© Kyle Terada | 2020 Aug 15
Kevin Gausman’s performance was the only thing worth remembering in a series to forget last weekend vs. the A’s.
Again the right-hander looked like the second coming of Jason Schmidt, with a devastating fastball/split combination en route to an 11 strikeout performance. Gausman, a 29-year-old journeyman, has flashed the most impressive stuff of anyone in the rotation this season, and stands to generate some interest should the Giants let him hit free agency next offseason.
That seems like something they’d be unlikely to do considering what he’s shown, but what about selling high before the August 31st trade deadline? According to Giants beat writer Henry Schulman, don’t expect the Giants to do that either. Return on a talent like Gausman just isn’t going to be enough in this pandemic-shortened season.
“I just don’t see any team giving up any prospect of any value for one month of any pitcher, or one month of any player for that matter,” Schulman told Papa & Lund on Monday. “If you’re willing to trade a guy like Gausman, and recognize that you’re going to get back probably a minor leaguer that’s sort’ve lost his prospect status but might have something in him, sort of like a (Mauricio) Dubon for instance. You’re not going to get that starting second baseman for the next six years for one month of Kevin Gausman. You’re just not.”
Other than Johnny Cueto, and maybe Logan Webb, Gausman stands as one of the few pitchers that could still have a spot int he Giants rotation when their projected window to contend reopens again in a few years. To trade that in for another Dubon seems hardly worth it.
“The one thing about Gausman, Farhan Zaidi really likes this kid. He tried to trade for him before he eventually signed him. He tried to trade for him last year when he was trying to build a team for 2019, so this is a guy he might want to hold on to as somebody who can be a foundation, give a three or four year contract to.
“There’s nobody on this roster who should feel like he’s not going to be traded, I just feel like the conversations are not going to be what a selling team is going to like to hear for anybody who is not signed into next year.”
Listen to the full interview below.