Category: San Francisco Giants

My 13 Favorite MLB Cities

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Photo credit: youtube.com

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — Over the past eight summers, I have taken at one least road trip with the San Francisco Giants, and I thought that it was about time to reveal my favorite road cities.

When this annual road trip began in 2010, I thought that it would be a one-time thing; however, it was not like that at all.

Of the 15 National League Cities, I have not been to Atlanta, Cincinnati, or Milwaukee, but they are definitely on my list.

As for the 15 American League Cities, I have yet to go to games in Anaheim, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Texas and Toronto.

Here is the list of my favorite major-league cities I have been to since the 2010 World Championship year.

1. New York City: There is not a bad thing that you can say about “The City That Never Sleeps.” The food is fantastic, especially the deli and pizza. The museums are amazing as well, especially the 9/11 Memorial and the New York Transit Museum.

2. Chicago: This is the hometown to my mother, my grandparents, and many other relatives. Try deep dish pizza, hot dogs with no ketchup (a crime in Chicago) and a hot beef Sandwich. Walk the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave) run along Lake Shore Drive.

3. Philadelphia: The history in “The City of Brotherly Love,” goes back to when this country was founded, as the Declaration of Independence was signed at Independence Hall. You also have to visit The Liberty Bell and check out City Hall. Have a cheesesteak at Dalesandro’s, my personal favorite. Also try Dinic’s in The Reading Terminal, where you have to a Roast Beef sandwich, double dipped with broccoli rabe. After the sandwich at Dinic’s, you must go to Bassett’s Ice Cream, a legendary in the Philadelphia area since 1861. A definite sight for me is the Rocky Statue at the base of the steps at The Philadelphia Art Museum, and you also must run the 72 steps and stand in the same spot that Sylvester Stallone stepped on in the classic Rocky back in 1976.

4. Los Angeles: This is my hometown, so I have no complaints about this city. My first stop when I go home is the corner of West Beverly and Rampart for a Chili Burger at Tommy’s. I still have a lot of friends in Los Angeles, so I try and get together with some of them each trip.

5. Boston: Another great historical American city. Definitely do The Freedom Trail, have some clam chowder and lobster while you are in Beantown. Being a diehard Los Angeles Lakers fan, you know that there is no love lost with the Boston Celtics, but a trip to the Gahden is a must. I could not get into the building, but I saw it the outside and got to one of the doors that leads into the building.

6. Washington, D.C.: This is a city I have been going to since I was 11 years and it has changed over the years, but I love this great city. Go to the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, MLK Memorial and the Washington Monument. I am a huge fan of museums, so you must see the Smithsonian, especially the U.S. History, Air and Space and the African American Museum. As for food, you must to the U Street Cardozo area for a Half-Smoke at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a D.C. institution since 1958.

7. Detroit: Since Michigan is the home state of my father, I have traveled here many times in my life. Go to Greektown, where you can gamble, walk along the Detroit River and view Canada, which is South of Detroit. It is the only place that Canada is South of the United States. Check out the Fist of Joe Louis at the corner of Woodward and Jefferson, also go to The Spirit of Detroit, in front of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Woodward. Even though I have yet to go there, but it is on my list is the Motown Museum. I also want to visit the Detroit Historical Museum. You must go for a Coney at both American (since 1917) and directly next door at Lafayette (Since 1923). The two restaurants were founded by the Keros Brothers.

8. Denver:Even though the airport is far away, this is a great city. I loved walking there, especially to the State Capitol, which when you are on one step is exactly 5,280 feet above Sea Level (A Mile High). Also walk along the river, which is a peaceful walk as well. Go to Sam’s #3 near the 16thStreet Mall for a big breakfast.

9. San Diego:A great city that you can definitely walk around. Check out Navy Ship Row down near the San Diego Harbor. Old Town San Diego is awesome as well. Take the Amtrak to Los Angeles, and it is an amazing view, as you are on the Pacific Ocean for a lot of the ride up the coast.

10. St. Louis: Great walking city, go to the Gateway Arch, as the view from the top is amazing. Walk along the Mississippi River. Go to the Budweiser Plant for a tour. You must try Pappy’s for BBQ.

11. Pittsburgh: When you get into Pittsburgh from the Airport, and you travel through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and come out in the City, that is one of the best views in the United States. Another great walking city, as you walk along the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. Definitely go to Primanti’s for a sandwich.

12. Phoenix: Too hot to remember, as I did not spend a lot of time outside of my room and the ballpark. Did go to Alice Cooperstown for the Big Unit Hot Dog.

13. Miami: South Beach is a must to go to–either to eat, drink or walk along the Atlantic Ocean. Go to Calle Ocho to Versailles for Cuban Food.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Have Giants run out of patience after most recent Strickland meltdown?

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thenational.com file photo: Fist Bump — San Francisco pitcher Hunter Strickland (60) tangles with the Washington Nationals Bryce Harper (34) during last season’s bench emptying brawl at AT&T Park

On the SF Giants podcast with Marko:

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland has had his fair share issues dealing with emotions going back to the 2014 World Series, where he got into a shouting match with the Royals’ Salvador Perez, which emptied the benches. In 2017, he beaned Washington Nationals’ star Bryce Harper, which sent Harper swinging at Strickland and emptying the benches, and a game he coughed up a right field single to allow the game-winning run to score in the top of the ninth. On Monday night against the Marlins going back to the clubhouse, he punched a door breaking his hand and forcing him to be out of action for six to eight weeks.

Strickland has had problems controlling his emotions. This is something manager Bruce Bochy admitted to during Monday’s press conference following the Giants’ loss. We asked Marko is that more a detriment or will the Giants look the other way and keep the relief pitcher? Strickland did save 13 of his last 17 games but has two consecutive blown saves in his last two games.

Today’s starters for the Miami Marlins: Jose Urena (2-8) goes up against the Giants’ Derek Holland (4-7) at a 12:45 pm start at AT&T Park.

Marko Ukalovic does the Giants podcasts each Wednesday and is a beat reporter covering the Giants at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Rodriguez goes 5 innings in Giants’ 6-3 win over Marlins

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — On a day where the San Francisco Giants learned their closer will be lost for anywhere from six to eight weeks, the team responded with a hard-fought victory.

Buster Posey got the Giants on the board in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, as the Giants defeated the Miami Marlins 6-3 before a crowd of 37,242 at AT&T Park on Tuesday night.

Dereck Rodriguez pitched a strong five innings, as he allowed three runs on seven hits, while not walking a batter and striking out six and won for the second time this season.

Rodriguez hit Lewis Brinson in the top of the second inning, Brinson was the batter that Hunter Strickland yelled at on Monday night prior to leaving and eventually breaking his right hand when put his right hand through a door and broke it.

Both the Giants and the Marlins were warned by home plate umpire Andy Fletcher after Rodriguez hit Brinson.

“He handled himself well, terrific job,” said head coach Bruce Bochy.

Gorkys Hernandez extended the Giants lead up to 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning, as he hit his eighth home run of the season.

Following a Rodriguez strikeout, Joe Panik walked and then things got very interesting at 24 Willie Mays Plaza.

Dan Straily, whose pitch broke Evan Longoria’s left hand on Thursday afternoon at Marlins Park then hit Posey after Panik, and was immediately ejected from the game by Fletcher. Marlins manager Don Mattingly was also ejected.

Straily went only 1.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out one, as his record fell to 2-3 on the season.

The Marlins finally got on the board in the top of the fourth inning, as JT Riddle tripled to right center field to score both Starlin Castro, who singled to lead off the inning and then Miguel Rojas, who also singled.

Rodriguez would then regroup, as he struck out Brinson and Elieser Hernandez, but then Rodriguez hit Derek Dietrich and then Brian Anderson doubled in Riddle to get the Marlins within one run. He ended up striking out the side, as he got J.T. Realmuto swinging to end the inning.

“Thought he threw the ball well,” said Posey.

The Giants extended their lead up to three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Alen Hanson picked up his third hit of the night, as he doubled to score Pablo Sandoval, who walked to lead-off the inning. After the Hanson double, Hernandez picked up his third hit, as he hit a bloop double that fell between Castro, Brinson and Riddle that scored Mac Wililamson.

After Rodriguez left after five innings, Bochy turned the ball over to his bullpen and they responded in a fantastic manner.

The quartet of Ty Blach, Mark Melancon, Will Smith, and Sam Dyson pitched four strong innings, not allowing a run on one hit, walking two and striking out five.

Dyson pitched the ninth inning, as he picked up his second save of the season, both coming in the last five days. Dyson also saved the Giants 16-inning win over the Marlins on Thursday afternoon at Marlins Park.

“Sam will get most of the saves,” said Bochy.

NOTES: Derek Holland takes the mound in the series and season finale against the Marlins, as he looks to raise his record to 5-7 on the season, while the Marlins will Jose Urena to the mound, as he looks for his third win of the season.

Strickland will be lost to the team for six to eight weeks after he broke his right hand after punching a door after Monday’s heartbreaking 5-4 loss to the Marlins.

He underwent surgery on his broken hand this afternoon, as the surgery was performed by Giants team Hand Surgeon Dr. Scott Hansen.

Longoria, who broke his left hand on Thursday when he was hit by a Straily pitch, underwent surgery in Los Angeles to repair his left hand.

UP NEXT: The Giants will conclude their series with the Marlins on Wednesday afternoon at 12:45 pm PDT.

Hunter Strickland out 6-8 weeks with a broken right hand

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Photo credit: @BR_MLB

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — You can add another player to the list of San Francisco Giants who have been injured during the 2018 season.

Hunter Strickland, who became the team’s closer during the season after replacing the injured Mark Melancon, will be out anywhere from six to eight weeks after breaking his right hand after Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Miami Marlins at AT&T Park.

Strickland, who blew just his fourth save of the season, broke his pitching hand after he was pulled from the game and punched a door.

Prior to breaking his hand, Strickland converted 13 out of 17 saves on the season and in Monday’s game, it was the second consecutive blown save for him.

It was just the fourth time in Strickland’s career that he allowed two or more runs in the same game.

Giants’ hand surgeon Dr. Scott Hansen is repairing the broken right hand of Strickland.

Either Sam Dyson or Tony Watson will fill the closer role until further notice, and Pierce Johnson will be recalled from the Triple-A Sacramento Rivercats to take Strickland’s place on the roster.

Strickland is the second Giants player to have hand surgery today, as Evan Longoria underwent surgery on his right hand earlier today in Los Angeles.

Longoria, who broke his right hand after he was struck on the hand by a Dan Straily pitch in the series finale on Thursday afternoon at Marlins Park, a game that the Giants would eventually win 6-3 in 16 innings.

Fishy Circumstances: Once again, Giants allow last-place Marlins to look better than they actually are

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO — Hunter Strickland: Close or not to close? That is the question.

For eight innings on Monday, numerous storylines swirled around the windy ballpark by the Bay, most of them surrounding a redemptive win for the Giants over the Miami Marlins, their lowly, youthful nemesis from the National League East.

But all those storylines were flushed when Strickland entered, and walked two of the first three batters he faced, on his way to turning a 4-2 lead into a bitterly, disappointing 5-4 loss.

Quite naturally, manager Bruce Bochy emerged for his post-game presser and the questions surfaced: What’s going on with Strickland? Should he be the closer if Mark Melancon’s healthy? How can he can be the guy if only his fastball is thrown with confidence and proficiency?

“There’s no reason to have a leash on him,” Bochy calmly reasoned.  “He’s pitched well.”

And so continues Bochy’s belief in the hard-throwing right hander, a belief that began with the 2014 World Series, even as Strickland allowed home run after home run.

And the truth is, over the years, Strickland’s got better and better, in concert with Bochy’s steady belief… for the most part.

Monday just wasn’t Strickland’s night, not by any stretch. Nor the Giants, who have suddenly lost seven of 11, and are on mid-season, life support, even in the forgiving NL West.

“For eight innings, we played great baseball,” Bochy said.  “Couldn’t add on…”

Great baseball, then pfffft? Yes.

Andrew Suarez–in his second, consecutive start against the team he grew up watching–had the type of start he wanted in Miami. Suarez pitched into the seventh inning, striking out seven, walking one, before departing with a two-run lead. Making his 11th big league start, the former Miami Hurricane looked like he deserves to make another 100 starts: he was efficient, threw strikes and quietly set the tone for what the Giants hope is a bounce back homestand.

Sam Dyson followed, retiring all five batters he faced. Pablo Sandoval supplied the big blow, a two-run shot in the Giants’ three-run second. Buster Posey, limited in the Dodgers series, started behind the plate, and doubled leading off that inning, setting the table for Joe Panik as well as Sandoval.

Kelby Tomlinson started in place of Brandon Crawford (off to celebrate the birth of his child) and made it happen at short with a pair of Crawford-like fielding plays.

Bochy’s claim of beautiful baseball prior to the ninth? Not far from fact. Not adding on? The Giants went scoreless over the final, six innings of the ballgame. The Giants’ first three hitters in Monday’s lineup–Gorkys Hernandez, Brandon Belt and Andrew McCutchen combined for just one hit (1 for 12, one run scored).

That bring us back to Strickland, who entered Monday’s game having converted 11 of his previous 12 save opportunities, and hadn’t allowed an earned run since May 28 at Colorado. But while facing the bottom half of the Marlins’ lineup, Strickland couldn’t settle in, walking Brian Anderson before allowing J.T. Realmuto’s RBI double. Strickland then walked Justin Bour, a guy who had two hits in his previous 15 at-bats.

One out later, Lewis Brinson, hitting .179, singled home Realmuto, tying the game, 5-5. The next hitter, Miguel Rojas delivered the go- ahead run with a single to right.

“Nothing seemed to be right and working for me,” Strickland admitted.

In his previous 33 appearances in 2018, Strickland walked just 11 batters, and had walked more than one batter just twice. The multiple home runs Strickland allowed in the 2014 postseason aren’t issues any longer. In 2018, Strickland’s allowed a home run to Eric Hosmer and one other to Paul Goldschmidt.

So all numbers point to an off night, and Melancon’s likely to be Strickland’s richly-paid understudy for the forseeable future.

The Giants have now dropped four of five to the Marlins, and are 2-9 against the fish over the last two seasons.

Dereck Rodriguez gets the start Tuesday in a matchup against Miami’s Dan Straily, the former Oakland Athletic.

 

 

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: With Posey’s injuries over the years, Bart looks to be Giants catcher in the future

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photo from abc7.com file: Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart signed the biggest contract for a position player coming out of college with the San Francisco Giants over the weekend

On the SF Giants podcast with Morris:

It’s early, but with some of the injuries that San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey has been enduring over the last few years and currently riding the bench with hip and back issues, the Giants’ most recent signing of college phenom catcher Joey Bart gives them some confidence about their future at the position. Morris takes a look at the highly touted Bart and the Giants plans to use Bart as the catcher of the future.

The Giants’ Brandon Belt and Nick Hundley took the Los Angles Dodgers deep off starter Caleb Ferguson.  Belt ripped his 12th home run of the season and Hundley with his eight round tripper. Giants starting pitcher Chris Stratton got in a quality start going six innings, three hits, a run, one walk and struck out three hitters to shut down the Dodgers on Sunday 4-1.

Back to Bart, Bart is expected to visit AT&T Park on Tuesday night. He might even suit up and take a few swings, but that’s yet to be seen. The Giants signed Bart for a record $7.25 million the highest college signing for a position player.

Moons over Miami: Tonight the Giants host the Miami Marlins at AT&T Park. The last time these two teams met at Sun Trust Field in downtown Miami the Giants were nearly swept losing three games out of four. The Giants will start Andrew Suarez, who’s 2-4 and a 4.92 ERA in a 7:15 pm first pitch.

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Belt and Hundley’s two-run home runs help the Giants beat the Dodgers 4-1 to avoid sweep

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

With the end of a three-city, 10-game road trip that went from Washington, D.C., to Miami and finally onto Los Angeles, the San Francisco Giants saw their own beds in sight.

Nick Hundley and Brandon Belt each hit two-run home runs, helping the Giants to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The win by the Giants, salvaged the three-game series over their longtime rivals and they ended their road trip with a 4-6 record.

This was the fourth three-city road trip for the Giants, who have played more than half of their road games and now return for a 10-game home stand beginning on Monday night. The Giants have one more three-city road trip from August 13-23, when they will travel to Los Angeles, Cincinnati, before ending in New York.

Hundley gave the Giants an early 2-0 lead, as he launched a Caleb Ferguson pitch into the left field pavilion in the top of the first inning.

Belt stretched the Giants up to 4-1, as he hit his first home run since coming back an emergency appendectomy on June 2. It was the 12th home run for Belt.

Chris Stratton went six innings, allowing one run (none earned), while giving up just three hits, walking one and striking out three.

Ferguson went five innings, allowing four runs on just two hits, walking one and striking out sic, as he looks for that elusive first major league win.

The Giants bullpen quartet of Will Smith, Mark Melancon, Tony Watson and Hunter Strickland pitched the final three innings, as they allowed one hits and struck out eight. Strickland got the final two outs of the game to pick up his 14thsave of the season.

Andrew McCutchen picked up the only other hit of the game for the Giants, who are now 7-6 on the season versus the Dodgers.

NOTES: Andrew Suarez will make his second career start against his home town team, the Miami Marlins on Monday night, while the Marlins will counter with Caleb Smith.

Buster Posey sat out the finale of the road trip, as Hundley took his place and gave the Giants an early lead.

Brandon Crawford will miss the next three games, as he will join his wife Jalynne in Arizona, as she will give birth to their fourth child. Crawford will rejoin the team on Thursday night, when the Giants will open a four-game series against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Marlins’ Game 1 is scheduled for Monday night at 7:15 pm PDT.

Don’t give in: The A’s keep fighting in dramatic, 6-5 win over the Angels in 11 innings

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–After a rough week, and after a rough, first eight innings on Sunday with just three hits, as well as their continued struggles against suddenly superior AL West competition, the A’s struck back.

And lo and behold, the Angels–beset by injuries and saddled with a shaky bullpen–capitulated.

The A’s came up with a pair of runs in the ninth to tie, and Jonathan Lucroy’s game-winning hit scoring Jed Lowrie in the 11th to beat the Angels, 6-5.

“On the homestand, we had some good teams coming in here. We were trying to make up for that Astros series,” Lucroy said.

The win allowed the A’s to capture the three-game series on the heels of an embarrassing three-game sweep at the hands of the World Series champion Astros. After the twists and turns of the first 72 games of the season, the A’s are 36-36, the 13th time their record has landed at .500. The A’s concluded a 5-5 home stand, and they’re 15-14 over their last 29 games. All the symmetry hasn’t left the A’s in good position within their division. They trail the first-place Astros by a season-high 11 1/2 games after Houston won their 11th in a row, a 7-4 win over the Royals on Sunday.

The win allowed the A’s to disrupt their season-long, late inning pattern of winning when leading, and losing when trailing. Prior to Sunday, the A’s were 0-33 when trailing after eight and 31-0 when leading.

Oakland starter Daniel Mengden pitched more effectively than he did in his previous two starts, battling into the sixth inning where he departed trailing 4-2. Mengden allowed a combined 12 earned runs to the Rangers and Astros in his first two June starts, then gave up solo shots to veterans Chris Young and Albert Pujols on Sunday. But when Mengden could have unraveled, he didn’t. In the sixth, after Pujols’ shot gave the Angels the lead, Mengden uncorked a wild pitch with runners at first and third, allowing Andrelton Simmons to score. But Mengden recovered, striking out Martin Maldonado with a runner in scoring position before he was lifted for reliever Yusmeiro Petit.

“I’m just missing spots,” Mengden explained. “But we know we are in every game. With a few good at-bats, we’re right there.”

Those good at-bats did take place until after Andrew Heaney departed. The Angels’ starter finished eight innings, striking out eight while walking one. At one point, he retired 13 of 14 A’s batters. But things unraveled when he departed.

The Angels used five relievers, and four allowed a base hit, and three issued at least one walk. Blake Parker entered first and allowed a leadoff home run to Marcus Semien that trimmed the Angels’ lead. But Parker couldn’t settle down, walking two of the next three hitters.

“I’ve got to get ahead with better pitches. Go out there and one pitch, one run, I gotta regain my focus. I can’t have a four-pitch walk right after that,” Parker admitted.

Cam Bedrosian came on needing only to record the final out, but he surrendered the game-tying base hit to Mark Canha. Jake Jewell started the 11th, but allowed a leadoff single to Jed Lowrie, then hit Khris Davis on the first pitch with an errant curveball. And Eduardo Paredes failed to throw strikes on five of his first six pitches before Lucroy’s game-winner one-hopped the centerfield wall.

Of the 15 players currently on the disabled list for the Angels, relievers Kenyan Middleton and Blake Wood are lost for the season, and Jim Johnson, who was woefully ineffective as an Athletic in 2014, landed on the list last week with lumbar strain. Top option Justin Anderson couldn’t go on Sunday after throwing 28 pitches Friday night. So when the 11th inning opened, manager Mike Scioscia turned to Jewell in just his second major league appearance, then Paredes, who dragged a 7.15 ERA to the mound.

The A’s concluded a stretch of 20 home games in their last 25 with Sunday’s win. Now they hit the road for 27 of their next 35 games starting Tuesday in San Diego.  Paul Blackburn will make that start opposed by the Padres’ Eric Lauer.

 

Giants sign No. 2 draft pick Joey Bart to record-setting deal

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Photo credit: @sfgiants_fanly

By: Ana Kieu

The San Francisco Giants officially launched the Joey Bart era on Sunday afternoon.

Bart was the Giants’ second overall draft pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft. The 21-year-old previously played college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

According to MLB.com, Bart signed a $7.025 million bonus. Bart’s pre-draft slot figure was $7,494,600.

Bart was the first catcher selected by the Giants in the MLB Draft since Buster Posey, a former fifth overall pick, in 2008.

History is on the Giants’ side. Aside from Posey, their previous second overall pick, Will Clark (first baseman), helped provide a much-needed boost to the struggling franchise in 1985.

Although Bart is known as a catcher, Giants’ scouting director John Barr said that the right-handed hitter has plenty of athleticism to switch positions if necessary.

The Giants will introduce Bart on Monday in their series opener versus the Miami Marlins.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Will the Giants Trade Bumgarner?

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Photo credit: @Covers

By: Amaury Pi-González

Will the San Francisco Giants trade Madison Bumgarner? Many Giants fans would give an answer like “Never, preposterous!” or something of that sort. But it’s understandable as they are fans and they would probably react with emotion to the glorious past of one of the most successful pitchers in the MLB postseason.

Though, the Giants are in a very interesting situation. Although, they are not far from first place in a very feeble NL West division where everybody–except the Giants and Padres– have occupied first place at one point in the 2018 season so far.

That being said, the clock is ticking. The trade deadline is on July 31st, just a couple of weeks after the MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Bumgarner could be the finishing touch to postseason regulars like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and vice versa. Bumgarner could be that guy with the postseason experience to bring one of those teams a World Series title.

Remember what the Houston Astros did late last season? They picked up Justin Verlander at the end of the season and Verlander gave the Astros that extra push to win their first ever World Series. So there is a precedent for this, Bumgarner could be the next Verlander this October!

Let’s face it: This is a last go around for this Giants’ roster with guys like Bumgarner, Crawford, Posey, Pence, and Belt that have gone to the October Dance; but it doesn’t seem they have enough to make it this year.

To me, the Giants look like maybe another .500 club in a 2018 season where there are a handful of super teams like the Astros, Red Sox, Yankees, Nationals, and maybe Dodgers, but a majority of teams are currently stuck in mediocrity.

The NL West is not the best division in baseball and might not be this season. In life, timing is everything.

So what is the limit for the Giants on trading Bumgarner for some young players? That is the question. The Yankees are loaded with young talent and some of that young talent has developed faster than they have imagined. The Yankees could be the perfect trading partners with the Giants for a Bumgarner deal. The Yankees are in the American League East, so Bumgarner will not be able to face the Giants on a regular basis unless if there’s an unlikely situation where the Giants will meet the Yankees this October in the World Series.

Things can turn around very quickly in baseball and I am sure the Giants are hoping that their team will wake up soon and put out a good winning streak even if it is not 15 in a row. The Giants have played over half of the road games already, so they have plenty of games left at cozy AT&T Park. It seems they cannot catch a break, Brandon Belt has returned while Evan Longoria has left with a broken hand and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

Pablo Sandoval is doing whatever he can, but he is not a regular anymore and most of his hits are batting left-handed. Gorkys Hernández has exceeded expectations, but he is not a regular. Samardzija and Cueto have been hurt this season. And, to be fair, when was the last time the Giants had their rotation together this season? Never.

Bumgarner made his first start two months and weeks into the season, Cueto will not be back until the MLB All-Star Break and Samardzija has not found his groove yet. Although personally I was never high on “The Shark,” who signed with the Giants in 2015 on a five-year contract for $90 million. He owns a career record of 69-91 with a 4.16 ERA, and his best year with the Giants was 2016 when he won 12 and lost 11. Amigos, that is one expensive contract.

I like Bumgarner. He is a great competitor, but he is the biggest bait for trade that could make an aging club, younger and maybe more competitive in the future. The clock might be running out sooner that many believe on this 2018 Giants.

As far as trading Bumgarner and getting some good, exciting prospects go, it might be like the famous #1 Elvis song in 1960, “It’s Now or Never.”