As one of Major League Baseball's best left-handed relievers over the past two seasons, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Will Smith has come up in trade discussions ahead of the deadline.
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Report: Giants Expressing Interest in Smith
Wednesday, July 20
According to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, Smith is one of several bullpen arms the San Francisco Giants are scouting.
The 27-year-old Smith is in the midst of his fifth MLB season, and he has a career-best 2.12 ERA to go along with a 0.94 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in 17 innings. He returned from a stint on the disabled list due to a sprained knee in June and has been highly effective ever since.
Smith broke out with the Brew Crew last season when he went 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA and struck out an impressive 91 batters in 63.1 innings.
Although Smith is a southpaw, he is capable of getting out both lefties and righties, as they are hitting .179 and .172, respectively, against him this season, per Baseball-Reference.com.
Smith is arbitration-eligible during the offseason, and since he is likely due a considerable raise, a rebuilding Milwaukee club could benefit from receiving some assets in return for him.
The Giants entered play Wednesday as MLB's best team at 57-37, but their bullpen could use a boost, especially in terms of lefties.
Javier Lopez is their primary option from the left side, but he has an ERA of 4.60. The addition of Smith would help keep left-handed batters honest in the later stages of games.
San Francisco is famous for winning the World Series in even-numbered years, and while the calendar suggests another title could be in store for 2016, acquiring a proven pen commodity such as Smith could go a long way toward making it a reality.
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