The games, dates, and number of tickets will be shown at the end of the blog before the rules. Remember when you email me back to identify the game, the date, and the number of tickets you want. Please whitelist my email so you get the blog posts and ticket offers all season long.
The key question today is “what the F*** should the Giants do with this Team.” The Czar has attended at least one home game in every series and is as puzzled as everyone else about why a team with this much promise is underperforming to the tune of being 36 and 50, 9.5 games back in the NL West (behind the team from LA for Pete’s sake) and 14 games under .500. The explanation may lie in the players, the managers and coaches or the front office. Regardless of the underlying reasons (and there are many) circumstances dictate that ownership take a hard and long look at the roster and make the hard decisions now. This blog explores the pieces available, and The Czar would appreciate all thoughts about how to help the team improve (I have Larry Baer’s email address).
Who is Performing?
Top Position Players
Matt Chapman (3B): Leading the team in Wins Above Replacement (2.8 WAR), Chapman provides elite defensive metric value alongside his 42 RBIs. Luis Arráez (2B): The offseason acquisition leads the everyday lineup with a stellar .326 batting average and an elite .361 on-base percentage, carrying a 2.7 WAR. Jung Hoo Lee (RF): Striking out just 29 times in nearly 300 at-bats, Lee has maintained high-level consistency with a .319 average and an .804 OPS. Casey Schmitt (LF): Serving as the primary source of power for the offense, Schmitt leads the club with 16 home runs while driving in 43 runs. Rafael Devers (1B): Anchoring the middle of the order, Devers leads the entire team with 44 RBIs and is right behind Schmitt with 15 home runs. Bryce Eldridge (DH): The heavily hyped 21-year-old rookie graduate has broken out in the big leagues, posting an impressive .828 OPS and a .364 OBP across his first 44 games.
Top Pitchers
Logan Webb (SP): The absolute anchor of the rotation, Webb leads the starting staff with a clean 3.09 ERA across his starts, translating to a 2.1 WAR. According to Buster Posey, Webb will not be traded under any circumstances. Robbie Ray (SP): Acting as the strikeout weapon for the pitching staff, Ray leads the Giants with 82 strikeouts and has paired it with a strong 3.39 ERA. The pitching leaderboard falls significantly after these two, although Killian is worth a mention.
Who is Not Performing?
While the team has underperformed expectations, these specific regular players stand out:
Willy Adames (SS): Despite hitting 14 home runs, Adames has been a major liability. He is slashing just .231 / .275 / .430 with 95 strikeouts, and analytical metrics rate him as the worst fielder in Major League Baseball based on Outs Above Average (OAA).
Harrison Bader (CF): Brought in for defensive depth (but mostly on the DL), Bader has failed to spark the bottom of the lineup. He is hitting .170 with a .198 on-base percentage while striking out in nearly a third of his at-bats.
Eric Haase (C): Serving as the alternate option behind the plate, Haase has offered little relief, hitting just .182 while striking out 23 times in limited action.
Drew Gilbert (CF): While getting plenty of opportunities (67 games), Gilbert has struggled to adjust, carrying a low .228 batting average and struggling to drive the ball. Tony V needs to think long and hard about his Tennessee players in the bigs.
Who do we want in Trade?
We should not be aiming to acquire high-priced stars to win games right now; instead, we must pivot to being sellers at the August 3 trade deadline. Sitting at a disappointing 36-50 record with a near-zero percent chance of making the postseason, Buster Posey and the front office should aim for young, high-upside pitching prospects and controllable minor league talent by trading away their veterans. It’s a hard call, but if there is any time to make it, it is now.
The strategy:
1. Target "Bad Contract Swaps" for Infield Core
The Giants are reportedly open to moving their expensive core of Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman. Because these players have underperformed their lucrative multi-year deals, the Giants should swap them with teams looking to shed their own underwater contracts.
The Return Goal: A marginal prospect package or a lower-salary utility player. For example, rumors have floated a potential match with the Red Sox for Chapman, targeting lower-cost infield depth like Caleb Durbin alongside a minor league arm.
2. Cash In on Expiring Contracts & High-Value "Rentals"
The Giants have highly attractive chips that opposing contending teams will actually line up for. San Francisco needs to aggressively shop these pieces to elite farm systems to pull back a wave of top-100 baseball talent.
Luis Arráez (2B): Despite the team’s struggles, Arráez has hit remarkably well. Teams like the Cleveland or Texas Rangers are expected to heavily pursue him. The Giants should aim for Double-A or Triple-A starting pitching depth in return.
Robbie Ray (SP): Carrying an impressive 3.39 ERA and 82 strikeouts, Ray is one of the most overlooked starting pitchers on the market. He will command a premium return from pitching-starved contenders like the Baltimore Orioles or Los Angeles Dodgers (although if he goes to the dreaded LA team, I want Shoji in return).
3. Clear Room for the Youth Movement
The secondary objective of the Giants' trade market strategy should be clearing roster blockages to let their breakout young core play. Trading veterans allows the team to build around their top organizational graduates: Elridge is a good example here, and Bericoto is not far behind.
Bryce Eldridge (1B/DH): Needs everyday at-bats clear of veteran platoon traffic.
Daniel Susac (C): Following the trade of Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians, Susac has established himself as the future behind the plate, eliminating the need to take on veteran catching help. Casey Schmitt (INF): Can slot permanently into shortstop or second base full-time once Adames or Arráez are moved.
Summary of Deadline Strategy
Series Analysis: Blue Jays (July 6 - 8)
The upcoming three-game series between the G-Men and the Blue Jays at Oracle Park represents a crucial pre-deadline matchup between two underachieving cross-league clubs looking to salvage their seasons.
With the Giants realistically out of the playoff hunt at 36-50 and leaning toward selling at the deadline, this series could serve as an audition for several key trade candidates. Opposing scouts will be watching Arráez and Robbie Ray closely. Ray, in particular, could be lined up to pitch in the series; on normal rotation timing, his strikeout-heavy arsenal would face a Blue Jays lineup that has struggled to sustain rallies. Unlike the Giants, Toronto has not fully waved the white flag. The Blue Jays enter July trying to climb back into the AL Wild Card race, leaving their front office with a difficult buy-or-sell decision. A dominant showing against a fading San Francisco club could push Toronto toward adding immediate roster help.
Series Analysis: Rockies (July 9-12)
This series will feature two struggling pitching staffs. Regardless, the Giants have historically dominated the Rockies at home, making this an ideal opportunity to gain momentum. This series should be a fun reprieve from the rest of the NL West (although taking a couple of games from the Snakes last week was fun).
Here are the games available:
MON: 7/6: Blue Jays [6:45 -4]
TUES: 7/7: Blue Jays [6:45 -3] – The Czar is attending this game
THUR: 7/9: Rockies [6:45 -4]
FRI: 7/10: Rockies [7:15 -2]
SUN: 7/12: Rockies [1:05 -3] – The Czar is attending this game
Let the torture commence.
Ciao, and GO GIANTS!
We use Mailchimp, so give permission for the blog to arrive in your mailbox if you want to receive the blog and participate in the fun. Past blogs can be found at www.beveragelaw.com at the Czar’s blog archive.
THE PROTOCOL: The firm has four seats in Section 118 (Premium Lower Boxes), Rows 25 and 26. These are awesome seats directly below the press box and 25 rows behind the home plate on the left side behind the screen. It is foul ball territory for left-handed batters, so bring your glove – I have collected 22 foul balls myself over 23 years and am looking for more. If we don’t use all the tickets ourselves (or clients and friends of the firm don't claim them by calling me and reserving a game), then my next step is to give the tickets TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO GETS BACK TO ME PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS. If you ask for the tickets and don't use them, you will be taken off the list unless there is a seriously good reason. There will be a waitlist.
When there are four seats available (we split up a lot of games) we will allocate the tickets two and two if the first people back just want two tickets. You can also go for four and might get them. I'm the Czar, my call.
Oh, and BTW, The Czar found the original Hinman & Carmichael brick from 2000 (after looking for it every year since 2000) and found H&C’s Gotham Club Founders Bat! If you are on the patio or in the Club, look for the symbols of baseball!
