As the San Francisco Giants explore ways to bolster their roster this offseason, the front office is once again weighing the value of their young talent-particularly on the mound. With most of their top trade chips coming from the position player side, the question becomes: which of their young pitchers could bring the biggest return in a deal?
It’s a familiar dilemma. Just last year, the Giants had to make a similar call when they sent Kyle Harrison to Boston in the blockbuster trade for Rafael Devers.
That move signaled their willingness to part with top-tier pitching talent if the return was right. Now, they’re staring down a similar decision as they evaluate a new wave of young arms.
Let’s break down the three names most likely to come up in trade talks: Carson Whisenhunt, Hayden Birdsong, and Carson Seymour.
Carson Whisenhunt: The Top Prospect with Uneven Results
Whisenhunt, the organization’s top-ranked pitching prospect, made his big league debut last season. The lefty flashed some promise, but the transition to the majors wasn’t exactly smooth.
In five starts, he posted a 5.01 ERA over 23 innings, striking out 16 while walking 12 and surrendering six home runs. That’s a walk rate and home run count that’ll raise some eyebrows.
There was one standout performance-an impressive start against the Mets-but outside of that, Whisenhunt struggled to find consistency. His stuff plays, no doubt, but the command issues and tendency to leave pitches over the heart of the plate leave scouts wondering how close he is to being a reliable rotation piece.
Hayden Birdsong: High Ceiling, Wild Ride
Then there’s Hayden Birdsong, who might be the most intriguing of the bunch. He showed flashes of big-league potential early last season, thriving in a bullpen role with a 2.31 ERA. But when the Giants shifted him into the rotation-largely out of necessity after Jordan Hicks faltered-things unraveled.
Birdsong’s first start was a forgettable one: four walks, no outs recorded in Atlanta, and a quick ticket back to the minors. Unfortunately, the command issues followed him there.
Still, there’s a lot to like. The raw stuff is real, and he’s young enough that another club might look at him as a classic “fixer-upper” with upside.
If a team believes it can iron out his mechanics, Birdsong could be a sneaky valuable trade chip.
Carson Seymour: The Power Arm with a Home Run Problem
Carson Seymour rounds out the trio. He split time between the bullpen and rotation last season, logging 36 innings with a 4.75 ERA.
He struck out 26, walked 13, and gave up nine home runs. The sinker is his calling card-a high-velocity pitch that can induce weak contact when it’s on-but the long ball continues to be a concern.
Seymour’s profile suggests he might be better suited for a bullpen role long-term, but there’s enough velocity and movement in his arsenal to draw interest from teams in need of power arms.
Who Has the Most Trade Value?
Of the three, Birdsong probably carries the most intrigue for opposing teams. He’s already shown he can get big-league hitters out in short bursts, and his raw talent gives him a higher ceiling than Whisenhunt or Seymour at this point.
Yes, the command issues are real, but so is the upside. For a team willing to take on a bit of a project, Birdsong could be a worthwhile gamble-and for the Giants, that might translate into a decent return if he’s included in a trade package.
Whisenhunt, despite the prospect pedigree, still looks like he needs more seasoning before he can be counted on at the next level. Seymour has tools, but the home run rate is hard to ignore.
As the Giants navigate the trade market this winter, they’ll have to decide whether to bet on these arms developing in-house-or cash in on one of them to help improve the roster right now. Birdsong might just be the chip that tips the scale.