SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants acquired infielder Freddy Sanchez from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, and made it a convenient switch for the three-time All-Star.
The teams announced the trade right after the Giants beat Pittsburgh 1-0 in 10 innings. Sanchez merely had to change clubhouses to join his new team, which is in the thick of the NL wild-card race.
He gave his hugs and handshakes and bid farewell on the visitor’s side, then walked some 100 yards to San Francisco’s locker room to pull on his new No. 28 jersey and a black Giants cap before being formally introduced.
“It’s crazy,” said Sanchez, who’s unsure when he’ll make his Giants debut because of a knee injury. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’s a little crazy, a little hectic. I’m here for a reason.”
Indeed. The Giants haven’t reached the playoffs since 2003 and have endured four straight losing seasons.
San Francisco sent minor league pitcher Tim Alderson to the Pirates for the 31-year-old Sanchez, the 2006 NL batting champion.
“Simply put, our long-awaited next move has finally been consummated,” Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. “A kid that has distinguished himself as an All-Star three out of the last four years and a batting champ within that time frame. The timing’s great.”
The Giants’ medical staff twice examined Sanchez this week to make sure his inflamed left knee was fine. Sanchez was a late scratch Monday night and didn’t play at all during the Pirates’ three-game series in the Bay Area, giving San Francisco’s medical staff ample time to evaluate him. He also sat out Friday night’s game at Arizona.
Sanchez is hitting .296 with six home runs and 34 RBIs, and did not play in this week’s series against the Giants because of the knee. He was an All-Star in 2006, 2007 and this year.
He will move into the No. 2 hole in the batting order and be the regular second baseman. Sanchez is 3 for 34 over his last eight games, but hopes to be back on track soon.
It was the second trade of the day for the last-place Pirates, and second swap of the week for the Giants. Friday is the deadline for teams to make deals without waivers.
“We’re relieved this has come to fruition,” Sabean said.
Pittsburgh sent shortstop Jack Wilson and pitcher Ian Snell to Seattle for shortstop Ronny Cedeno, Triple-A catcher-first baseman Jeff Clement and three minor league pitchers earlier in the day.
The Giants acquired infielder-outfielder Ryan Garko from Cleveland on Monday.
That gives the club a completely new look on the right side of the infield.
“It’s just exciting to be a part of this,” Garko said upon learning about Sanchez. “The pitching’s so good and we’ve got real good players. I think we can make a run at it. Coming from Cleveland, where kind of the opposite is going on, as a player, when ownership and the general manager are going out there and getting you help, it’s a great thing.”
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