Baseball Trade Rumors: Analysis of Ryan Garko Trade to San Francisco Giants

Baseball trade rumors have swirled around the San Francisco Giants as the trade deadline looms on Friday, July 31. The San Francisco Giants have surprised most of the baseball world by remaining in the NL Wild Card Race this far into the season with superb pitching, but very little offense. MLB.com's Chris Haft reports that the Cleveland Indians traded first baseman Ryan Garko to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for a minor league pitcher, lefty Scott Barnes. This trade deadline deal is a great one for the Giants.

Ryan Garko will step right in as the regular first baseman for the Giants thanks to this trade deadline deal. Garko is only 28 and comes very inexpensively, currently making only $446,000 according to Haft. He is expected to earn $2-2.5 million next year when he is arbitration eligible, according to estimates by Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com.

Baseball trade rumors have speculated that the Giants desperately needed some power, especially from a right handed batter in their park which strongly favors right handed hitters. Over five seasons, right handed hitting Ryan Garko has been outstanding : .283 BA .355 OBP, .450 SLG. In 2007, he hit 21 home runs in only 138 games. Last season, he drove in 90 runs in 141 games. He pounds left-handed pitchers: .318 BA .393 OBP .513 SLG.

I expect Garko to step right into the cleanup spot in the Giants order behind Pablo Sandoval who is the only Giant with a higher OPS than Garko this season.

Is he the whole answer? No. I expect Brian Sabean, the Giants GM to make another trade deadline deal for Washington outfielder Josh Willingham.

ESPN reports that the Giants have been scouting him. The Giants only gave up their #9 pitching prospect, Barnes, to pick up Garko. Sabean can afford to use up to two other prospects, and probably won't even have to give up the club's #1 prospect, pitcher Madison Bumgarner.

As the trade deadline approaches on Friday and the trade rumors accelerate, expect Sabean to pull the trigger at the last moment on a deal that nets Josh Willingham, a 30 year old right-handed outfielder with a very reasonable $ 2.95 million salary and career numbers of .269 BA .367 OBP .484 SLG. He currently has a one year contract, but Sabean can justify the deal because it is a significant offensive boost that comes at a bargain price for this season. If Garko and Willingham find success in San Francisco over the final 2 months of the 2009 season, Sabean will have a good chance at signing them to mutually beneficial terms for 2010. Sabean may pull off his finest baseball trade deadline move ever if the Giants capture the NL Wild card in 2009 and sign these two young right-handed batters with power for 2010.

Sources:

Chris Haft, Giants acquire Garko from Indians, mlb.com.

Paul Hoynes, Ryan Garko dealt to the Giants; Andy Marte will join Tribe Tuesday: Indians Insider, Cleveland.com.

Major League Baseball Rumors Central, ESPN.com.

Ryan Garko Statistics and History, baseballreference.com.

Josh Willingam Stats, News, Photos, ESPN.com