San Francisco Giants: What Will Their Rotation Look Like Post-Trade Deadline?

Ryan Vogelsong

May 9, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong (32) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at AT

Vogelsong is steadily making his way back into the Giants’ rotation. He had all five pins removed from his right hand on Tuesday, which, as Andrew Owens and Chris Haft of MLB.com point out, could speed up the pace of his recovery.

Vogelsong injured his pitching hand on June 20, so the one-month anniversary, which surely isn’t a pleasant one, recently passed. Initial reports claimed Vogelsong would be on the shelf for eight to 10 weeks. The eight-week mark would be just a few days after the All-Star break and a little more than a week before the trade deadline.

So if there aren’t any setbacks, Vogelsong should return in late July. His return would allow Chad Gaudin to return to the bullpen. The more intriguing story, however, is where Tim Lincecum would find himself if the Giants traded for a starter and Vogelsong returned on time. The short answer: the bullpen. A trade isn’t out of the question either.

Lincecum to the ‘pen has been discussed before. It’s pros and cons have been worn out. Radio shows have beaten it to death. You get the point.

A source told Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area that the Giants would move Lincecum to the bullpen in a “heartbeat” if they had another starter to fill the void that would be left. With Norris, Vogelsong and Gaudin, the Giants would have a surplus of starters.

Would they then stay true to their original statement? That’s what I’m going to assume.