SF Giants Trade Shaun Anderson to Twins for OF LaMonte Wade Jr.

The SF Giants have acquired outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for right-handed pitcher Shaun Anderson. The Giants announced the deal from their Twitter account. Wade is listed by most sites as a left fielder or first baseman but has actually played more center field than any other position in his professional career.

During a videoconference with reporters earlier today, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi suggested the team was still looking to add a left-handed hitting outfielder but was more likely to add one via trade than free agency. Less than twelve hours later, the Giants had a deal done.

SF Giants acquire outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. from the Twins.

The Twins drafted Wade in the ninth round of the 2011 draft out of the University of Maryland, where he had been a three-year starter. Much like his collegiate career, Wade never posted exceptional numbers in the minors but has always maintained elite plate discipline, consistently walking more than he struck out. Over his minor-league career, Wade has posted a .276/.389/.407 triple-slash with 303 walks and just 281 strikeouts.

Wade debuted with the Twins in 2019 and received another stint in 2020. Over 113 big-league plate appearances, Wade has hit just .211 and posted a mediocre .347 slugging but maintained his elite ability to put the ball in play (18 strikeouts) and draw walks (15). Wade has flashed above-average power throughout his career, and if he can drive the ball more consistently could finally take the next step.

Defensively, Wade has projected as an above-average corner outfielder but has received opportunities in center over the past couple of seasons. While advanced metrics haven’t been fond of his work in center, the Giants front office has been willing to deploy unique outfield alignments.

SF Giants traded right-handed pitcher Shaun Anderson to Minnesota Twins.

The Giants acquired Anderson alongside Gregory Santos from the Boston Red Sox for Eduardo Nunez in 2017. Anderson debuted with the team in 2019 in their starting rotation but was moved to the bullpen by the end of the year. While his numbers were far from dominant, he showed flashes that made him look like a potential closer of the future.

After a slow start to the 2020 season, Anderson was demoted to the alternate site but finished the season strong. In 15.1 innings this season, he finished with a 3.52 ERA and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. However, an alarming 12 walks and 5.73 FIP leaves room for concern about his success’s sustainability. Overall, Anderson has posted a 5.17 ERA in 46 career MLB appearances (16 starts). In 111.1 innings, he has struck out 88, walked 50, and allowed 16 home runs.

The SF Giants have been quite aggressive this offseason on the relief-pitching market, signing Matt Wisler and John Brebbia to big-league contracts alongside a slew of others with MLB experience to minor-league deals. That experienced depth likely made the team more comfortable moving on from Shaun Anderson. At the same time, LaMonte Wade Jr has the flexibility to play all around the outfield and has options remaining.