SF Giants: The Yankees have called about trading for Kevin Gausman

The SF Giants have reportedly been contacted by the Yankees about a trade for Kevin Gausman.

The SF Giants find themselves in a similar position to the one they were in almost a year ago. But instead of guys like Madison Bumgarner, the focus has now shifted to the likes of Kevin Gausman and others.

Going into July of 2019, the Giants appeared destined to be sellers. More of a contender for last place in their division than for an actual playoff spot, the 2019 campaign seemed to be another lost season for the Giants.

As such, many expected them to trade away some of their more valuable pieces prior to the deadline. But seemingly out of nowhere, they started winning. And they kept winning throughout the month of July.

The Giants became the hottest team in baseball and ultimately decided not to sell. Now, a little over a year later, they find themselves facing a similar dilemma.

Through the early portion of the season, the Giants appeared to be one of a handful of teams that had no shot of making the postseason. But over the last two weeks, their fortunes have started to shift.

And at the time of writing, San Francisco currently holds the eighth and final playoff spot at a record of 15-16. That hasn’t stopped rumors from swirling about the team still being sellers, however.

Could the SF Giants trade Kevin Gausman despite their recent winning ways?

As reported by SNY’s Andy Martino reported on Tuesday that the New York Yankees had reached out to the Giants about possibly trading for right-handed starting pitcher Kevin Gausman.

Gausman has a 4.65 ERA this season in six appearances (five starts), but his 42 strikeouts in 31 innings pitched have been quite impressive. His 3.12 FIP indicates that much brighter days are ahead for the veteran starter.

And with the Yankees desperately in need of a starting pitcher, Gausman makes sense as a trade target. But the Giants might not be so quick to move him.

They find themselves in the thick of a playoff race and Gausman has been one of their most consistent starters. Of course, this will sound like a case of deja vu to many Giants fans who remember last year.

But it’s important to acknowledge that this is a 60-game season. There are fewer than 30 games remaining in the season right now. Sure, anything could happen over those 30 games, but the Giants are closer to a playoff berth than they’ve been in years.

It would be a hard sell — no pun intended — to convince their fanbase that trading away some of their better players is the right move. Even if Gausman was originally signed as an intended trade piece at the deadline.

Gausman’s status is one worth monitoring over the next few days. But if the Giants continue to win, it’s going to be hard to move him — or anyone significant, for that matter — before next Monday’s deadline.