I don’t think the Giants need to make huge changes heading into the trade deadline. But I would make three small deals that would help them in the last couple of months of the season. First off I would offer 28-year old switch hitting IF/OF Eugenio Velez and 26-year old lefty swinging 1B/OF John Bowker to the Cleveland Indians for outfielder Austin Kearns. I would then offer 26-year old outfielder Nate Schierholtz and 26-year old infielder Matt Downs to the A’s for Jack Cust. Kearns can play some CF and you could always platoon Kearns and Cust in RF which I would think would be a productive pairing. Finally I would offer 27-year old righty starter/reliever Joe Martinez to the Orioles for lefty reliever Mark Hendrickson. Adding Kearns, Cust and Hendrickson might not sound too sexy but they would make the Giants a better team.

The Giants are 42-40 on the season which has them in 4th place in the N.L. West, 7 games behind the Padres. The Giants are wasting too much good pitching and they can get on a roll with the addition of a big bat for either RF or 1B. Jose Bautista, Luke Scott, Jose Guillen, Jorge Cantu, Cody Ross, Corey Hart, Prince Fielder, Derek Lee, Lance Berkman and Adam LaRoche are the players who make the most sense. If the Giants get one of these players they will make the playoffs…….mark my words.

With the Giants being at fully near strength with the return of Freddy Sanchez and Edgar Renteria I think they should make a move for a RF. Luke Scott (Orioles), Austin Kearns (Indians) and David DeJesus (Royals) will likely all be available at the trade deadline or before. Of those three I think that Luke Scott would cost you the most but he is probably the best player. I think the Royals would jump at the chance to get someone like Sergio Romo from the Giants. But in the end, Austin Kearns would be the cheapest route in terms of what the Giants would have to give up to get him. With that in mind I would trade with the Indians who would likely be willing to take Eugenio Velez and Ryan Rohlinger for him.