How Farhan Zaidi is reacting to Giants' hot streak ahead of trade deadline

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DENVER -- The big takeaway from Farhan Zaidi's introductory press conference last November was that the new boss did not talk about grand changes or plans, but rather about the Giants getting incrementally better with every move.

It took a while, but Zaidi's plan is starting to lead to positive results on the field, and that's ironically put him in a tough spot for the next two weeks. The Giants have more trade chips than any team out there and still do not have a winning record. At the same time, they're the hottest team in baseball and have snuck within three games of a playoff spot. 

So does Zaidi sell, does he buy, or does he stand pat? Or will it be a little of everything?

"Like every organization, we have to keep an eye on the future, but the present as well," Zaidi said on KNBR on Wednesday morning.

If the Giants have chosen a direct path, they certainly won't indicate so publicly. The best educated guess at this point is that Zaidi will try to walk a tightrope, potentially dealing pending free agents like Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith while also looking to strategically add. Not every addition has to be a blockbuster; the Giants are in this position because of under-the-radar additions like Alex Dickerson and Mike Yastrzemski.

"Not every trade that's made leading up to the trade deadline is a pure buy or sell deal," Zaidi said. "Sometimes it's a need-for-need deal. That might be the direction that we go."

No matter what he decides, Zaidi certainly is enjoying the renaissance. The Giants have won 11 of 13 and all of a sudden look poised to make good on something else Zaidi said back in November. Despite the dire situation he inherited, Zaidi talked of the Giants being competitive as long as they could in 2019. That became more important once Bruce Bochy announced his retirement.

[RELATED: How many wins will Giants need?]

"This entire season for us has never been a throwaway season or rebuilding season," Zaidi told KNBR. "I think people tried to cast it that way, especially with the way we came out of the gates early in the season and it sort of had that air to it. But one of the reasons we made all the moves and brought up Dickerson and Yastrzemski is we tried to look for a group of players that could get on a roll like this.

"We're very invested in this season and it's been really exciting seeing how the team has played. Every pennant race and every opportunity you have to get to the playoffs has a ton of value. It has a ton of value to the fans and the organization, and we don't take that lightly."

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