Will Giants Offense Receive Big Enough Boost After Recent Shakeup?

The San Francisco Giants are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, riding a six-game winning streak.

That has them only a half-game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

Their winning streak was sparked by a sizable roster shakeup finalized by president of baseball operations Buster Posey.

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Looking for more offensive production, the team designated starting first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. for assignment and signed Dominic Smith to take his place. Backup catcher Sam Huff was also DFA'd as part of the moves.

It remains unclear if the changes are what sparked the winning streak, but it was certainly encouraging to see them get rolling.

There has been just enough offensive production, as all six games have been won by one run, pushing their record in those types of games to 17-12 on the campaign.

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“The offense hasn’t exactly caught fire yet, and in five games, Smith hasn’t been much better than Wade had been for the Giants. But Giants fans are unlikely to care about the difference between causation and correlation. What matters is that the club remains competitive in the NL West and is a game and a half behind the Dodgers,” wrote Andy McCullough of The Athletic (subscription required).

There will be even more pressure on the supporting cast to step up with star third baseman Matt Chapman hitting the injured list after hurting his hand.

Producing at an elite level defensively and at the plate, his loss will be a difficult one to overcome.

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It should push Posey to work the trade market sooner rather than later so that his team can keep pace in the NL playoff race.

First base remains the No. 1 priority for the team to upgrade, but a utility player who can step in and play third until Chapman is healthy, especially if Casey Schmitt continues producing an OPS+ of 77, will be near the top of the to-do list as well.

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