Arizona Diamondbacks v San Francisco Giants | Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/GettyImages

The trade deadline might not be until July 31, but it’s never too early to talk about some hypotheticals for the SF Giants. With this being a .500 team in recent memory, they are always caught between contention and retooling. If they decide to sell, one name that could be an appealing trade chip is Robbie Ray.

SF Giants could have one of the most appealing trade deadline chips if they decide to sell

The Snell Fiasco

Last year, nay fans and analysts felt like the organization missed out on an exciting opportunity when they decided to keep Blake Snell at the trade deadline. Snell was elite in the second half, pitching some of the best baseball of his career. They thought his production would help drive the team into October, but they ended up middling out and missing the postseason again. Snell signed with the rival Dodgers in free agency, and the Giants walked away with nothing.

Fast-Forward to 2025

Fast forward to 2025, and another veteran lefty is similarly turning heads. Ray has looked spectacular this season, posting a 2.56 ERA in just over 70.1 innings, adding 78 strikeouts. He’s limiting long balls at a near career-best 0.64 HR/9 while posting a 7-1 record through 12 starts. Ray has looked like an All-Star and has formed one of the nastiest 1-2 punches in baseball alongside ace Logan Webb.

With numbers like that, it’s hard not to wonder what kind of return the Giants could get if they threw his name out there in late July. With a lot of young pitching depth, they could look for high-end prospects or MLB-ready talent on the offensive side. The haul could be major, but it’s also a different season.

This year’s Giants team is noticeably better, despite a recent cold stretch. They’ve shown resilience and given the front office legitimate reason to believe that a postseason birth could be real. If that’s the case, keeping Ray seems like a non-negotiable. When it comes to October, pitching is everything, and a veteran southpaw with swing-and-miss stuff would be vital in a playoff series.

Final Thoughts

The memory of Snell stings, and if things unravel for the ball club, the Giants cannot afford to stand still again. It’s a thin line between pushing for the playoffs and protecting the future of the organization. It will be interesting to see how Buster Posey navigates his first deadline at the helm. Whether he trades Ray won’t depend on his performance, but will depend largely on the rest of the roster.