By admin 
SAN DIEGO – Let the selling commence.
The Giants have made their first move ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. PT trade deadline, sending right-hander Tyler Mahle in exchange for right-hander Anthony Molina, the team announced on Sunday evening.
Molina has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.
Assuming the Giants also trade left-hander Robbie Ray, as expected, the team will have to fill two vacancies in their rotation. One of those spots could go to right-hander Adrian Houser, who was demoted from the rotation to the bullpen following extended struggles. As for the other, that could go to 25-year-old right-hander Blade Tidwell, who has a 4.38 ERA over 72 innings with Triple-A Sacramento this season.
Molina, 24, has pitched in parts of three major-league seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2024, 2025) and Braves (2026). He has spent most of this season with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate, posting a 3.64 ERA with 56 strikeouts over 54 1/3 innings.
In his major league career, Molina owns a career 6.89 ERA and 5.16 FIP with 67 strikeouts to 29 walks over 99 1/3 innings.
Molina has made 69 starts during the minors but has almost exclusively been used as a reliever in the majors. He employs a five-pitch mix (four-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, changeup, slider) and has an average four-seam velocity of about 97 mph. The right-hander has had excellent whiff rates and strikeout rates in the minors but hasn’t replicated that success in the majors.
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Mahle, 31, signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Giants this past offseason to shore up the rotation, but the veteran righty wasn’t able to replicate the success he had with other organizations.
Over 18 starts, Mahle had a 5.13 ERA and 4.38 FIP while striking out 89 batters over 94 2/3 innings. The right-hander made his final start with the Giants on Saturday, allowing five runs over 5 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts.
As poorly as Mahle pitched in San Francisco, it’s not hard to see why Atlanta is willing to take a flier on the veteran. From 2021-2025, Mahle posted a 3.78 ERA even while battling various injuries. Last year, Mahle had a 2.18 ERA in 16 starts for the Texas Rangers. Mahle’s four-seam fastball velocity has also gradually ticked up in recent starts as well.
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This story was originally published August 2, 2026 at 7:13 PM.