Does it make sense for SF Giants to deal starting pitching? Alex Wood says ‘this is where I want to be’

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants have a surplus of starting pitching. They could also use a rotation upgrade.

Huh?

Even as the club is reportedly exploring deals for Justin Verlander and other frontline starting pitchers, other teams are inquiring with president Farhan Zaidi about their stable of starters filling out the back of their rotation, according to a report from FanSided insider Robert Murray.

Chief among the possible trade chips is Alex Wood, who has lost his spot in the rotation and is set to become a free agent after this season. Other logical candidates include Ross Stripling, Sean Manaea and Anthony DeSclafani, all of whom have also been asked to pitch out of relief at some point this year.

One reason why Wood leads the speculation has been his outward displeasure for his usage, remarking on multiple occasions that he believes he should be starting games, not coming out of the bullpen. Four of Wood’s last six appearances have come out of the bullpen, following an opener.

But Wood said Friday those comments have been overblown and he has no desire to go anywhere.

“I haven’t taken advantage of my opportunities recently, but I do feel like for us to get to where we want to go I have to start and be good,” Wood said. “I’ve been around the block, I know how things go. Anything can happen this time of year. It is what it is. You just show up, try to help the team win and see what happens, you know.”

Wood was given starts in his first two turns out of the All-Star break, but after a solid showing in a win against the Pirates, he was tagged for five runs in a loss to the Nationals. The next time his spot came up in the rotation, Wednesday against the A’s, Wood didn’t enter until the fifth inning (and wasn’t told when he was going to pitch until the inning beforehand).

After posting a 3.83 ERA in 26 starts in his first season with the Giants in 2021, Wood posted a 5.10 mark in 2022 — the highest of his career in a full season — and has a 4.75 ERA in 16 games this year. Attempting to remedy his third-time-through-the-order problems, he has completed five innings in only four of his 16 outings.

The two-year, $25 million contract Wood signed before the 2022 season expires after this year.

“No matter what happens, I’ve loved being here,” Wood said. “I love these guys. I feel like I’ve been a big part of building this team, this clubhouse the last three years. But at the end of the day it’s a business, so whatever happens, that’s what happens. …

“I’d like to think that if me or whoever gets traded, you’d like to think that you’d go somewhere to somebody that’s in the hunt, too. But this is where I want to be.”

What would the structure of such a deal look like?

Starting pitching is always a hot commodity at the deadline, so while Wood and others might feel expendable to the Giants, they could just as well be upgrades for other contenders. The Reds and Orioles, for example, both possess the middle infield depth the Giants are looking for and are short on starting pitching.

Jonathan India, the 2021 Rookie of the Year, has fallen behind other young infielders on the Reds’ depth chart. Under team control through 2026, he would certainly be an attractive option for the Giants, though San Francisco would have to sweeten the deal.

Jorge Mateo, overtaken by Gunnar Henderson in Baltimore, would give the Giants a right-handed hitter to pair with Brandon Crawford. Mateo, 28, also plays exceptional defense and his 23 steals this season would give Gabe Kapler a pinch-runner to play with.

On the other hand, simply unloading the salaries of DeSclafani and Manaea might be viewed as a win by the Giants.

After flashing a return to his 2021 form during the first month of the season, DeSclafani hasn’t been the same since. He has a 4.88 ERA, including a 7.27 mark in eight games (seven starts) since June. He is owed $12 million in 2024, the final year of the three-year, $36 million deal he signed after his breakout 2021.

Manaea has a $12.5 million player option for 2024 that he seems destined to pick up after underperforming the two-year, $25 million contract he signed this past offseason. He has pitched slightly better in a relief role (4.50 ERA, 2.28 FIP) than in six starts (7.54 ERA) but seems unlikely to regain a spot in the rotation.

Ultimately, it’s an issue of roster construction as much as performance.

The pitchers on the Giants roster who can be optioned to the minor leagues are Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker, and it’s unlikely they are going anywhere. If the do add an arm at the deadline, they will need to offload somebody just to clear space. They’ll face the same issue when the time comes for John Brebbia to be activated from the injured list. And, at the end of the day, Zaidi is an executive who values roster flexibility, which their current crop of pitchers don’t offer much of.