SF Giants ship minor league outfielder to the Detroit Tigers

The SF Giants have been very busy over the past couple of weeks. If you are behind, we have you covered. One move that was quietly completed on Tuesday was a trade between the Giants and the Detroit Tigers involving minor leagur outfielder Steele Walker.

SF Giants ship minor league outfielder to the Detroit Tigers

Walker was shipped to the Tigers in exchange for cash. He joins former Giants general manager Scott Harris in Detroit.

Walker has been on the move quite a bit in his brief pro career. The left-handed bat was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 2018 draft out of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma.

However, his time in the White Sox organization was brief as he was shipped to the Texas Rangers in exchange for veteran major leaguer Nomar Mazara in December of 2019. Walker was plucked off of waivers by the Giants shortly after the 2022 trade deadline. Walker's spot on the 40-man roster originally belonged to middle infielder Dixon Machado but the Giants rarely keep a vacancy on the 40-man roster for long.

The 26-year-old outfielder has slashed .258/.328/.415 with an 8.2 percent walk rate against a 17.4 percent walk rate across four minor league seasons. He has generally flashed quality power as he has eclipsed double-digit homers in two of his three full seasons as a pro.

He appeared briefly in the Giants organization as he registered a .247/.287/.393 line (65 wRC+) with two home runs, 14 RBI, and 10 runs in 89 plate appearances for the Sacramento River Cats. This includes a 4.3 percent walk rate against a 17.0 strikeout rate.

The 2022 season was an important one for Walker as he debuted for the Rangers earlier in the year. He recorded one hit in 14 at-bats for Texas, but his lone hit cleared the fences.

Walker was outrighted off of the 40-man roster not long after being claimed. He went unclaimed and finished the year with the Giants organization. Walker will join his fourth organization since being drafted. San Francisco likely felt comfortable with its outfield depth to the point where a trade made sense. Hopefully, a move to Detroit is also good for Walker's career.