Road trip to Miller, Coors will largely determine Giants’ trade deadline strategy

"Some of the narratives that are out there about what we might do at the trade deadline are probably going to conflict with that goal to keep pushing."

MILWAUKEE — The San Francisco Giants have won seven of their last nine, moved to 5.5 games back in the National League Wildcard race and entered the All-Star break playing their best baseball of the season.

Now comes the hard part.

As the second half begins on Friday, the Giants will play 14 games over the next 13 days including seven on a six-day road trip that features stops at Miller Park and Coors Field.

Even if he’s completely recovered from an elbow contusion suffered on Saturday against the Cardinals, ace Madison Bumgarner will pitch just once in the two hitter-friendly parks the Giants are visiting over the next week.

The 2019 Giants do have a better road winning percentage (.488) than home winning percentage (.435), but they finished a combined 1-11 on the road against the Brewers and Rockies last season.

Coors Field has been a particularly brutal destination for San Francisco as the Giants have won just three of their past 22 games in Denver.

The road ahead is grueling and the nine teams sitting in front of the Giants in the race for a Wildcard berth makes for a daunting challenge, but a day before the All-Star break, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi insisted the Giants have not determined their strategy ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.

“If we continue to play well over these next couple of weeks, then some of the narratives that are out there about what we might do at the trade deadline are probably going to conflict with that goal to keep pushing in a season where we still hope to accomplish some things,” Zaidi said.

It is unlikely the Giants will suddenly turn into an aggressive buyer, particularly because the front office has no interest in dealing any of the organization’s top prospects. With a strong five-week stretch and a particularly impressive 10-day period heading into the All-Star break, a team that appeared destined to be broken up by mid-July has temporarily forced Zaidi to hold off on folding his hand

“If we keep showing that we can hit and pitch and obviously we have the bullpen to do what we need to do in the long run, I don’t think there’s any doubt in anyone’s mind here that (Zaidi’s) going to do what it takes to win ballgames,” pitcher Jeff Samardzija said.

Should the Giants go 2-5 on their seven-game trip and struggle to hit they way they did during the first week of July, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone in the organization if valuable relievers like Will Smith and Sam Dyson are traded. Zaidi may hold onto Bumgarner if the Giants don’t receive a worthwhile offer for one of the most decorated pitchers in franchise history, but the left-hander also understands he could be pitching meaningful games elsewhere if the Giants struggle out of the gates.

Should the Giants go 5-2 or better to open the second half, it may force the Giants to stand pat or develop an unconventional strategy. Zaidi could still trade from an area of strength like the bullpen to address a weakness, but he may have suitable replacements waiting at Triple-A Sacramento like Sam Selman or Fernando Abad who wouldn’t represent a drastic drop-off in talent.

Regardless of what types of trades the Giants feel inclined to make, there is one aspect of their deadline strategy that won’t shift based on the team’s record following its road trip. With a growing group of top prospects emerging at the lower levels of the team’s farm system, Zaidi indicated the Giants’ preference is to pursue talent with minimal major league experience or prospects on the big league doorstep.

“It’s possible that if we wind up having some of these conversations, we’re going to be looking at more guys at the upper levels,” Zaidi said. “And then that kind of becomes less of a true seller-type deal, because those guys can probably help you, even this year.”

Acquiring major league-ready talent will potentially help the Giants play meaningful baseball deeper into the season and give the team a better chance of contending in 2020.

Five weeks ago, the Giants appeared certain to host a fire sale and turn their attention completely toward the future. While that still may happen, the front office’s approach at the deadline will largely depend on how the next week or two unfolds.