The San Francisco Giants made a few moves to improve their team ahead of the MLB trade deadline, but one was more costly than the other.
In two separate trades for pitchers, the Giants acquired Will Smith and Matt Moore. It was the trade for Smith where they gave up too much.
The Giants traded starting pitcher Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac to get Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Bickford was the team’s first-round pick (No. 18 overall) in 2015 and had been tearing through the minor leagues. The Cal State Fullerton/College of Southern Nevada product dominated in rookie ball last year and has been great in both low and high-A ball this year.
He was 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA in high-A this season, including 36 strikeouts in 33 innings. At every stop in the minors he has posted more strikeouts than innings pitched and possesses a 10.72 K/9 rate in pro ball. The Giants are likely going to regret trading this 6-foot-5 right hander. Though, at 21 and in A-ball, the Giants may feel Bickford has a long way to go before he could help them.
The Giants also included catcher prospect Andrew Susac in the trade.
A second-round pick in 2011 by the Giants out of Oregon State, Susac has already been called up on two occasions by the Giants, batting .240 in those stints. A career .260 hitter in the minors and .240 hitter in the majors, Susac may only be a career backup catcher at best, but the 26-year-old still has time to improve.
Smith is a lefty with a very high strikeout rate and has a 3.68 ERA this season. The big appeal to the Giants is likely his free agency status. Smith has three years of arbitration ahead of him and won’t be eligible for free agency until 2020, so he will be cost-controlled for the next three seasons.
