Diamondbacks Starter Deemed Best Match for Giants at Trade Deadline

With one series left before the All-Star break, the San Francisco Giants will be trying to build momentum.

The end of June was not great for the Giants, losing to a lot of teams that they are better than. However, things have turned around in July so far, and San Francisco still possesses one of the Wild Card Spots in the National League.

As expected, the NL is turning out to be a dog fight with a ton of teams in the mix. However, it was the Giants who made the most significant move so far with the addition of Rafael Devers, and there is no reason to stop now.

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While the star slugger will improve the lineup, San Francisco also needs some help in their starting rotation. The duo of Logan Webb and Robbie Ray has been fantastic, but there are a lot of question marks for the team after those two.

With the overall depth of the rotation being an issue, adding another starter is a need for the Giants. At the trade deadline, there will be a plethora of options, and they fortunately don’t need to add an ace.

Jeff Passan of ESPN recently wrote that the best match for the Giants at the trade deadline is Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly.

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“Kelly represents a significant upgrade over the Giants' backend rotation options, as Justin Verlander and Hayden Birdsong are sporting ERAs of 6.27 and 5.73, respectively, since June 1.”

With the Diamondbacks currently sitting under the .500 mark, they seem to be trending toward being a seller this campaign. Injuries have unfortunately derailed their season, and selling off assets to reset for 2026 makes a lot of sense.

As a team that was expected to be a playoff contender, the Diamondbacks will have a lot of good options to deal with. One of those potential options is Kelly.

The 36-year-old might have been a bit of a late bloomer, but he has been a solid pitcher for Arizona throughout his career. So far this year, he has totaled a 7-5 record and 3.41 ERA in 19 starts.

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While the right-hander might not be an ace, the Giants wouldn’t need him to be. Sliding Kelly into the rotation behind Webb and Ray would create a strong trio for a potential postseason series.

Since the NL is so tight, every game matters at this point. With that being said, San Francisco needs to upgrade their staff.

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