Maybe there’s an argument to be made that Justin Verlander has been a bit unlucky at times this season for the San Francisco Giants. His rhythm certainly wasn’t helped by an injury, either.
But to at least an extent, the numbers don’t lie.
And the numbers say Verlander has a 6.27 ERA.
That’s simply not good enough if the Giants want to pursue a playoff spot. And with the MLB trade deadline fast approaching, San Francisco has to give legitimate thought to finding someone out there who is better than Verlander is right now.
ESPN’s MLB insider Jeff Passan has a suggestion: Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“The Giants made their big move already, getting the best player who will move this season — designated hitter Rafael Devers — to shore up their offense,” Passan writes. “Intradivision trades can be trying, but if Buster Posey has shown anything in his first season as president of baseball operations, it’s a willingness to stomach the sorts of deals that would scare off his peers.
“Kelly represents a significant upgrade over the Giants’ backend rotation options, as Justin Verlander and Hayden Birdsong are sporting ERAs of 6.27 and 5.73, respectively, since June 1. Whether the Giants are real or simply a function of a bullpen whose core of Camilo Doval, Randy Rodriguez, Tyler Rogers, Erik Miller, Spencer Bivens and Ryan Walker has given up only 11 home runs in 232⅔ innings remains to be seen. For an organization seeking its first postseason series win in nearly a decade, though, there is never a time as urgent as now.”
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Kelly is 36 years old, but he’s been effective for Arizona. In three of the last four seasons, he has a sub-3.50 ERA.
He’s never been a huge strikeout guy. His stuff has aged well, and he still gets plenty of outs.
If the Giants can add Kelly, it at least gives them options in a rotation that could definitely use a few more.
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