The Giants didn’t expect to be sellers at Thursday’s Trade Deadline, but a miserable start to the second half ultimately convinced president of baseball operations Buster Posey to change direction and start to make moves with an eye toward the future.
Posey ended up trading away three roster mainstays -- setup man Tyler Rogers, closer Camilo Doval and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski -- in exchange for eight players who should help infuse the organization with some much-needed youth and upside.
Here’s a look at the Giants’ new crop of young prospects:
Blade Tidwell, RHP, Triple-A Sacramento (Giants’ No. 12 prospect)
Acquired from the Mets in exchange for Rogers
Pipeline scouting report: Tidwell displayed good four-seam velocity in the 94-96 mph range, topping out at 98, with decent riding action, but lefties in particular feasted on the pitch, slugging .606 against it at Triple-A. The 6-foot-4 right-hander also worked in a 92-94 mph sinker with almost double the armside movement to give another fastball look. He works with a variety of gloveside offerings between an 80-83 mph sweeper, an 82-85 mph traditional slider and a sharper 87-89 mph cutter. The sweeper, averaging around 15 inches of break, was a menace against righties. Tidwell also mixed in an occasional 81-84 mph changeup and upper-70s curveball.
Organizational fit: Tidwell appeared in four games for the Mets prior to the trade and is already on the 40-man roster, so the 24-year-old right-hander could be an option to step into a rotation that has been thinned by the loss of Landen Roupp (right elbow inflammation) and Hayden Birdsong (optioned to Triple-A Sacramento).
ETA: 2025
Drew Gilbert, OF, Triple-A Sacramento (Giants’ No. 13 prospect)
Acquired from the Mets in exchange for Rogers
Pipeline scouting report: Gilbert, 24, was a fiery performer for a dominant Tennessee team in 2022 and signed with the Astros for $2.5 million as the 28th overall pick that July, but elbow and hamstring injuries in his first two full pro seasons have slowed his development.
The former Volunteers star was defined by his kinetic play in the field before last season, but many who saw him thought he looked like he was tamping down on the energy coming off the hamstring. He still managed the strike zone fairly well but struggled making consistent contact against sliders and changeups. Without his typical burst, his exit velocities weren’t particularly strong either. But with his slightly open stance and raised-leg load, he could still lift and pull as well as anyone in Triple-A.
Organizational fit: Gilbert has yet to make his MLB debut, but he could get a look in the Giants’ outfield now that Yastrzemski is no longer holding down right field.
ETA: 2025
Jesus Rodriguez, 3B/C, Triple-A Sacramento (Giants’ No. 16 prospect)
Acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Doval
Pipeline scouting report: Rodriguez, 23, had some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the Yankees’ system and produces quality exit velocities, though they're mitigated by an extremely aggressive approach. A right-handed hitter, he chases all types of pitches out of the zone, resulting in a lot of suboptimal ground-ball contact. He's capable of hitting the ball out to the opposite field -- four of his 10 homers last year went to right field -- but he'll probably top out at 12-15 homers per season unless he gets more selective.
Rodriguez would maximize his value if he can catch on a regular basis, but he's rough behind the plate. He moves OK but he struggles as a receiver and has just average arm strength. First base may be his most viable option because he lacks range in left field, struggles with the speed of the game at third base and doesn't have the quickness for second.
Organizational fit: Giants catchers rank last in the Majors with a .555 OPS this year, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rodriguez -- a career .308 hitter in the Minors -- get some opportunities with the club sooner rather than later.
ETA: 2025
Yunior Marte, RHP, Single-A San Jose (Giants' No. 25 prospect)
Acquired from the Royals in exchange for Yastrzemski
Pipeline scouting report: Marte (not to be confused with the former Phillies and Giants reliever of the same name) can generate good extension and get on top of batters from a high three-quarters release. The 21-year-old’s fastball can touch 97 mph, but he’s typically in the 92-95 range with running movement. He can manipulate the shape of his 84-87 mph slider well, and paired with the run of his fastball, it’s made for a deadly combo against righties. Lefties have had a little more success because Marte’s 85-88 mph changeup is still a bit firm, but it’s trending in the right direction with stellar whiff rates against low-level bats.
Organizational fit: The Giants like Marte’s 6-foot-5 frame and arm strength, so he should be another interesting development project for the organization to take on in the coming years.
ETA: 2027
Trystan Vrieling, RHP, Double-A Richmond (was Yankees' No. 19 prospect, not in Giants' top 30)
Acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Doval
Pipeline scouting report: Though Vrieling's best attribute is his feel for spin and his 78-82 mph curveball and mid-80s slider/cutter both can grade as plus pitches at their best, they were merely average in Double-A. He gets some carry on his low-90s fastball that maxes out at 96 mph, but it can straighten out at times. His upper-80s changeup is too firm, and he has trouble landing it in the zone despite its modest movement. He looked like a potential No. 3 starter in the first part of his junior season at Gonzaga, but he'll have no more than a back-of-the-rotation ceiling unless he can develop a better-than-average offering.
Organizational fit: Vrieling, 24, should boost the Giants’ pitching depth in the upper Minors and give the organization another big arm to try and develop.
ETA: 2026
Other players acquired in trades: RHP José Buttó, Minor League 3B Parks Harber (High-A Eugene), Minor League LHP Carlos De La Rosa (DSL Giants Black)