Former MLB executive questions San Francisco Giants’ deadline strategy

With the trade deadline officially closing for the San Francisco Giants, analysts from around the league have a chance to take a closer look at the management’s accomplishments over the final two months of the season.

With so many teams in the race for the playoffs, this market has naturally become a sellers’ dream, driving up prices for any player they want to get rid of.

That’s exactly what happened when multiple pieces were moved to championship contending teams in exchange for inflated packages, despite only two All-Stars being transferred in total.

Given the Giants’ position in the playoff race, many thought it would be wise for them to join the selling teams and get rid of their best players.

They traded a few pieces, but this was a shocking move that reunited their pricey offseason acquisition Jorge Soler with the Atlanta Braves in a salary fire sale. They also traded Alex Cobb before he had thrown a single pitch this year, even though he was expected to return in the coming days.

Apart from that, San Francisco was quiet.

Mark Canha was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in a trade that was as surprising as the decision to let go of some players and keep others.

This caused former MLB general manager Jim Bowden to question San Francisco’s actions prior to the deadline and gave them a D grade in his article. Athletic.

“…didn’t do much to improve their chances of making the playoffs this year…They listened to Blake Snell, but that’s all they did. Now they have to hope that Snell and Robbie Ray play like the Cy Young Award winners they were in the past and just try to make it to the postseason with the rest of the staff. I just have my doubts that this offense is good enough to get them there,” he writes.

This seems to be the common belief around the league.

The Giants clearly feel they can compete for a playoff spot now that their pitching staff is finally healthy and playing at a high level

Is it not a coincidence that at this point it is too late and too little?

It is very possible that this is the case.

If San Francisco fails to qualify for the playoffs, they can look back on their strategy with disappointment, as this was a huge opportunity to regain pieces they otherwise would not have gotten back.

Keeping Snell could also be expensive if he opts out of his contract and becomes a free agent after one year, as there were multiple teams interested in acquiring him in a playoff push.