San Francisco Giants plan to trade veterans despite winning streak

July 18 (UPI) -- San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said he still expects to trade several veteran players before the July 31 deadline despite the team's recent success.

San Francisco has won five straight games and 12 of its last 14. The Giants are 2 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League's second Wild Card spot after sweeping the struggling Colorado Rockies in a four-game series.

"This entire season for us has never been a throwaway season or rebuilding season," Zaidi told radio station KNBR in San Francisco. "Not every trade that's made leading up to the trade deadline is a pure buy-or-sell deal. Sometimes it's a need-for-need deal. That might be the direction that we go."

The Giants are expected to trade pitchers Madison Bumgarner, Sam Dyson and Will Smith. Bumgarner and Smith will be free agents after this season. Smith won't become a free agent until next year.

Bumgarner is 5-7 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 starts this year. The four-time All-Star can block trades to eight teams, including the AL East-leading New York Yankees, according to MLB Network and The Athletic.

Smith is 3-0 with a 2.75 ERA in 40 games. He was named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career. Dyson is 3-1 with a 2.74 ERA across 46 innings.

San Francisco has not made the playoffs since 2016.