With the San Francisco Giants sitting 15 games under .500 and less than six weeks remaining until the August 3 trade deadline, it feels like almost nobody on the roster is truly untouchable outside of Logan Webb and likely Bryce Eldridge. That made a recent trade idea floated by ESPN’s Buster Olney especially interesting, even if it doesn’t do much to fix San Francisco’s bigger issues.
Olney suggested on social media that the Giants and New York Mets could explore a swap involving shortstop Willy Adames and veteran infielder Marcus Semien. He wrote:
“Pure speculation, but worth exploring for the Mets and Giants: A deal involving Willy Adames and Marcus Semien. The Giants would have to eat a good chunk of money in Adames’s deal to make it happen, but Adames could play third, Bichette could move to second, and Semien would return to the Bay Area. SF has signaled a willingness to listen to offers for Adames, Chapman, Devers.”
Pure speculation, but worth exploring for the Mets and Giants: A deal involving Willy Adames and Marcus Semien. The Giants would have to eat a good chunk of money in Adames’s deal to make it happen, but Adames could play third, Bichette could move to second, and Semien would…
From a contract standpoint, the idea has some logic. Both Adames and Semien are tied to hefty deals, which could mean the Giants would not have to absorb as much money as they might in a prospect-focused trade. But from a baseball perspective, San Francisco would essentially be moving one expensive underperforming veteran for another.
Adames is batting .233/.266/.420 with 13 home runs and 31 RBI this season. His struggles have not been limited to the batter’s box either, as his defense has also been disappointing. He did rebound in the second half last year after a rough first half, but the Giants did not hand out a seven-year, $182 million contract for a player to only perform at expectations for half a season.
Semien has not been much better. He is slashing .219/.275/.351 with nine home runs and 29 RBI, numbers that are arguably just as underwhelming as Adames’s, if not worse.
Adames-Semien trade would leave Giants with another overpriced veteran
The one area where the move could make some sense for San Francisco is contract length. Semien is only signed through the 2028 season, while Adames is under contract through 2031. Even if Semien is no longer the player he once was, his deal would at least come off the books sooner.
There is one possible baseball fit if the Giants were to move Luis Arraez, as Semien could slide into second base. Still, many fans would understandably be frustrated if the team replaced Arraez, who has been one of the Giants’ best players this season, with a 35-year-old Semien who appears well past his peak.
There was a point when Semien, a Bay Area native, would have made plenty of sense in San Francisco. In fact, the Giants probably should have pursued him after the 2021 season when he hit free agency, but the front office instead bet on its ability to keep uncovering bargain contributors.
Olney’s proposal does carry some financial logic, but in practice it would feel like swapping one costly deck chair from a Titanic sinking in the Pacific for another expensive deck chair from a Titanic sinking in the Atlantic.
The Giants are clearly in a difficult spot with Adames and his contract, and moving him will not be easy. But taking on another aging veteran with a bloated deal does not feel like the smartest path forward if San Francisco can avoid it.