Are the Giants going to be buyers at the trade deadline? Sellers?
Following an 81-81 season, San Francisco finds itself 49-41 at the All-Star break and in possession of the National League’s third and final Wild Card spot. Though the Giants got off to a slow start, they’ve been buoyed by an influx of young talent and gone 38-25 since May 1.
On the latest episode of Audacy Sports’ “Garlic Fries & Baseball Guys” podcast, hosts Sam Lubman and Joe Shasky handed out their first-half grades for the Giants.
SHASKY: “I’m gonna say ‘B+’. What’s your letter grade for the first half?”
LUBMAN: “I’m gonna go a very, very solid ‘B’. No plus, no minus.”
SHASKY: “I think having the youngsters actually show the promise – Casey Schmitt for three weeks carried this team. Patrick Bailey for the last couple of weeks had carried this team, before recently. Even (Luis) Matos was a shot in the arm that they absolutely needed and (Camilo) Doval has carried this team at times. J.D. Davis, an acquisition, has carried this team at times. (LaMonte) Wade (Jr.) carried this team. There are a lot of great stories going on here, so that’s why I’ll go with ‘B+’.
LUBMAN: “I would go ‘B’, only because the starting rotation does concern me right now. I do think that if the Giants do fade in the second half, it’s gonna be because the starting rotation fell apart and the bullpen kinda ran outta gas trying to pick up that slack there. I think it’s a ‘B’ because as great as the young guys started, they have faded a little bit. I would like to see them pick up a little bit as well. Honestly, it’s a ‘B’ because as good as I think this lineup is, there’s gonna be times where it gonna go dry and it’s gonna be very frustrating.”