Pirates trade Giles to Padres
PITTSBURGH – Brian Giles, one of the NL’s most productive players for five seasons, was dealt Tuesday to the San Diego Padres in a long-rumored trade that further depletes the talent-thin Pittsburgh Pirates. In an uncommon late-season deal involving a name player going from one non-contender to another, the Pirates get promising left-handed starter Oliver Perez, minor league outfielder Jason Bay and a player to be named.
After acquiring Giles, the last-place Padres sent All-Star outfielder Rondell White to the Kansas City Royals for two minor league pitchers.
Giles, a San Diego native, has averaged 35 homers and 100-plus RBIs since being traded by Cleveland before the 1999 season. He is hitting .299 with 16 homers and 70 RBIs this season despite sitting out a month with a knee injury.
The Pirates, headed for an 11th consecutive losing season, are rebuilding from the ground up with younger and lower-priced players.
“There’s a lot of disappointment – and satisfaction,” the 32-year-old Giles said. “It’s disappointing because when I signed here, I wanted to play for a championship club here, but it just didn’t work out. … But I’m excited to go back and play in my hometown.”
The Pirates now have dealt their top starting pitcher (Jeff Suppan), two best relievers (Mike Williams and Scott Sauerbeck), two most productive position players (Aramis Ramirez and Giles) and center fielder Kenny Lofton since mid-July. The trades came after owner Kevin McClatchy revealed losses of as much as $30 million since PNC Park opened in 2001.
That’s why the Pirates initially tried to include catcher Jason Kendall in the Giles trade. Kendall has $42 million remaining on his $60 million, six-year contract, and the Padres wanted the Pirates to pay about half that.
“What was worrisome from our standpoint was taking on that salary,” Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. “Once we were able to separate the two, we were able to agree.”
Kendall, Giles’ best friend with the Pirates, declined to comment on Giles’ departure or his own status.
White was hitting .278 with 18 homers and 66 RBIs, and now joins a team contending for the AL Central title.
The Padres got left-hander Chris Tierney and right-hander Brian Sanches for White. San Diego also will send some cash to Kansas City, but will save some money on White’s salary that it can apply to Giles, who will earn a little more than $1 million the rest of the season.
General manager Dave Littlefield said the Pirates didn’t wait until the offseason to trade Giles because the offer was so attractive.
“We felt this was the trade that made the most sense and acquired the most talent,” Littlefield said.
Perez, 22, has shown flashes of being an excellent starting pitcher. He is 4-7 with a 5.38 ERA in 19 starts with 117 strikeouts in 103 2-3 innings, including a 13-strikeout effort Aug. 3 against the Phillies. He is making $305,000.
Bay, 24, will join the Pirates on Wednesday from Triple-A Portland, where he has a team-leading 20 homers and 59 RBIs in 91 games.
“It’s a day of sadness, but it also is a day of hope,” Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. “We’re excited about the players coming here and what they might be able to do for us.”
Still, Littlefield is aware of the fan unrest that has accompanied the trades. Unless the Pirates re-sign the strikeout-prone Jose Hernandez, they will be left only with minor league infielder Bobby Hill from the deal that sent the popular Ramirez and Lofton to the Cubs.
“There’s a negative view about trading some players,” Littlefield said. “I know it’s difficult for people to understand but … the goal is not to be a .500 team but to be a championship team. I know we’re a ways from that, but the key is to acquire more talent.”
Giles gives the Padres a proven talent and a local player to market. He also is relatively affordable, with $14 million left on a contract that runs through 2005.
“He’s one of the top left-handers in the game,” Towers said. “He has a high on-base percentage and can hit in the three-hole ahead of (Phil) Nevin and (Ryan) Klesko.”
Tierney was 5-11 with a 4.38 ERA in 26 starts for Class A Wilmington this season. Sanches was 1-5 with a 3.16 ERA and two saves in 38 games for Double-A Wichita.