1. B.J. Upton (CF) Tampa Bay Rays
Upton has shown flashes of being the cornerstone piece the Rays were hoping he would be when they took him as the second overall pick in 2002, but his inconsistant play and occaisional antics have prompted Tampa Bay to put him on the trade block.
A rare five tool player still entering his prime, Upton has the highest upside of any player on the market. He has stolen 40 bases or more three times in his young career, while showing off his power potential in 2007 with 24 homeruns in 474 at-bats.
Upton would instantly be the fastest player in the starting lineup for San Francisco who could chose to hit him at the top of the lineup or slide him somewhere between Sandoval, Shierholtz and Huff.
A flashy centerfielder with great range, Upton would be a great canditate to battle the spacious confines of AT&T park while also adding another great outfield arm into the mix to compliment Shierholtz and Ross.
With Tampa Bay still being in the playoff race, their asking price for Upton likely will include a player who is major league ready. It also may be the highest asking price of the three players on this list, but could bring the greatest long-term returns for San Francisco.
The Rays may inquire about Madison Bumgardner in the deal, but it's highley unlikely the Giants break up any part of their rotation unless they are completely blown away by an offer.
Their next target may be Brandon Belt, a home-grown prospect who has done nothing but assault minor league pitching since being drafter out of the University of Texas.
General Manager Brian Sabean will have to think long and hard about the deal considering Belt is the best pure-hitting first baseman to accend the minor league system since Will Clark. He will also have to give up additional prospects in the deal, possibly another pitcher or outfielder to aquire Upton.
Belt could be the first baseman of the future in Tampa Bay if Casey Kotchman doesn't replicate a great first half which won him the job. The Giants may have ideas about moving Buster Posey to first base in the future if catching prospect Hector Sanchez can prove he can handle major-league pitching.
The only way such a deal gets done is if the Giants have long-term plans about Upton being the centerfielder of the future. Andres Torres has struggled to replicate the success he has as the leadoff hitter a year ago and may be a more valuable asset to the Giants off the bench, considering his speed and defensive ability.
Upton will turn 27 towards the end of August and would likely enjoy the idea of playing in the same division as his brother Justin (Arizona). The right kind of deal could bring Upton to the Bay Area, but the only drawback will be deciding how much of the future to salvage for a player who has overstayed his welcome in Tampa Bay.
2. Hunter Pence (LF/RF) Houston Astros
With the Astros all but out of contention in 2011, many believe that they will part ways with their star outfielder Hunter Pence before the deadline if they can get a talented package of prospects in return.
The Braves have been mentioned as the front-runners for Pence, but a deal for the 27-year-old outfielder would solidify an inconsistant middle of the order for San Francisco who has better prospects to offer in a potential deal.
Houston desperately needs pitching and would likely ask for top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler in the deal, but with the Giants pitching depth at the major and minor league level it's a deal worth considering.
Atlanta has an intriguing trade piece in pitcher Mike Minor for Houston to consider, but if San Francisco packaged Wheeler with another minor league arm like Heath Hembree or Eric Surkamp the Astros may pull the trigger.
While most think the Giants are coveting a centerfielder, trading for Pence would allow the Giants to play Ross, Torres and even try Shierholtz in centerfield considering Pence has a well above-average arm in right or left field.
Having Pence would also give the Giants insurance in case Shierholtz isn't able to reapeat his breakout year in 2011.
It would also leave the future centerfielder job available to top prospect Gary Brown who will likely start the season in AA after having a standout year in San Jose this season (A). Brown could get an invite to spring training to allow the Giants a taste of how ready he is for major league pitching.
Landing Upton would force the Giants to wait longer on Brown and/or consider moving Upton back to the infield or to a corner outfield position once last year's first round pick arrives in San Francisco eventually.
If the Giants pass on both Upton and Pence and target Beltran, it is likely only for a two-month rental as the idea of re-signing him is unlikely considering his age and track record for ending up on the disabled list.
3. Carlos Beltran (CF) New York Mets
While the Mets aren't completely out of the playoff race at 51-51, trading Beltran will allow them to receive something rather than nothing in return for a player who will leave after his contract expires at the end of 2011.
Early indications are that the Mets have a high asking price for Beltran which has scared many potential buyers away who are not intending to re-sign him in the offseason.
As the deadline gets closer, New York will have to dampen their expectations if they want to move Beltran, or he will likely remain a Met.
Beltran has performed extremely well in the postseason during his career which is an attractive feature for any contender. He would immediately slide into the middle of the order for San Francisco and likely demote Torres to a bench role.
Trading too many prospects for Beltran could turn out to be a bad move for whoever lands him if his history with the injury bug becomes an issue down the stretch. Either way, whoever trades for Beltran will be giving up a large part of the future for a player who is on the back-nine of his career and likely won't return in 2012 because of his contract expectations.
Unless San Francisco can land him for an affordable price, a trade for Beltran may be too risky for the Giants to gamble on.
Knowing that Upton and Pence are only 27, the Giants would feel much more comfortable trading away part of the future if they knew they would be getting a player who would stay in San Francisco.
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