The Giants traded Jorge Soler DH and Luke Jackson RHP to the Braves for Tyler Matzek LHP and Sabin Ceballos IF/OF. So this is a bit of a surprise and the worst of all worlds from a fan perspective. Overall, Soler has been a disappointment this season but he seemed to find a comfort zone at the top of the batting order and played a big role in the Giants 4-game sweep of the Rockies this weekend. The Braves are taking on his whole contract which is why the return is disappointing.
Tyler Matzek missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery and has spend most of this season on the IL with elbow inflammation. The last available report on him is he was playing catch from 90 feet on 6/28/2024. He is in the second year of a 2 yr/$3.1 M contract and has a team option for 2025. Perhaps if he is close to being ready the Giants can audition him for that option.
Sabin Ceballos 3B. DOB: 8/17/2002. B-R, T-R. 6' 3", 225 lbs. Drafted 2023 Round 3
2024 A+: .259/.353/.354, 3 HR, 9 SB, 9.8 BB%, 19.1 K%.
Should have 2 more years of development time before he is Rule 5 Draft eligible.
So maybe there is another trade in the works but this seems like a clear signal the Giants have given up on the season. It's the worst of all worlds from a fan perspective since rather than getting an exciting prospect or two back, they are getting a couple of lottery tickets worthy of The Churn. Yes, the Giants are able to dump salary and that's a good thing for the owners but they continue to tread water in terms of talent acquisition.
One bright spot is the Giants are reportedly trying to find a way for Marco Luciano IF to get regular AB's at the MLB level and this trade would seem to open that up.
Unless there is a significant "buy" trade in the works, it would seem that trading Blake Snell is a must since if he remains healthy he will almost certainly exercise his player option and become a free agent and if he gets hurt, the Giants are stuck with a very large contract for next season. Hey! Maybe they can get a prospect or two in return for Snell?
It's pretty rough day to be a Giants fan.
Well it's not terrible - it opens up 2 spots and Luciano can come up and DH
ReplyDeleteI’m excited since either FZ will be gone after this year or one of two things will have happened. The team goes on a miraculous run to make the playoffs or FZ pulls off some franchise altering trades. This team isn’t going on a miraculous run so making trades is really the only way he keeps his job. Snell and Ray should be on the table along with Camilo, Chapman, AND Webb. Go after bats and if after the deadline tomorrow we have a few of the following names I will be happy…. Dominguez, Jones, Arias, Mayo, Kjerstad, Norby, Basallo.
ReplyDeleteHot news flash: None of Dominguez, Jones, Arias, Mayo, Kjerstad, Norby or Basallo are coming to the Giants in any trade.
DeleteWell then I guess I won’t be happy
DeleteMarlins just got Norby for Trevor Rogers so he isn’t available but that’s an encouraging sign as Rogers isn’t even close to Snells level of talent so maybe we get more?
DeleteI don't know about this trade, but the beat writers are saying they want to open the DH spot giving ABS to Marco Luciano and vets. They are looking to add a true centerfieler so Ramos can move to corner outfield. They don't see anymore big subtraction to pitching staff. Too bad owners don't seem to want to pay down part of the salary Fir solor or Snell to improve prospect addition. . Tough to make good trade. The positive is Luciano gets mlb abs, negative he won't get the reps at 2nd base he needs. Doesn't look like they're committing to selling or buying. See what happens tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteRegarding owners seemingly not wanting to pay down part of the salary to improve prospect addition, that would be sort of like buying prospects.
DeleteThe owners tried that with the acquisition of Wilson a few year back.
I assume, if that becomes a habit, it would be a wrong way to acquire prospects. And it could be habit forming.
The old fashioned way of drafting and developing is the more cost-effective choice, I believe. And the owners could be, possibly, saying, the money we have paid to him up to now and the production we have gotten so far this season...they are in the past. Just get some prospects back and hopefully they equal to the draft pick we gave up for signing him.
Essentially, they are saying, buying prospects, maybe...once in a while, but let's stick to drafting and developing.
Once again, FZ highlighting his ongoing incompetence in FA signings and deadline deal head scratchers (how soon we forgot the great AJ Pollock last deadline) by having to dump maybe his intended biggest signing of the past off season (a trend for FZ). Worse, he will likely regain his Power stroke away from Burrell/Melvin and for 2 plus years of him, FZ only gets the Braves 17th ranked prospect and a dead arm (yeah, i get the salary dump, but that's noise)??
ReplyDeleteOK, more rationally and being one that cares more about winning then kids, kids, kids, i'm a little perplexed by dealing Soler after the vet finally started hitting and getting on base and finding a comfort zone with the team. As I also see no likelihood of the GIants bringing in the needed bat, wait, two bats now, to maybe make a go of things with their pitching set. this just seems like treading water in terms of winning AND prospect building...
The only positive is, as Doc mentioned, that maybe/hopefully Luciano gets a lot of ABS as the DH and occasional IF. Then again, I'm not thrilled with him only hitting the rest of the year and worry that after a few o-fors he will be minimized
More than likely I am over-reacting and the smartest man in the room's plan will become clearer in the next 16 hours.
SteveVA
I know it's been a disappointing year for Soler, but I did love watching him hit. When he made contact, it was usually loud contact. Managed to break his bat over his knew like kindling after a K earlier this year. That's always fun! Considering the backload on the contract, and Soler's inconsistency year-to-year, it was a fairly sound decision. I think he'll do well with the Braves.
ReplyDeleteThe good news it sounds like the Giants did manage to sign Dakota Jordan, which sounded like pretty tall order considering the Cap money available for him at the 4th Round. I think they also just signed 5th Rounder Jakob Christian. Not sure how they managed to sign their all of their top 3 with such a huge overslot to Jordan.
Trading Soler would open up the DH to Brent Rooker if FZ can pry him loose
ReplyDeleteI guess Mark Canha is a poor man's Brent Rooker?
DeleteThis trade helps Atlanta who is floundering (5-10 last 15 games) and has become an iffy playoff team – they are just ½ game ahead of the huge pack still alive.
ReplyDeleteThere must be a why FZ is clearing space, don't you think?
seems like they are mostly concerned with money given this trade and comments about not covering any of Snell's contract
DeleteOne thing with all the beat writers talking bout the SOLER trade opening up at bats for Lucianno at DH as well as the Giants maybe looking for another oF/Bat....Well, maybe the guy that comes up is not LUCIANO but JERA ENCARNACION who has been destroying the ball at SAC with 9 HRS in 100 ABs...Just sayin
ReplyDeleteSteveVA
Dunno. But seems like addition by subtraction to me. Both were bad fits for whatever reason. And Soler likely poisoned the well for trying to sign thumpers to hit at Oracle. He may explained why they took so many shots at power bats in the draft.
ReplyDeleteStill need to move Conforto today, but if that’s all they will be no less a longshot for the playoffs than before, snd will keep all this pitching at least for this year.
Jackson yes. I don't agree that Trading Soler is addition by subtraction unless FZ has a monster bat he's pretty sure of signing this offseason.
DeleteUntil very recently, Soler was a PAINFUL at bat to watch and he wasn't hired to be a lead-off hitter who might get on base. How many of his hits or HR's were in dead situations anyway? I really wanted it to work out but it didn't. Oh well. His swing and approach looked bad and there didn't seem to be any adjustment. Can Luciano be any worse?
ReplyDeleteAnyone hear how he was in the clubhouse? He sure didn't look like was fitting in or really wanted to be there.
Rob in Vancouver
Look up Soler's monthly splits. He's actually hit quite well since the first of June.
DeleteJust to be a bit contrary, I do like Ceballos. I watched him at Oregon, and was quite impressed with his arm at 3rd and a solid bat. I thought then that he looked like a potential solid ML player, so we might get some value there.
ReplyDeleteCeballos is better than a decent prospect but realistic ETA is at least 3 years ahead.
DeleteFarhan is not a guy who has proven in his 6 seasons that he can do anything with money, and the reason Farhan is trying to clear money is because he has one of the most expensive teams in the league even though they are also one of the worst teams in the league (don’t you think?). I do wonder how many more train wreck off seasons Farhan will be allowed to have. Seriously, how many times are they going to let this guy waste money on someone in the off-season only to have to trade him away for peanuts later on when the guy isn’t worth the roster space?? He does that all the time
ReplyDeleteAgreed this trade helps Atlanta and good for solar. For the Giants to give up on solar in the 1st year of a 3 year contract means they didn't see him working out. He reportedly wasn't comfortable hitting in the colder weather at oracle park and I' don't think the Giants signed him for all the money to bat leadoff. Maybe its best the Giants move on from Solar and try another hitter
ReplyDeleteThe party line is trading Soler creates PA's for Luciano. If the Giants believe in Luciano that much they could find PA's for him with Soler on the team.
DeleteHow about we trade Snell, bring up Trevor McDonald or Roupp, and we can bring Luciano at the same time. And if we can get rid of Conforto, we can bring up Encarnacion or McCray. I think that gets us below CBT too
ReplyDeleteSnell stays put.
DeleteGiants trade for Mark Canha at the deadline. This year's AJ Pollack. I am ready to see Farhan go away.
ReplyDeleteOur only hope now is that the hitters get hot. As a lawyer once said to me, "Hope is not a strategy."
Derald Cook
Most likely SF won't miss Eric Silva a lot, but he might be a major league pitcher when Mark Canha is long forgotten as a Giant.
ReplyDeleteJackson and Soler are each addition by subtraction. Neither was particularly good this season. Their production, or lack thereof, can be quite easily replaced.
ReplyDeleteJackson yes, Soler no. See my response above to a similar statement.
DeleteWhatever the reason I wonder if trading Solar in his 1st contract year is going to make it even harder for the Giants to sign hitters in the future. Something wasn't right to make FZ trade him
DeleteThe Giants were so happy not to be traded, they took the night off!
ReplyDeleteAnd who was the happiest? Obviously Jorge Soler!