Giants are selling, which candidates could be Braves trade targets

At 16-24 in the ultra-competitive NL West, the San Francisco Giants already appear to be inching toward waving the white flag on the season, beginning over the weekend with the trade of two-time Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians.

The Giants clearly understand this roster isn’t currently built to compete for the division, let alone a World Series. It’s an aging, expensive group loaded with contracts they’d probably love to move if given the opportunity.

“The Giants would love to unload outfielder Jung Hoo Lee ($85 million left on his contract), shortstop Willy Adames($161 million remaining), first baseman Rafael Devers ($226.5 million remaining) and Matt Chapman ($125 million remaining) and start over,” Bob Nightengale reported for USA Today Sports.

Lee was an extra-base machine during his time in Korea, which led to the Giants handing him a massive six-year, $113 million contract. Unfortunately for San Francisco, that deal has soured rather quickly. He’s a solid contact hitter capable of playing all three outfield spots, but there simply isn’t enough power in the profile to justify that kind of money.

Because of the Jurickson Profar suspension, adding an outfielder at the deadline should be at the top of the Atlanta Braves’ priority list. However, they’re probably looking for a little more thump than Lee provides. A lot of what he brings to the table offensively already exists internally with Mauricio Dubón, who figures to see plenty of time in left field once Ha-Seong Kim fully settles back into the lineup.

Where the Giants really become intriguing for Atlanta is on the pitching side, specifically with starters Robbie Ray and Logan Webb.

“Instead, they may have no choice but to shop their biggest trade chip in starter Robbie Ray, who will be a free agent after the season,” Nightengale continued. “Some executives insist they also would listen to offers for ace Logan Webb. Yet, it’s highly unlikely the Giants would move him considering that he’s a premier starter with three years remaining on his reasonable five-year, $90 million contract.”

The Braves’ need for starting pitching looks a lot different now than it did six weeks ago — or even a few days ago.

The emergence of Bryce Elder as a legitimate arm, combined with the rapid development of JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes, has changed the complexion of the staff considerably. Those guys have carried far more of the workload than anyone expected entering the season.

And then there’s Strider.

Over the weekend, Spencer Strider finally looked like the pre-surgery version of himself again, striking out eight Dodgers over six scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. If that’s the version of Strider Atlanta is getting moving forward, you could reasonably argue the Braves don’t need to aggressively pursue another frontline starter.

Still, if they decide to push their chips in, Ray and Webb are two phenomenal options.

Ray looks headed toward a second consecutive All-Star appearance, posting a 2.76 ERA through his first eight starts. Since he’s in the final year of his contract, the acquisition cost should be more manageable, and at 34 years old, he fits the exact type of veteran pitcher Alex Anthopoulos has historically targeted — high upside with the potential for a shorter-term extension afterward.

Webb would be an entirely different conversation.

Even with a somewhat sluggish start to 2026, he’s still one of the most dependable starters in baseball, finishing inside the top 11 of NL Cy Young voting in four straight seasons while leading the league in innings pitched three consecutive years.

You have to go all the way back to 2021 to find a season in which Webb failed to throw at least 192 innings. In today’s game, that kind of durability is almost extinct.

Add in the fact that he’s under team control through 2028 at bargain prices — $23 million in 2027 and $24 million in 2028 — and prying him away from San Francisco would likely require an absolutely massive haul.

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(Photo by Trinity Machan/Icon Sportswire)