a contender.
The tribute also landed with a little extra weight because of what has happened since. Wade was in San Francisco as recently as last season before other players moved into his spot, and now he is helping Houston while the Giants are still chasing the kind of consistency they had four years ago. Moments like this can be warm on the surface, but for Giants fans they can also feel like a reminder of how close that earlier team once was, and how long it has been since Oracle Park has seen a repeat of it. [Read more 🡒]