By Brian Murphy
You gotta get your eight hours of sleep.
You gotta hydrate.
You gotta make your bed every day.
And if you are Buster Posey, you have to trade Luis Arraez.
I know. I know. It’s tempting to stay up late binge-watching “Love Island USA” and cut into your sleep; it’s tempting to have that extra beer or two and skip those smart glasses of water; and it’s tempting to leave your comforter a crumpled mess — after all, you’re a grown up and your parents aren’t going to yell at you for not making your bed.
But these are the things we do to be disciplined and productive adults, sports fans. This is what separates us from the animals.
And the Giants, at 41-55, can’t binge watch anything except for brutal game film of blown save after blown save in 2026.
Yes, Luis Arraez is one of the more enjoyable Giants of the 2020s — in fact, I’m going to go ahead and put him as the starting second baseman on my all-2020s Giants squad, with massive apologies to Donovan (Donny Barrels) Solano. Recency bias, maybe. And besides, no one is making out an all-2020s Giants team anytime soon. It would be too depressingly mediocre.
But Luis Arraez is a luxury. And the Giants are 14 games under .500 and can’t afford luxuries.
Last year at the trade deadline, the Giants moved Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval and Mike Yastrzemski in what I saw as hugely welcome moves. That’s no slight on Rogers or Yaz, both of whom earned tribute videos upon their return. As for Doval — my initial reaction was no tribute video because of too many wild pitches, but I mean, 107 saves is a lot of saves as a Giant. Seventh all-time, actually. Geez, where was Doval’s tribute video?
Anyway, point is — the Giants needed to move Rogers and Yaz because they were on expiring contracts, and because Doval was trending in the wrong direction (he has a -0.8 WAR as a Yankee this season.) And because too often, the Giants let players with expiring contracts play out their deal and got nothing in return. Specifically, Farhan Zaidi’s decision to not trade Blake Snell or Carlos Rodon, despite mid seasons from the team. Those decisions backfired as the Giants got nothing at the trade deadline and did not see the players return.
But just extend Arraez, you scream! I hear you, but . . .
Luis Arraez is making himself a nice little situation here. He’s won over the fan base with his bat, glove and personality. He can say nice things to the local media about being open to stay in San Francisco, all the while his agent telling him to play out the string and hit the open market this winter. (If there is an open market and not a lockout, but that’s another Jock Blog for another day.) Once on the open market, surely there will be a team that has re-evaluated his skill set, after the ice-cold market was so cruel to him last winter. The Giants aren’t in position to lock up another long-term deal, not with the burden of Matt Chapman/Willy Adames/Rafael Devers and their albatross contracts, despite Posey’s polite protestations.
And Casey Schmitt can easily slide to second base and settle his peregrinations down.
The Giants need to keep adding to the rebuild they are not calling a rebuild. It’s fine. They don’t have to label it a rebuild. But they do have to open up spots for the Vic Beriocotos of the world, the Jesus Rodriguezes of the world, the Blade Tidwells of the world, the Carson Whisenhunts of the world, maybe even the Bo Davidsons and Dakota Jordans and Gavin Kilens of the world. Jackson Flora, anyone?
The trade haul from last summer did not net blockbuster talent. But it netted talent. Rodriguez, Tidwell, Gilbert can all be solid pieces, not foundational. Parks Harber is putting up numbers in Double-A, and may be a piece one day. Carlos de la Rosa, acquired for Doval, is still a teenager, but talented. Yunior Marte, same name different guy, was acquired for Yaz and is pitching nicely in the minors.
Point is, they have all made the Giants depth options way better. And trading Arraez can help that, as can trading Robbie Ray and even Tyler Mahle. Particularly if the Giants can get bullpen help, which should be in all caps: PARTICULARLY IF THE GIANTS CAN GET BULLPEN HELP.
A wise ass might say that bullpen help could have come from Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, but then you’d be being a wise ass.
Posey admitted the likelihood of trading Arraez to us on Thursday morning, saying: “Unfortunately, we are in the position where we do have to look to improve the organization, both the big league roster and the minors where we can. He’s a unique player, but we’re 41-55 and we’re going to need to look at all options.”
In other words, the Giants haven’t earned dessert. Luis Arraez is dessert. They need to keep eating vegetables and fruit. Eight hours of sleep, and all.
