3 Reasons Why the Giants Must Trade for a Shortstop as Soon as Possible
The San Francisco Giants have started the season well, as they are in second place in the NL West at 34-27.
However, they still have one gaping hole: shortstop.
While you could argue that they have a hole in the rotation because of Tim Lincecum's slow start, Brandon Crawford's inconsistent play at shortstop has hurt the Giants. He has a .219 batting average and a 24.5 percent strikeout rate.
Oh, and his defense hasn't been too great either (as you may have noticed from the picture above).
Crawford is an above-average defensive shortstop, and he makes a lot of hard plays. However, he has struggled to field easy grounders, and he's even dropped pop-ups (again, see above).
Overall, Crawford has been a disappointment for the Giants. Here are three reasons why they must trade for another shortstop as soon as possible.
Lack of a Good Offensive and Consistent Defensive Shortstop
This one is pretty obvious.
Crawford has struggled at the plate all year and has more strikeouts than hits. He has a .219 batting average and a .274 on-base percentage, and he has just one home run this year.
He has started slow on defense, and while we have seen flashes of greatness, he has 10 of San Francisco's league-leading 56 errors. That doesn't count the aforementioned pop-up he dropped while the infield fly rule was in effect.
There are other shortstops out there, and a lot of them have been better than Brandon Crawford. While the Giants shouldn't trade Crawford, they need to give him more time to hone his skills in the minors.
The only way to do that is by trading for a shortstop.
Need for Offensive Firepower
This has been an ongoing problem for three years, and a trade could help.
There are a lot of good hitting shortstops out there, and there are some the Giants could trade for, such as Starlin Castro and Jhonny Peralta. While I don't love Castro, I think Peralta could give the Giants a lift.
Peralta is struggling at the plate, but he would be a definite offensive upgrade over Crawford. On defense, he is above-average, and he could definitely help the team on the diamond and in the batter's box.
Castro is also very good at offense, and he is overflowing with talent. However, his mental lapses have frustrated Cubs fans and management, and he could be on the move. While his mental lapses are a problem, there's no denying that he's a great player.
Overall, Crawford's play has hurt the team and his struggles must stop. If he doesn't pick up the pace, San Francisco will be putting him on a bus back to Fresno.
Playoff Competition
In case you didn't know, the NL West is a tough division.
The Dodgers have the best record in the majors and the D-Backs have a very potent offense that can unleash fury at any time. While Arizona is in third and currently struggling, LA continues to thrive even without Matt Kemp in the outfield.
By the time August rolls around, both teams will still be in the thick of the division race and will have their offenses in full swing. The Giants offense hasn't been terrible, but they will need more production at the plate.
A way to get more production at the plate? Trading Brandon Crawford.
Crawford hits eighth, so there aren't always runners on base when he hits. However, his inability to knock runners in and get on base has crippled the Giants, and they must find a way to stop the bleeding.
The NL West race will be tight, and any weaknesses will loom huge for every team during the final stretch.
While I believe Crawford will have a successful career, he will need more time to hone his skills in the minors before playing in any meaningful games for the Giants.
However, they still have one gaping hole: shortstop.
While you could argue that they have a hole in the rotation because of Tim Lincecum's slow start, Brandon Crawford's inconsistent play at shortstop has hurt the Giants. He has a .219 batting average and a 24.5 percent strikeout rate.
Oh, and his defense hasn't been too great either (as you may have noticed from the picture above).
Crawford is an above-average defensive shortstop, and he makes a lot of hard plays. However, he has struggled to field easy grounders, and he's even dropped pop-ups (again, see above).
Overall, Crawford has been a disappointment for the Giants. Here are three reasons why they must trade for another shortstop as soon as possible.
Lack of a Good Offensive and Consistent Defensive Shortstop
This one is pretty obvious.
Crawford has struggled at the plate all year and has more strikeouts than hits. He has a .219 batting average and a .274 on-base percentage, and he has just one home run this year.
He has started slow on defense, and while we have seen flashes of greatness, he has 10 of San Francisco's league-leading 56 errors. That doesn't count the aforementioned pop-up he dropped while the infield fly rule was in effect.
There are other shortstops out there, and a lot of them have been better than Brandon Crawford. While the Giants shouldn't trade Crawford, they need to give him more time to hone his skills in the minors.
The only way to do that is by trading for a shortstop.
Need for Offensive Firepower
This has been an ongoing problem for three years, and a trade could help.
There are a lot of good hitting shortstops out there, and there are some the Giants could trade for, such as Starlin Castro and Jhonny Peralta. While I don't love Castro, I think Peralta could give the Giants a lift.
Peralta is struggling at the plate, but he would be a definite offensive upgrade over Crawford. On defense, he is above-average, and he could definitely help the team on the diamond and in the batter's box.
Castro is also very good at offense, and he is overflowing with talent. However, his mental lapses have frustrated Cubs fans and management, and he could be on the move. While his mental lapses are a problem, there's no denying that he's a great player.
Overall, Crawford's play has hurt the team and his struggles must stop. If he doesn't pick up the pace, San Francisco will be putting him on a bus back to Fresno.
Playoff Competition
In case you didn't know, the NL West is a tough division.
The Dodgers have the best record in the majors and the D-Backs have a very potent offense that can unleash fury at any time. While Arizona is in third and currently struggling, LA continues to thrive even without Matt Kemp in the outfield.
By the time August rolls around, both teams will still be in the thick of the division race and will have their offenses in full swing. The Giants offense hasn't been terrible, but they will need more production at the plate.
A way to get more production at the plate? Trading Brandon Crawford.
Crawford hits eighth, so there aren't always runners on base when he hits. However, his inability to knock runners in and get on base has crippled the Giants, and they must find a way to stop the bleeding.
The NL West race will be tight, and any weaknesses will loom huge for every team during the final stretch.
While I believe Crawford will have a successful career, he will need more time to hone his skills in the minors before playing in any meaningful games for the Giants.
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