Why Giants' underrated 3.27 ERA starter should be 'untouchable' in trade talks
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Why Giants' underrated 3.27 ERA starter should be 'untouchable' in trade talks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The San Francisco Giants have not had a good 2026 season so far. They're 20-30 on the season, 11 games back in the NL West, and nine games back in the fight for a Wild Card spot.
A lot of things have gone wrong this season, from players regressing, others getting hurt, and just some absolutely heartbreaking losses. Everything is looking like it's leading up to a sell-off at the trade deadline.
However, there are some players the team should keep. One of those "untouchable" players, according to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, is an underrated starting pitcher who has a 3.27 ERA this season in Landen Roupp.
Giants' Landen Roupp should be 'untouchable' in trade talks this year
"If the unexpected Patrick Bailey trade is any indication, the Giants could put the untouchable tag to the test this summer if they are unable to climb back into contention," Reuter writes. "However, Landen Roupp is an emerging piece they will likely cling to..."
While the Giants are sure to entertain some noteworthy players in trade talks at the deadline if they wind up as sellers, right-handed starter Landen Roupp is someone the club should not trade.
This season, the 27-year-old has a 3.27 ERA in 10 starts with 61 strikeouts in 55 innings of work while giving up just two homers and a 1.145 WHIP.
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His 2.62 FIP is also a good indicator that Roupp is a good starter, and still fairly young, and under club control through the 2030 season; he's not the kind of pitcher the Giants should trade.
Reuter is calling Roupp untouchable, and it's hard to argue with such a stance. Finding quality starting pitchers is hard to come by, and with the Giants' questionable rotation, losing someone like Roupp would be a disaster.
Even if they could land a decent return for Roupp, it would be a mistake to part with a young, cheap, and controllable pitcher like the Giants right-hander.