After a dreadful start to the second half of the season, the San Francisco Giants had to change course.
Before the All-Star break, it appeared fairly clear that the Giants were going to be buyers at the trade deadline. This was a franchise that had exceeded expectations and had been battling some tough opponents in the National League West.
However, a brutal stretch, which included losing 12 of 13 games, changed the mindset for the team.
Leading up to the deadline, San Francisco figured to be a team that would pursue another hitter and a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher. Instead, they ended up being sellers.
It was a bit surprising to see them sell at the trade deadline after acquiring star slugger Rafael Devers not too long before. However, with the team being in such a tough division and the NL playoff picture being challenging, it could be what’s best in the long run.
Despite being sellers, this is still a team that has a lot of games to play, and going on some magical run shouldn’t be considered impossible.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN recently wrote about why there still might be some reason for hope for the Giants despite being sellers at the trade deadline.
“Still, with the Giants off the radar, you can see that each unit features at least one All-Star-level player: Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and dynamic new closer Randy Rodriguez.”
As seen by the names listed, there is a lot of top-tier talent still in San Francisco. This team did hit a rough patch, but there is reason to believe that they could go on a run if players get hot.
When looking at the players that they dealt, the bullpen took the most significant hit. This was a unit that was one of the best in the league, but trading away Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers will weaken them.
However, Randy Rodriguez has arguably been their best relief pitcher, and he might end up being a great closer for the team. The Giants have been able to win their last two series against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, they are one game over .500.
With an easy series coming up against the Washington Nationals, they could very well get another series win.
After that, things will get challenging. They will be facing off against the San Diego Padres, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Padres again.
While it is going to be unlikely, it’s not impossible to think that this team can make a run in the next week or so.
