The San Francisco Giants dropped their latest three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.
Fortunately, the ballclub ended their weekend on a high note with a 5-1 victory.
But considering the looming MLB Trade Deadline, the Giants’ 29-43 overall record should raise some red flags.
With that, rumors are starting to soar regarding how San Francisco will navigate the coming months.
MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal on Trading Giants’ Third Baseman
GettySan Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman was named a potential trade candidate on Monday
Third baseman Matt Chapman is slowly seeing his name circulate ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline in early August.
Now, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic pointing out the possibility of him being shipped out, fans should expect to see more speculations rise to the surface.
As he pointed out, trading the 33-year-old infielder would come with two primary benefits.
It would open up room on San Francisco’s payroll, but it would also grant 27-year-old Casey Schmitt the opportunity to claim third base.
Chapman is currently tied to a six-year, $151 million contract that will conclude after the 2030 season. It includes a full no-trade clause.
March 2024 marked the time when he initially signed with the Giants as a free agent.
Snapshot of Matt Chapman’s MLB Career
GettySan Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman could be traded at the MLB Trade Deadline
Now playing his 10th year of Major League Baseball, the hot corner veteran brings a wealth of knowledge and talent to the plate.
His professional career began in 2014 when the Athletics selected him as the 25th overall pick in the first round, drafting him out of Cal State Fullerton.
His MLB debut arrived on June 15, 2017, with the Athletics.
He went on to play five seasons with his original ballclub, but he was traded in March 2022 to the Toronto Blue Jays.
In return, the Athletics received Gunnar Hoglund, Zach Logue, Kevin Smith and Kirby Snead.
He then made his way to San Francisco, where he was initially met with frustrations from fans.
This season, in particular, has been rather unstable for him.
Nonetheless, he is managing to climb out of the hole and owns a slash line of .261/.348/.414 with a .762 OPS and seven homers through 71 games.
Giants Face Tough Decisions Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline
GettyMatt Chapman of the San Francisco Giants has been named a possible trade candidate
This is rarely, if ever, a smooth period for organizations as the pressure of the deadline increases.
For San Francisco, they’re second to last in all of baseball right now — there’s far more on the line.
They have edged out the Colorado Rockies (27-45), albeit not by much.
Tied with the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Angels in terms of overall record, there’s plenty of work to be done here.
Looking ahead at the Giants’ upcoming schedule, they are just one day away from taking on the leaders of the league, the Atlanta Braves (46-25).
The three-game series will be held at Truist Park, with the first clash kicking off at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Winning this series would give San Francisco a much-needed boost in confidence, perhaps just enough to help them start climbing in the standings.
The heat is only going to increase from here as the MLB Trade Deadline creeps further up.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post MLB Insider Highlights the Upside of Trading the Giants’ Hot Corner Veteran appeared first on HEAVY.