This morning the San Francisco Giants are 33.5 games back of the 1st place Los Angeles Dodgers.  OMG, was that a hard sentence for me to write.  After 3 Major League Baseball championships in the last 7 years, my favorite team has fallen to the very bottom of the National League West standings and are headed toward the worst season in their history.  While our arch nemesis from Southern California are arguably the best team in professional baseball, the Giants have only been finding ways to lose ballgames with poor pitching, lousy hitting, and the fewest Home Runs hit of any other team in professional baseball.  With the July 31 st trade deadline fast approaching, there are some tough decisions that have to be made by the Giants leadership team and here are some suggestions that I think need to happen by 4:00 pm ET tomorrow.

Winning baseball requires great pitching, error free defense, and timely hitting.  Let’s start with pitching – the Giants need help.  This season, they’re currently ranked 20th in pitching with a Team ERA of 4.64 (the Dodgers are first with an ERA of 3.11).  In the World Championship years of 2010, 2012, and 2014, the Giants were 1st, 7th, and 11th but their ERA was no higher than 3.68.  This year, the Giants are giving up a full run more as a team than they did when they were on top.  No wonder they’re so bad.

I don’t believe starting pitching is the problem.  It’s middle inning relief that’s killing the Giants.  Players I’d go after include Neftali Feliz of the Pirates, Brett Cecil of the Blue Jays, and Jerry Blevins of the Mets.  The Giants may have to trade some prospects to get these guys but without a lights out bullpen, like we used to have, the Team is going to continue to languish near the bottom of the standings.  It’s time for Matt Moore, Matt Cain and Josh Osich to go.  Trade or release them.  Thanks for the efforts, guys, but it’s time to say goodbye.

The Giants are a respectable 8th in Fielding this season.  In 2010, they were part of a 4-way tie for the best fielding team in baseball with the Yankees, Padres and Reds.  Two years later, they were just 26th best (defying my argument), and in 2014, they were in the upper half of the league (14th to be exact).  Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Joe Panik are Gold Glove winners and Brandon Belt deserves one.  The only position I would upgrade, if possible, would be Center Field.  Denard Span is 6th in Fielding Percentage, but I’d go after the best, Ender Inciarte with the Atlanta Braves.  An upgrade to a younger player with Gold Glove potential ensures a strong middle defense and will equal more wins.  A straight up trade wouldn’t work, so I’d throw in a 2  or even 3 for 1 deal to get Inciarte.  He would be worth it.

The Giants are the next to last hitting team in all of MLB (above only the Padres) and they’re hitting a paltry .244 with just 81 homers (dead last).  By comparison the Astros are hitting .291 as a Team and have hit 168 HR’s.  That’s 50 percentage points in average and more than half the Giants total dingers.  Our boys in black and orange need hitters.  Big time.  But who isn’t looking for guys to put the ball in play?

Here’s one big name I’d go after – Manny Machado of the Orioles.  He’s only 24, a helluva hitter and a free agent at the end of next season.  Again, I would trade prospects – a lot of them – for Machado.  He could be a cornerstone at the hot corner for years to come and would position the Giants extremely well for next season.  I don’t know what his asking price would be but the Orioles are going to probably have to sink a lot of money into him next year if they want to keep him.  Why not send him West to a team which also just so happens to wear Orange and Black?  A Giants fan can dream can’t he?

So, there you have it sports fans.  My take on how the Giants in the next 24 hours can build something out of nothing this year.  Sadly, for the rest of the season, I have to reinstitute the “wait until next year” saying.  For the next 57 games, all my Team is playing for is pride.  Let’s see what transpires.  I don’t think any of my suggestions will come to fruition, but if they do, you heard it here first.  At this point, I’d take anything to improve the team.  The Giants are definitely sellers in this market and hopefully they can bring home some winners for 2018.

Is it time for Spring Training yet?