NEW YORK - The Giants did not sell at the trade deadline, preferring to give a .500 roster a few more weeks to try and climb into the race. It appears the weekend in Cincinnati finally led to some decisions from the front office.
According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, the Giants have placed Andrew McCutchen on revocable waivers, potentially clearing the way for a trade over the coming days. McCutchen is only owed about $3 million at this point and could be a fit for a contending team looking for outfield help down the stretch. If McCutchen is claimed, the Giants will have little leverage in negotiations, but they should be able to salvage a prospect or two in exchange for a player who will be a free agent at the end of the season.
The interest in McCutchen at the deadline wasn't enough to have the Giants seriously consider a deal, but his numbers have ticked up a bit in the second half. Trading McCutchen would serve multiple purposes. The veteran could potentially find himself in a playoff race, in search of his first ring. For the Giants, a deal would clear salary space and get them further from the tax line, and potentially allow for more September call-ups. It also would clear playing time in the outfield, allowing Austin Slater to play every day, or Chris Shaw to get an audition over the final month.
The Giants have avoided any talk of putting up the white flag, but they were swept over the weekend in Cincinnati and have not had the road trip they had hoped. They won 2-1 Tuesday, but still will face Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom in this series.
