Giants to start Holland over Cueto, plus trade chatter

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Derek Holland throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 1, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Derek Holland throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 1, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Photo: Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press Photo: Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Giants to start Holland over Cueto, plus trade chatter 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The Giants made official what became apparent Monday night. Derek Holland, and not scheduled starter Johnny Cueto, will pitch against the Cubs on Tuesday night. Cueto will get Wednesday's series finale.

When the move first was hinted after Monday's 2-1, 11-inning win, a lot of fans jumped to the conclusion, and logically so, that something else happened to Cueto's elbow, or this was a reaction to his first start off the disabled list, when he came out throwing 86 mph and allowed five runs in the first two innings.

That's a good question for manager Bruce Bochy, but the guess here is that Holland's start was always planned.

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When Bochy moved Holland to the bullpen last week, the manager strongly suggested he would use a sixth starter at times and also acknowledged that he would have to find extra rest days for Cueto.

Furthermore, Bochy and his pitching coaches always have charted out the rotation all the way through the All-Star break.

Having Cueto pitch Wednesday makes sense because he can get a long rest before he starts again after the break, when Bochy and pitching coach Curt Young will rejigger the rotation anyway.

The Giants have not yet announced their rotation for the A's series at AT&T Park this weekend that takes them into the break.

Trade chatter: The Holland item leads into this item, and all of the following is largely speculation:

This time of year, contending teams are always are looking for pitching, and Holland would be a great addition for teams seeking depth, but not a No. 1 or 2 type.

Also, the Giants might not be done making salary-dump moves, such as the Austin Jackson-Cory Gearrin deal to Texas on Sunday.

General manager Bobby Evans was not comfortable answering whether the Giants were projected to surpass the $197 million luxury-tax threshold. Whether they were slightly under or slightly over, the Giants clearly were worried they would bounce over the number, especially if more players got hurt and they would have to pay big-league dough to the injured players as well as their replacements.

The roughly $2 million they saved by moving Jackson and Gearrin allows them to breathe, but does not necessarily allow them to fill a need at the deadline without moving more money.

Holland might be expendable because he and Ty Blach are redundant in the bullpen, but there are counterarguments, too.

First, the Giants have to be wary of Cueto's arm and even Jeff Samardzija's shoulder and might be reluctant to deplete their own depth. Second, Holland is not making that much money. A July 31 trade would save them just $575,000 - a pittance.

In contrast, the Giants could save $1.4 million by finding a taker for Sam Dyson. Again, they have to weigh that against their need for bullpen depth.

That's why it was crucial for the Giants to see 28-year-old Ray Black now. Black would have to step into the Dyson role if the Giants moved Dyson. Consider this an audition.

The Giants could save some money by trading Hunter Pence, but many in the organization would hate to see him go, including Bochy, who loves what Pence provides in the clubhouse. Moreover, Pence has taken to his new role well, churning some big hits and energy on the field.

There is one big move the Giants could make if they are not concerned about rotation depth, but it has to be considered a long shot.

There are big-market teams that could use an innings-eater like Jeff Samardzija, whose contract allows him to veto trades to all but eight teams. Last year's list of approved teams included mostly big-market teams.

The Giants certainly would have to eat a big chunk of the roughly $46 million left on the Shark's deal, which runs through 2020, but if they are convinced they have enough arms present and future to compete to move on without him, they surely have to consider it.

The acquiring team, of course, would have to be convinced of Samardzija's health and ability to pitch better than he did earlier this year when he was hurt.

Voice of Flan: This is the best news at AT&T Park since Rusty the Mechanical Man was ripped out of his mooring: Tim Flannery is going to be the P.A. announcer Wednesday.

The former third-base coach, musician, TV analyst and free spirit will be subbing for Renel Brooks-Moon, who will M.C. London Breed’s swearing in as mayor.

Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: hschulman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hankschulman