Giants Showing Interest in Versatile Pirates Veteran Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline

Things have not gone as planned for the San Francisco Giants since making their blockbuster acquisition of slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox.

Expected to help boost the offense, the Giants have struggled to score runs since adding the dynamic hitter to the lineup, which has led to the team’s performance on the field cratering and starting a slide down the standings.

Entering play on July 22, San Francisco is 52-49, riding a six-game losing streak and dropping seven out of their last right contests.

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If they want to stick in the playoff race, president of baseball operations Buster Posey knows that more moves need to be made.

He has shown a willingness to be aggressive when it comes to adding talent, signing shortstop Wilmer Flores and starting pitcher Justin Verlander in free agency during his first winter overseeing the team.

What else could he look to do ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 31 to keep his team in the playoff race?

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Adding to the lineup is the No. 1 priority, and the Giants could be looking to the Pittsburgh Pirates to bring in reinforcements.

According to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (subscription required), San Francisco has expressed some level of interest in shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

“The Post-Gazette recently learned that the Giants have also inquired about the Pirates’ shortstop, although the extent of their interest is unknown,” he wrote.

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While most of his playing time with the Pirates has come at shortstop, Kiner-Falefa has extensive experience playing all around the diamond.

He has played at least 248 Major League innings in left field, center field, catcher, second base and third base in addition to shortstop.

While that kind of versatility would be nice for Bob Melvin to mix and match his lineups, and Kiner-Falefa would be a nice upgrade defensively, he doesn’t have a great track record producing at the plate.

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He has been arguably Pittsburgh’s most consistent hitter this season, but that isn’t saying much as part of one of the worst offenses in baseball.

Kiner-Falefa has a .274/.318/.340 slash line with an OPS+ of only 83, well below the league average of 100.

For more Giants news, head over to Giants On SI.