Well Giants fans, you’ve got your third baseman – the Marlins have traded Casey McGehee to San Francisco. McGehee was made expendable following Miami’s acquisition of Martin Prado from the Yankees on Friday.
I'm hearing Casey McGehee is going to the #SFGiants for two lower-level Minor League pitchers #Marlins No announcement yet
— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) December 20, 2014
After spending the 2013 season in Japan, McGehee came back to America with the Marlins, and put together a productive .287/.355/.357 campaign, though he only hit four home runs with a staggering .070 ISO.
The 32-year old is far from a sure thing from San Francisco. He was unplayable against left-handers, hitting a paltry .219/.316/281. After a strong first half of the year, his BABIP fell by 85 points in the second half, and his triple slash fell to .243/.310/.310.
But consider this – while McGehee is far from an ideal option for the Giants, he’s cheaper (projected to make just $3.5 million in 2015, his final year of free agency) and probably better than the Giants’ other main target, Chris Johnson of the Braves. McGehee is also a short-term plug for San Francisco – he won’t replace Pablo Sandoval for more than a season or possibly more.
While the return for Miami is unknown, this deal is a win for the Marlins, simply because McGehee simply wasn’t a fit on the club anymore following the Prado trade and because the club will save the money they would have paid him in arbitration.
What a world – the Marlins are putting together a series of savvy transactions that make them better in 2015 and beyond.
