Giants Could Listen To Offers On LaMonte Wade Jr.

There are likely to be some trades amidst an interesting offseason in San Francisco. As Buster Posey looks to put his stamp on the roster, a few veterans could find themselves in trade rumors. Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote this morning that the Giants are making LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski available. The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly similarly wrote last week that Wade, Yastrzemski, and former closer Camilo Doval could be in play on the trade market.

All three players stand as logical trade candidates. The hitters are headed into their final seasons of arbitration and are one year from free agency. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Wade for a $4.7MM salary, while Yastrzemski is projected for a lofty $9.5MM sum. Doval is projected at $4.6MM for his first of three arbitration seasons. Dealing him would be selling low on a talented arm, but the righty pitched himself off the MLB roster in the second half. If he doesn’t rebound next season, he’d be a non-tender candidate going into 2026. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that the Giants had received interest from multiple teams on Doval.

Of the two hitters, Wade would have greater appeal. The 30-year-old first baseman is more affordable than Yastrzemski and gets on base much more consistently. Wade is coming off a .260/.380/.381 showing through 401 plate appearances. He has a .258/.376/.401 slash over the past two seasons. The lefty-hitting Wade has posted plus OBP marks against left-handed and righty pitching alike.

Few players draw more walks or get on base as consistently. While there’s value in that plate discipline, Wade doesn’t have the power associated with most first basemen. He hasn’t topped 18 home runs in a season and hit just eight longballs this year. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area writes that some within the organization view first base as an area for upgrade. They’d presumably look for a more traditional power bat.

It’s a solid free agent class for first basemen. Pete Alonso and Christian Walker headline the group. They’d certainly add power, but both players would require draft pick and international signing bonus forfeitures as qualifying offer recipients. Alonso and Walker are on track for multi-year deals — potentially five or six years in Alonso’s case — which doesn’t fit well for San Francisco. The Giants’ top prospect, Bryce Eldridge, reached Triple-A before his 20th birthday and could get to the majors by the…