The Minnesota Twins have made their first significant trade deadline move of the year as they’ve sent All-Star shortstop Eduardo Nunez to the San Francisco Giants for a minor league pitcher Adalberto Mejia.
Nunez was in the lineup for Thursday’s makeup game with the Baltimore Orioles and went 0-for-4 in his last hurrah with three strikeouts.
Nunez is expected to add some much-needed depth to an already depleted Giants infield.
An All-Star for the first time, Nunez has been enjoying a career year hitting .296 with 12 home runs, 47 RBI’s and an American League-leading 27 stolen bases.
Mejia has spent the year between the Giants’ Double-A and Triple-A teams combining for a 7-3 record with a 2.81 ERA through 18 starts.
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Through 105 2/3 innings, Mejia has established himself as a strikeout pitcher, posting 101 strikeouts vs. 27 walks.
He’s had significantly more success at the Double-A level with a 1.94 ERA compared to his 4.20 ERA at the Triple-A level.
However, Mejia will bring the Minnesota Twins another power arm and a lefty starter that should combine nicely with Jose Berrios.
It should be noted Mejia did serve a 50-game suspension for Performance Enhancing Drug use last season.
According to MLB.com, Mejia is the Giants’ No. 7 prospect and features a fastball that ranges from the low-to-mid 90’s with a changeup and slider as well.
He is set to join the Triple-A Rochester club and should be fun to watch as the Red Wings will now feature Mejia and the aforementioned Berrios.
Perhaps a nice glimpse into the future.
Perhaps this trade was perfect timing for the Minnesota Twins as it now opens up the spot for a healthy Eduardo Escobar as well as Jorge Polanco who was called up after Nunez was traded.
The Twins were also likely to not get as high a value for Nunez as they would have received this year.
And maybe after failing to move Trevor Plouffe this offseason for a solid prospect, the Twins learned their lesson to not tempt fate and sell high.
That said, all signs now point to the Twins believing Polanco can be a solid contributor at the major league level.
We’ll just have to see about his defense.
With Nunez gone, the Minnesota Twins will need to search for a new lead off hitter.
I can’t imagine Brian Dozier getting the slot as he has been productive lower in the order.
But either way, Nunez’ scrappy style of play as well as his helmet-flying ways will surely be missed.
But a power arm like Mejia is a very nice prize for the Minnesota Twins.