Cubs Rumors: Is it finally time to trade for Tony Watson?

Cubs Rumors: Less costly than Will Smith

Watson is hardly the only Giants reliever that is likely to be on the move before the July 31 deadline.

Teams around the league are salivating at the opportunity to land All-Star closer Will Smith, who has posted a 1.98 ERA and career-high 13.1 K/9 in 36 1/3 innings of work this season. Smith is also a perfect 23-for-23 in save opportunities, proving to be one of the best relievers in all of baseball.

While Smith will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the Giants are likely to attach a high asking price to his name because of the premium that is placed on closing pitchers at the trade deadline. Look no further than the Cubs trading Gleyber Torres in order to land Aroldis Chapman for half a season in 2016.

On the other hand, the Giants might be more amenable to a lesser package for Watson. San Francisco would probably prefer to acquire assets for Watson now rather than risk either losing him in free agency or having him accept his $2.5 million option for next season.

So even though Smith would be the ideal get for the Cubs, Watson is the likelier option.