SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Once new Giants general manager Scott Harris familiarizes himself with the organization and roster, he could be involved in some heavy trade talk.
Harris’ new boss, Farhan Zaidi, proved at the July 31 trade deadline that dealing high-priced Giants players can be done. Convincing the Braves to inherit Mark Melancon’s entire contract was so shocking that Harris was still talking about it at his introductory news conference at Oracle Park on Monday.
The Giants have five players signed through 2021 (one through 2022) who will make between $15 million and $21.4 million annually, and one stands out who’d not only be the easiest to trade but perhaps the most coveted by other teams.
Brandon Belt, who turns 32 in April, is a two-time World Series champ, a first baseman with a good eye and gap-to-gap pop. He’s not part of the new generation’s swing-for-the-fences power brigade, and that won’t change now that the Giants plan to slightly move in right-center field to accommodate bullpen relocations.
On the other hand, Belt does fit the mold of a modern-day player who can draw a walk and maintain a high on-base percentage, and his defense is solid.
Trading Belt would give the Giants added flexibility on the field and with the payroll, depending on how much of his contract another team would absorb. He’ll make $16 million in each of his final two seasons and has a limited no-trade clause in which he can block deals to 10 teams of his choosing.
While other teams’ top executives arrived Monday at the Omni Resort & Spa in Scottsdale for the four-day GM meetings, Harris spoke in San Francisco of a possible quick Giants turnaround and noted he was impressed with Zaidi’s first year on the job, including how he orchestrated the Melancon deal.
“My candid assessment of them the last 12 months is that Farhan did an excellent job cobbling together some depth and being opportunistic in difficult situations,” Harris said. “The trade deadline presented a tipping point for him last year.
“I thought he did an excellent job with the trades that he made. We were targeting several of the players that he acquired, which was impressive to us from afar.”
A Belt trade would allow Zaidi to find a power hitter to play first base or try out on-the-cheap pickups at the position.
It also could play into Buster Posey’s equation. The six-time All-Star catcher, who turns 33 in March, had a down year coming off hip surgery and started just three games at first base, where his recent numbers aren’t exactly prototypical for the position.
Posey’s best value remains at catcher, where his framing, pitch calling, throwing and working with pitchers haven’t taken a step back like his hitting. There are reasons to believe his bat will improve, especially if he regains lower body strength more than a year removed from surgery.
Posey will make $21.4 million both next year and the year after and has a complete no-trade clause, as does shortstop Brandon Crawford (33 in January), who’s due to make $15 million each of the next two years.
Melancon also had full no-trade protection but waived it so he could join the Braves, who agreed to pay the rest of the reliever’s 2019 salary and all his 2020 salary, $18 million in all. It seems highly unlikely for either Posey or Crawford to approve a trade, considering their families are settled in the Bay Area.
Therefore, trading either of the other two big-money players would be more realistic, particularly if the Giants are willing to eat part of a contract.
Pitcher Johnny Cueto (34 in February), who’s coming off Tommy John surgery, will make $21.4 million in both 2020 and 2021, and could be a short-term fix for a team seeking an accomplished starter.
Third baseman Evan Longoria, 34, is signed through 2022 and will make $15 million, $18.5 million and $19.5 million, but as part of the trade two years ago, the Rays will pay the Giants $2 million each season.
John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey