SF Giants: Could Chris Shaw be traded in the near future?

The SF Giants added Chris Shaw to their 60-man roster. Could that mean a trade is in the future?

As the SF Giants continue to rattle off wins, they made an interesting roster decision on Tuesday that has many questioning the future of former first-round pick Chris Shaw.

Shaw was one of the most surprising exclusions from the team’s 60-man roster following the end of training camp. A first-round pick of the Giants in the 2015 MLB Draft, Shaw has never managed to find a regular role on the team to this point.

But given his experience and overall power, it was expected that the Giants would at least keep him training in Sacramento in case an injury occurred.

Instead, Shaw was one of very few members of the 40-man roster not to be included in the 60-player pool. The decision seemed questionable at the time, but on Tuesday, he was officially placed on the 60-man roster.

The timing seems odd at first glance, but there may be a deeper reason for it.

The SF Giants might have placed Chris Shaw on the 60-man roster to trade him.

With the trade deadline coming up next Monday, teams are expected to begin placing players who they plan to trade on their 60-man roster. That’s because, for a player to be traded, he must be apart of that 60-man player pool.

And while it’s unconfirmed if that’s the rationale for Shaw, it certainly makes plenty of sense.

At 26-years-old, Shaw hasn’t been able to lock down a role on the roster one way or another. While not the best fielder, Shaw’s power and ability to play either first base or the corner outfield give him some value.

But that value might not be beneficial to the Giants.

There are few players who need a fresh start as much as Shaw as his path to the majors remains blocked. He isn’t going to get time at first base and while he could be useful in the outfield, the Giants have a bigger need for a right-handed bat with Austin Slater on the injured list.

Shaw would be better off finding a home with a different team and the trade deadline could be the Giants’ opportunity to make it happen.