The San Francisco Giants are struggling once again, having lost seven of their last 10 games and now find themselves nine games out of first place in the National League West.
At this point, it seems unlikely they’ll win the division.
Despite their struggles, they’re still in contention for an NL Wild Card berth. The season hasn’t gone as planned, mainly due to injuries, but they still have a chance to make the playoffs.
Sometimes, all a team needs is to get into the postseason. Once they’re in, anything can happen.
Given the Giants’ roster of veteran talent, it’s not far-fetched to suggest they could find success when it matters most.
The current challenge, however, is making it to the playoffs.
With more injuries than many other teams in baseball, it would be wise for them to acquire more talent.
Who becomes available remains to be seen, but San Francisco has several areas in need of improvement. Most importantly, adding pitching is essential for any team aiming to compete in October.
In a list of 25 starting pitchers who might be traded at the MLB trade deadline, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report included Nick Pivetta of the Boston Red Sox.
“With what will be a pro-rated salary of around $2.5M on deadline day, the price is certainly right to make Pivetta a trade target for the litany of teams that can’t afford a Blake Snell or a Justin Verlander. And he’s enjoying a better season than usual, currently sitting on a 3.40 ERA after going seven shutout innings against Atlanta in his last appearance. Throw in the minimal cost in dollars and he would be one of the top rentals on the block—if the Red Sox fall far enough out of contention.”
The Red Sox have also struggled, sitting at 32-33 and 12.5 games out of first place in the American League East as of Sunday. They’re just 1.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, but many view them as sellers.
Pivetta has performed well this season, with a 3.40 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings pitched. His 123 ERA+ is the best of his career in any season where he’s pitched more than 10.0 innings.
Since he’s set to become a free agent at the end of the season, the Giants likely wouldn’t have to give up a top prospect to acquire him.
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A valuable, inexpensive arm like Pivetta could be an ideal addition for the Giants.
