Sabean tempers trade talk with Deadline near
GM remains 'open-minded' but says Giants unlikely to make major move
SAN FRANCISCO -- Declining to label the Giants as either buyers or sellers with baseball's Trade Deadline approaching, general manager Brian Sabean indicated that the club won't make any major moves in the coming week.
Historically, Sabean almost annually has made at least one trade to strengthen the club by the July 31 non-waiver Deadline. But the reigning World Series champions occupy fourth place in the National League West with a 46-55 record, minimizing the urgency to make a deal by Wednesday.
"We're really in neutral because of the position we're in," Sabean said Thursday on his weekly radio show on KNBR-AM. "When you're 7 1/2 games out and nine games under .500, there's not a lot of need to be aggressive. ... I would say, on balance, I'm prepared to stand pat."
The way Sabean spoke, chances of a blockbuster deal to acquire a top pitcher or proven hitter sounded remote.
"As we speak, the math is horrific against us and we're almost ready to turn the page on this season," he said.
Sabean acknowledged that he remains "open-minded" and will consider engineering a trade if it brought obvious benefits to the Giants.
"If the right suitor came along, we would listen on some of our players -- and teams are asking about some of our players," Sabean said.
Right fielder Hunter Pence, who's eligible for free agency after this season, is known to be coveted by Texas. Left-hander Javier Lopez has value for contenders hoping to strengthen their bullpens.
But Sabean indicated that no deal is imminent, though he mentioned that he was ensconced in his office adjacent to the Giants' clubhouse with additional televisions and computers hooked up for use. He characterized trade talks with other teams at the "fact-finding" stage.
Sabean emphasized that he's unlikely to consider players who are bound for free agency, unless they were to agree to stay with San Francisco through at least the 2014 season.