Giants Could ‘Solve First Base Issue’ In Trade For $8 Million Slugger

The San Francisco Giants have already shown their hand this summer. They’re going to be buyers at the deadline, and it seems like they’re going to be one of the more aggressive teams in the league as seen by the Rafael Devers deal.

The Giants need to add pitching more than anything, but it’s also crucial they add a first baseman. Devers is reportedly open to playing first base, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see San Francisco target a slugger on the trade block to fill the void at first base.

Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly recently suggested the Giants could swing a trade with the Baltimore Orioles to bring Ryan O’Hearn to the Bay Area as an option at first base.

“Rafael Devers may one day be a full-time first baseman, but we remain a little skeptical about how that will go,” Kelly wrote. “If Devers is going to be primarily DH for the remainder of the season, president of baseball operations Buster Posey needs to upgrade from Dom Smith at first base.”

“Ryan O’Hearn is an All-Star for the first time in his age-31 season as he’s hit 11 home runs and posted an .840 OPS in what’s otherwise been a disastrous year for the Orioles. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season, so unless they think he could be a qualifying-offer candidate after the year (which seems unlikely), there’s not much reason to hold onto him.”

O’Hearn has been quite productive for the Orioles this season, but he’s not the kind of player who has much of a future in Baltimore. Top prospects Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo both look like options at first base or designated hitter going forward.

With that in mind, it makes sense for Baltimore to trade him while it can.

The Giants could use him as a rental option at first base if Devers is unwilling or unproductive at the position. O’Hearn would be a stark upgrade over Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith.

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