The San Francisco Giants have lost pitcher Anthony DeSclafani for the season. You now have to assume that Cincinnati Reds starters Tyler Mahle and Luis Castillo will become trade targets as the August 2nd deadline approaches.
The Giants have been without DeSclafani throughout the majority of the 2022 season. After putting up career-numbers in 2021, the former Reds pitcher has appeared in just five for the Giants this season.
DeSclafani made his long-awaited return to the San Francisco rotation a little over a week ago when the Cincinnati Reds visited the Bay Area. Disco made it through just 2.2 innings before being lifted after allowing seven earned runs to his former team.
Anthony DeSclafani's injury may push the Giants to inquire about Reds RHPs Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle.
The San Francisco Giants have been able to stay afloat in the National League West without Anthony DeSclafani for the majority of the 2022 season. Logan Webb and Carlos Rondon are the headliners for the Giants, and San Francisco also has Alex Wood and Alex Cobb as part of their starting rotation.
But the Giants currently sit in third-place in the difficult NL West. San Francisco is on the outside looking in as far as the postseason standings are concerned. The San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, and St. Louis Cardinals occupy the three Wild Card spots and the Philadelphia Phillies are a half-game up on the Giants in the chase for the playoffs.
Adding a pitcher like Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle would be a game-changer for the San Francisco Giants. A starting rotation of Webb, Rondon, and Castillo/ Mahle would be able to compete with the best the National League has to offer.
San Francisco's hitting has not been good this season, but the Giants' starting rotation is among the Top 5 in the National League in ERA. So there's a chance that San Fran will abandon the idea of improving their pitching and focus instead on acquiring a bat like Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras.
The Giants have money to spend and three Top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Don't be surprised if San Francisco emerges as a suitor for one of the Cincinnati Reds top starting pitchers.