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Needed Trades

As the recent success of the team playing “kids” suggests, the team previously had some badly clogged pipes this year. I don’t want to get into critiques of the front office here, but there are four or five men who absolutely, positively need to be gone by next season (whenever that may start). Making these moves would flush out the pipes and let the metaphorical waters flow freely.

We all know that there is a ferocious amount of money involved in the contracts of the men I will be listing below. The total currently committed just for 2027 is $85 million. Many say that those outlandish contracts make a trade for any of these men virtually impossible. That is nonsense.

Mind, the Johnsons appear to have just that: non-sense. But Buster Posey majored in finance: he should and assuredly knows what a “sunk cost” is. If you don’t know, and don’t feel like following the link, here it is, per Wikipedia:

A sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered.
Sunk costs are contrasted with prospective costs, which are future costs that
may be avoided if action is taken. In other words, a sunk cost is a sum paid
in the past that should no longer be relevant to decisions about the future.

And, as Investopedia adds, “The sunk cost fallacy leads to poor
decision-making by continuing failed actions.”

(That the costs at issue have not yet been paid out doesn’t matter: the contractual commitments put them in the “incurred and cannot be recovered” category.)

Let’s take Lee as an example. If the Giants were to offer Lee to some team and as part of the deal eat $60 million, would that be a financial disaster? No! Of course not: they'd be $3 million better off than they are—quite enough to cover the salary of any of the young replacements they would use.

No one, least of all me, is suggesting that they volunteer to eat that high a percentage of any of these contracts. But they can eat quite a lot and still be far better off financially than they would be by keeping these guys. The problem would be for Buster to explain all that in terms so simple even a Johnson could get it.

But what about all that talent they’d be losing? As soon as I stop laughing, I’ll detail it. That’s next.

Jung Hoo Lee. What we have here is a guy who is a passable but far from great hitter (barely “passable”: both his career and his 2026 TPPs are right around the 765 border of acceptable), a somewhat above average—but not much above average—runner (his nickname notwithstanding), and a clearly below average fielder (playing in the most difficult right field in the majors). You have Bo Davidson, Scott Bandura, and even Turner Hill, each of whom could very probably do—at very worst—about as well as Lee at anything, and all at major-league-minimum salaries and with many years of control. This is what is meant by the phrase “no brainer”. Of course, what is holding the Giants back from this obvious move is (surprise, surprise!) money. They reckon they are making piles of cash from the Korean interest: Korean advertisers (what’s the last time you bought some seaweed?), and Korean fans buying Lee gear at the Giants store, not to mention tickets. Now how much do you reckon of all that compares with the many millions they could save with a plausible trade? “Poor decision-making” indeed.

Willy Adames. Look, Adames is one of the nicest guys in baseball. But remember Casey Stengel’s oft-misquoted remark, made nodding toward the dugout of a last-place team: “They’re all nice guys.” Adames has a career TOP of 777, which barely makes the go/no-go cut…but as Francis Bacon said, “Age will not be denied.” Granted, he was playing through some pain for much of this season, but a TOP of 705 is not even passable, especially when events hint at future health issues. Moreover (to the extent that we believe fielding stats), his glove is in decline: Outs Above Average were 0 in 2024, 5 last year, and -17 this year. In his whole career, he has had only two seasons (2022 & 2023) when his OAA were above zero. Is all that a performance worth $28 million a year? For the next five years? With the Giants having a likely passable young shortstop (Diego Velasquez) right now, plus a boatload of very probably great ones coming to shore in the next few years? Save some of that Adames money and spend it elsewhere (and with more wisdom).

Matt Chapman. The Giants have pumped his “Platinum Glove” mythos so hard that, as with any Big Lie, many people have come to believe it. To be sure, Chapman once was a great fielder. But look at his Statcast OAA figures for recent years: 2025, 4; 2026, 4. He had a flash in 2024 (11), but 2022 was also just 4, and 2021 was just 1. Those are not the tracks in the snow of a big bear. He is today if (and it’s a big “if”) his injuries have no permanent effect on his fielding, a more or less average fielder at third. And about Casey Schmitt’s work at third, I scarcely need say anything.

But wait: what about Chapman’s famous batting? Well, it has been pretty good…till this year. Of course, we all know he was playing hurt—severely hurt, in fact. But a TOP of 830 (his career value) is not so awfully hard to get from a corner position. Schmitt’s 2026 before his season ended was 810, satisfactory and not too far from 840. Chapman would get $25 million in 2027; Schmitt is as yet unsigned for 2027 (I believe), but made less than a million for 2026. Moving Chapman saves $24 million or so—perhaps even more if we reckon that there’s a bump-on effect: if Chapman were to stay, Schmitt would be bumped into some position—LF, 2B, somewhere—where a good-to-excellent major-league-minimum “kid” could otherwise go (so the saving is more than $24 million). And Chapman’s contract runs through 2030.

Finally, there is another matter: Chapman’s ego. When he was hurt, he insisted on playing through it even though it was obvious that it was affecting his play; then, when at times he did have to visit the IL, he insisted on coming back with no rehab. All that is, well, I’ll quote the Third Doctor from The Five Doctors: “Without me, they’re sure to get it all wrong!” And then there is the famous—or rather, infamous—episode of the televised "Catch the fucking ball!” admonition. Schmitt, the target, was too much the gentleman to say (as he well could have) “Then throw the fucking ball to where I am!” The scorer had no trouble assigning those two errors. What clubhouse needs that kind of attitude? Eat what you have to Giants, but get ’er done.

Harrison Bader. Does one really need to say anything? The Giants will almost surely seek (if they are not already seeking) to void his contract. I can’t imagine they will have much trouble, but then I’m not a lawyer, and don’t even play one on TV.

Proposed 13 Batters

As noted on the Basics page, it is my firm belief that a well-put-together team will have a full dozen “everyday” players plus one defensive jack-of-all-trades to forfend defensive issues if multiple player losses occur more or less at once. To show that such an arrangement is not terribly difficult to manage even with just the men the Giants currently have, here is the table of my suggested players and their use (it is updated daily):

Bryce Eldridge. Little comment is needed: he is a very good hitter who may well become a great hitter; and his defense is tolerable and constantly improving. I put him in leadoff because one wants, to the extent it is reasonably possible, to set one’s lineup in descending TOP order (because the higher the lineup position, the more plate appearances over the season).

Casey Schmitt. There is a lingering concern (for me, anyway) about whether his great improvement earlier this season will stick. There were worrying signs in his last two months that he was reverting to his swing-crazy earlier self. (Take a look at his month-by-month numbers at Baseball Reference.) Nonetheless, I chose him based on his (abbreviated) season. His defense is, of course, stellar. He also fits the neat left-right alternation that a good lineup should have. (And did worst comes to worst with him, there is always Parks Harber lurking in the wings.)

Victor Bericoto. His minor-league petigree is good—not spectacular, but good. And in Spring Training, he looked better than good. And his range-factor defense is a tad better than average at all three outfield positions. (Statcast has him average in RF and a hair below in LF.) ZIPS is not crazy about him, but men do improve: Bericoto is only 24 right now, the age at which Heliot Ramos blossomed. Right-handed-hitting outfielders are in short supply just now; but if Bericoto does not play his way onto the 2027 team, there remains left-handed Scott Bandura (who otherwise might not have a spot). I pencil Bericoto in till he plays his way off the roster. (He and Davidson can both play a corner well, so it will be a nice judgement by the field staff as to who goes where; I arbitrarily put Bericoto in LF and Davidson in RF.)

Bo Davidson. He is, of course, a very highly touted prospect. He is supposedly able to play all three outfield positions, though a corner is likely his best use. Regrettably he—like so very many left-hand batters—has pretty severe platoon splits, which is why my table only shows him getting 5 starts in a typical week (5 out of 7 of all innings pitched are pitched by right-handers). He seems a rather safe bet.

Jonah Cox. He blew through the upper minors, and some think perhaps a bit too fast. He seems to have solid batting skills, but as yet they are a bit rough around the edges: his H/PA (.257 vs MLB average .217) and TB/H (1.621 vs MLB average 1.642) numbers are satisfactory, but what is currently killing him are his low walks rate (5.3% vs MLB-average 8.9%) and high strikeout rate (35.4% vs MLB-average 22.1%). What is keeping him afloat right now is his ridiculous BABIP of .431 (MLB average is .290). But he is young and raw, and one very fine center fielder and base runner. I pencil him in with the hope and expectation that he will settle into better BB and K rates. Meanwhile, I put him at 2B because he seems able to play the position satisfactorily, and it allows Gilbert to hold down CF. Remember that the Giants’ middle infield will be undergoing some big changes over the next couple of years, with Level only a year away at SS and Kilen, Gonzalez, and Hernández not that far off.

Drew Gilbert. His meh overall numbers cover the fact that he is quite a good hitter against right-handed pitching, while LHP kills him. (He is far from alone in that: Devers, Hill, Davidson, and an awful lot of non-Giants lefties are in the same leaky boat.) He is, as we have seen, an excellent center fielder. And most observers feel his batting has been getting better as he gets in more MLB playing time. (Vitello insists that Gilbert hit lefties pretty well at the collegiate level, but even his MiLB stats show an extreme skew.) Still, I reckon he’s a dark-lead-pencil-in when used correctly.

Diego Velasquez. Some might see Velasquez as just a SS placeholder for Jhonny Level. But he seems likely (to me) to be a reasonable fit for the MLB SS slot. Borrowing from the estimable Roger Munter, his pluses are that he can get the bat on the ball, he is a switch hitter who has grown into more or less neutral platoon splits in his career, and he takes walks; his minuses are low power (though he is not a banjo hitter: 1.42 PF in Sacramento so far this year), and questions about his quickness and range in the field. But remember also that he is presently only 23; as one Giants coach said of him, “at some point, Velasquez is going to grow into himself physically, and the body and mind are going to sync up—and at that point, the game is really going to click for him” (also via Roger, with thanks). Considering how long this team went with Willy Adames in the field, I feel comfortable pencilling Velasquez in at SS and #8 in the lineup.

Drew Cavanaugh. On Opening Day, Daniel Susac was the backup catcher to Bailey and Cavanaugh was in Sacramento; when Bailey was moved out, Cavanaugh was moved up. One might thus think of him as the backup to Susac, but…Cavanaugh has a quite fine minor-league track record (OPS: low-A, .814; high-A, .904; AA, .857; AAA, .841; all-MiLB, .836). He seems to be thought of (and to actually be) a pretty good defender, and being only 24 now has plenty of time to keep improving both at the plate and behind it. So far, though, the “at the plate” part is limping, despite a quite high BABIP. His hits per plate appearance aren’t too bad (.214 vs MLB-average .217), his walks are fine (10.3% vs MLB-average 8.9%), his strikeouts are high but not outrageously so (27.6% vs MLB-average 22.1%); but his power, oh dear (PF of 1.19 vs MLB-average 1.64). Overall, his OBP is a tiny hair above league average, so if and when he gets his power stroke back to what it was in MiLB (over 1.6), which I for one think he certainly will (eyeball test: hard line drives all over the place, but almost always Atom Balls). I am quite comfortable writing him in as the primary catcher (and #9 batter).

Daniel Susac. As just noted, Susac was, after Bailey’s departure the heir apparent to the primary catching job. He, like Cavanaugh, has good-looking MiLB credentials, if a bit less dramatic (.799 MiLB OPS vs Cavananaugh’s .836). Susac’s MLB OBP is only .286 vs the MLB average of .317, though his power is about MLB average. He, like so many current Giants, seems to have a severe distaste for walks, at 5.0%. I do think that he will perk up and be the decent hitter his MiLB record suggests, but for now I put him as backup to Cavanaugh. (Since Cavanaugh is another leftie with big splits, it would be nice if Susac could just take on the left-handed starters—but day game after night game is more likely by far to control his use.) Oh, and he, too, is said to be quite sound defensively.

Marcelo Mayer. This is one truly dark horse, and moreover one who will need to be carrying quite a load. As most know by now, his pedigree is remarkably solid. He was the #4 pick in the 2021 draft, and his MiLB OPS stats seem \ed to have justified that pick: .817 Rookie, .910 low A, .865 high A, .763 AA, .835 AAA, so .829 overall. But then came the majors, and something close to disaster (TOPs of 540 in 2025 and 510 in 2026). In fairness, he had injury issues (look at his injury history). But the Giants apparently feel that walking out in a different MLB uniform into a different MLB park will suddenly cure all his ills. If, in 2027, he can live up to his potential, he would be an immense help as a multi-position infielder, as the table above shows: 3 days at 2B (one off day for Cox and two days in CF to relieve Gilbert); two days at SS to help the rookie Velasquez; and a day at 3B to give Schmitt his weekly rest day. But if Mayer is not a reasonably decent hitter, the team will be scrambling for versatile IF backup play (Eddys Leonard?). I pencil in Mayer and pray…

Turner Hill. He can apparently play all three OF positions somewhere from tolerably to well, and he isn’t needed in CF anyway. He is a left-handed batter with the all-too-common (for LHB) severe platoon splits, so he is restricted to an average of five starts a week (the 5 of 7 started by RHP). I have pencilled him in for 3 days a weelk in LF (see the table to understand the OF usages) and a couple of days at DH (one to rest Devers and one to let Devers play 1B, resting Eldridge). We will have to see if Hill can keep up the hot start he has been off to. (His MiLB career OPS is .799, and he is now 27, so less likely to keep improving). If he stumbles, there is Bandura waiting (indeed, Bandura—who has only moderate platoon splits—might be the better choice here: time will tell).

Jesús Rodríguez. It is a firm belief of mine that every position on the diamond needs to be backed up twice, so that no two players becoming unavailable at once (injury, illness, umpire-tossed, whatever) will leave the team with a position filled by a man inexperienced at that position. Let’s see why a guy like Rodríguez is so very helpful:

Remember: those substitutions would probably be just for a few innings of one game, or possibly that and also one whole game, or—remotely possibly—that and two whole games. The “possibly” depends on how fast they can bring up a replacement (or how fast the man or men down can recover).

But you can see why a guy like Rodríguez is so valuable and important. A man who has at least some catching experience and training but who can also play infield positions is a treasure trove indeed. And besides all that, he can (supposedly) hit decently, which is just a plus. He won’t get much playing time, but to keep him from drying he could be subbed into any games that have become lopsided.

As fallbacks, we have Scott Bandura (any OF position), Parks Harber (3B & LF), Nate Furman (IF), and probably some others just surfacing in the minors.

And remember: the table above is not and cannot be something that would be followed exactly. All sorts of things crop up day to day. It is meant to show that it is not impossible, or even difficult, to give a dozen talented men the opportunity to each play at their optimum, just by paying attention to how their workloads get handled.

Other Batters

The best source of information on Giants prospects is from Roger Munter’s Substack There R Giants (some access free, full access modest subscription).

Those men not listed above who might be relevant in 2027 are listed below. The positions played are in order of frequency of appearances; the links are to the man’s Baseball-Reference page.

This page was last modified on Sunday, 13 September 2026, at 7:20 pm Pacific Time.