© Jake Roth | 2019 Jul 28
It wasn’t that long ago when all the chatter surrounding the Giants was about what team Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith would be on at the end of the 2019 season. Now, after going 18-5 in July thus far and 32-18 since June 1st, the Giants find themselves 2.5 games back from the final Wild Card spot and right back in the thick of the playoff hunt heading into August.
With the trade deadline coming Wednesday afternoon and the Giants traveling to Philly for a crucial three game series, Giants longtime broadcaster, Mike Krukow, joined the Murph & Mac show Monday morning morning to talk about what the Giants need to do with the trade deadline looming.
“You can’t be a legitimate contender if you don’t add on,” Krukow said. “I’m saying that about the Giants, I’m saying that about every team that’s relevant in the Wild Card race right now. These next 56, 65, 72 hours whatever it is to the deadline, it’s going to say everything. Not only about who wins the wildcard but who wins the whole shooting match.”
Krukow noted where he believes the Giants roster could potentially be improved.
“That’s the million dollar question. I think the Giants could use a starting pitcher, I think they could use another bat.”
While there is no denying the team as a whole has significantly improved throughout this Giants resurgence, the team still could use some help. Alex Dickerson (87 AB’s) and Donovan Solano (125 AB’s) are the only Giants with a batting average above .300, while Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija are the only veteran starters in the rotation that currently boasts two rookies.
The Giants broadcaster then talked about the job that Farhan Zaidi has done with what was handed to him when he became the President of Baseball Operations in November of 2018.
“Look, where they’ve gotten right now, I didn’t think it was possible. I really didn’t. I don’t think any of us did after watching the first couple months of this club. And I’m thinking Farhan Zaidi had an impossible hand dealt to him. But now that I’ve seen how he’s gone about his business I’m starting to think ‘there is a plan.’ I’m not worried about big unmovable contracts, I’m not worried about a farm system that doesn’t have talent, that’s all bunk.
“The thing about Zaidi..he’s insistent, ‘I don’t believe in three year plans, I don’t believe in five year plans, I believe in winning this year.’ I hear that, and guess what, I get hard nipples over that. It’s unbelievable.”
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Krukow on the trade deadline, start from 4:40.