San Francisco Giants Can Make Splash at Trade Deadline with Rays Slugger

The San Francisco Giants have maneuvered their way into contention in nail-biting fashion.

The roster shakeup by president of baseball operations Buster Posey has brought a sense of urgency as the Giants shape up to be buyers at the trade deadline.

At one point, they endured eight straight one-run games to tie the longest MLB streak since San Francisco set it last in 2014. That razor-thin margin of error won’t be good enough if they want to be World Series contenders.

San Francisco needs more offense and desperately needs a first baseman. The Giants’ starting rotation and bullpen are both playoff-caliber, and it would be a waste to not be aggressive and push for more firepower at the July 31 deadline.

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Until then, a significant amount of baseball remains, making it challenging to definitively identify some teams as sellers.

If the Tampa Bay Rays become one of them, San Francisco should look to make a trade for first baseman Yandy Diaz.

Entering June, the Tampa Bay Rays looked like buyers. Then they won six of their nine games this month and suddenly are back in the wild card standings.

There are four teams within three games of the last AL wild card spot and six within 3.5 games. In the National League, there are two teams within three games and three within 3.5 games.

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That’s a much more crowded standings that the Rays have to withstand. Should they swing back out of the standings, Diaz has been one of their trade chips named across several outlets, and one connected to the Giants.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) recently listed the top candidates that San Francisco should pursue, and Diaz was included as one of them.

While he listed Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan O’Hearn as the best fit, Ryan Mountcastle’s recent injury that will sideline him for 8-12 weeks may give them pause to make that move.

O’Hearn’s repetitiveness as a left-handed hitter is also something to consider, and Diaz is a righty.

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Diaz is slashing .252/.304/.412 with nine home runs, 37 RBIs, three stolen bases, and a 103 OPS+. He hasn’t stolen a base since 2022 and has already matched that career-high total through 62 games.

Diaz also has zero errors this season, which would be an upgrade from Wade Jr.’s four errors in 45 games this year.

His defensive play has improved from last season. While Diaz has no defensive runs saved (DRS) or outs above average (OAA), he ended 2024 with -5 DRS and -3 OAA.

Diaz is on a three-year, $24 million contract and is under club option through 2026. However, he shouldn't command too high of a prospect haul in return for a massive boost to the Giants' lineup.

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