Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Dropping two of three to the Rockies was unkind to the Giants’ record, but not to their trade stock.
Five weeks out from the trade deadline, the 34-45 Giants look more and more like a team that will be selling, and the bigger question is becoming not whether many veterans will go, but what their price tags will read. Three games against Colorado helped the Giants’ asking price with several players.
Madison Bumgarner
This looked like the old Bumgarner, not an old Bumgarner. A start after flopping against the Dodgers, he was nearly untouchable, allowing just two runs on three hits and three walks — one of those runs and one of those hits coming on a ball Alex Dickerson lost track of — in six innings of a throwback performance Tuesday.
“I’ve been getting caught pitching just to one side pretty much every pitch. Guys are too good to do that to,” said Bumgarner, who believed he had diagnosed what has gone wrong for him this season (4.21 ERA).
He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season, and his October resume is unrivaled.
Pablo Sandoval
There’s a valid argument to be made that in Bruce Bochy’s farewell season and with a team that will only get younger post-deadline, Sandoval is better used as a clubhouse presence than a trade chip.
But that depends what he would fetch on the market.
Sandoval’s 2-for-4 game Wednesday, in which he homered and doubled, lifted his slashline to .288/.326/.575. He can ably play either corner-infield spot and is a switch-hitter who’s been deadly vs. righties, against whom he’s batting .300 with all 10 of his home runs this year in 130 at-bats.
The 32-year-old, whom the Giants are paying just $550,000 this season and who’s owed as much next season, could be a bench bat a contender could use. Will the Giants see him that way, too?
Will Smith
Can you improve perfection?
Smith picked up his 21st save in 21 chances Tuesday, needing 11 pitches to mow Colorado down without incident while striking out two.
The to-be free agent is a sure goner, his value peaking and figuring to be the Giants’ All-Star representative. He’s also signaled he would be willing to switch out of his role and into setup man, if need be; the Dodgers will be in the market for bullpen help, too.
“I just want to win. Keep it simple,” Smith told KNBR. “They need help [closing], I’ll keep doing that. If not, I’ll just be happy to go to a team that has a chance to go to the playoffs.”
The A-minus relievers
The Giants have their mop-up men in Derek Holland, Dereck Rodriguez and Mark Melancon, who rarely see time in victories. They have Smith, their bullpen ace. And they have their true setup guys.
With the exception of Reyes Moronta, who didn’t pitch in the series, the Giants’ setup guys gave scouts on hand a good show against Colorado. Trevor Gott, Sam Dyson and Tony Watson all pitched an inning. None allowed a base-runner.
Drew Pomeranz
The Giants signed the veteran lefty for just $1.5 million this offseason, with the thought that even if they weren’t competitive, perhaps they could flip him. A few more starts like Monday’s, they should be able to.
Pomeranz flashed greatness, striking out 11 in five innings, the two runs he surrendered coming on a David Dahl homer. (Dahl would torture the Giants in the series.) He had the same issue with longevity — he hasn’t lasted six innings since April — but it was his third solid outing in four tries, a blowup last week to Los Angeles his only recent hiccup.
If he continues to tick upward, the Giants should be able to recoup a prospect, though likely more a young, lottery-ticket type.
