After embarassing first half, Giants forced to look at all options ahead of MLB trade deadline

The San Francisco Giants reached the All-Star break with a win, but nobody inside the clubhouse seemed interested in pretending the first 96 games were anything other than a hot mess.At 41-55, the Giants are now barreling toward an Aug.3 trade deadline that could push the front office into a fire sale.

For a team that entered the season expecting to contend under first-year manager Tony Vitello, the opening stretch looks like a complete implosion.Vitello did not try to dress it up.Asked what he learned from the first 96 games, Vitello’s answer hinted at his big-league learning curve and the challenge of adjusting to the relentless pace of an MLB season.“This is a grind like no other,” Vitello said.

“I’m not playing, so it’s physical for the players.For us, it’s a little bit more mental.

You got to find a way to separate every day.”That has been easier said than done.The Giants have been hurt by an inconsistent offense, a shaky pitching staff and a bullpen that has too often turned winnable games into soul-crushing losses.Vitello admitted the Giants may have expected too much too early after a promising start.“I think spring training was really good to us, and we expected to kind of take the world by storm to start the season, and it didn’t happen right away,” Vitello said.

“There was early frustration right away and a multitude of other things, but those days are gone.All we got is the second half in front of us.”Logan Webb, one of the few Giants who (almost) survived the first half with his credibility intact, was even more blunt.“We haven’t put ourselves in a good position,” Webb said.

“I think that’s pretty truthful, right? It’s not like we’ve played very well.”The ace said the break should force some honest self-scouting.“I think we all just have to take a step back, look in the mirror and see what we want to be as a team,” Webb said.“How do we want teams to view us when we come to town or they come to town?�...