Farhan Zaidi discusses Giants' mindset at trade deadline approaches

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The MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and the Giants all of a sudden find themselves in a bit of a pickle.

Entering Sunday's game against the New York Mets, the Giants had won 14 of their last 17 games and sit just 2 1/2 games back of the second wild-card spot.

With October baseball looking like a possibility, reports have trickled out that the Giants were re-evaluating their plans as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. Where it once was assumed the Giants would look to trade starter Madison Bumgarner and closer Will Smith, among others, that reportedly no longer was the case.

Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi attempted to set the record straight on the Giants' mindset as the deadline approaches.

"I keep reading how the mindset is changing, but for us, it's been the same mission all along, which is trying to put ourselves in position to contend this year," Zaidi told reporters on Sunday.

"We've been fielding calls all year, even going back to the offseason. I haven't changed my phone number or taken my phone off the ringer. You still take those calls. It's helpful to know what other teams are thinking and who other teams are interested in, whether it winds up being something you act on or not. We have to be prepared for every scenario, which has been our intention all year long."

Zaidi also dispelled the idea that the Giants have pulled back in their attempt to deal Bumgarner and that they tried to trade him a month ago.

"Among many things I've read that have got a little bit of an eye roll from me was the notion that we were pulling back Bumgarner talks," Zaidi said. "I mean, first of all, what's been reported that we made a push to trade him months ago was completely false. We've gotten calls about Madison going back to the offseason and into this year. It's my job to listen to those conversations and process them, but I don't know what we'd be pulling back from because we have not been the aggressors in any of those conversations. We're just having conversations on background like everybody. every team."  

[RELATED: Report: Giants wavering on whether to buy or sell]

The Giants have three games against the Chicago Cubs and three against the San Diego Padres before heading to Philadelphia to face the Phillies during the trade deadline. The time for Zaidi and the Giants to choose a course of action is here.

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