Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants found a lefty outfield bat and subtracted from their lefty bullpen glut.
San Francisco is trading for Yankees outfield Mike Tauchman and sending Wandy Peralta and a player to be named to New York, the Giants announced Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Tauchman is immediate help for a club that may be without Mike Yastrzemski for about a week as the right fielder deals with a mild oblique strain. He also brings a well-regarded glove that can play center field, and the Giants have sought a lefty-hitting center fielder since the end of last season. Mauricio Dubon and Austin Slater, a pair of righty hitters, have gotten the lion’s share of work in center this year.
Tauchman had an excellent 2019 season after being dealt from Colorado, slashing .277/.361/.504 with 13 home runs in 87 games. He never returned to that level, though, posting a poor pandemic-shortened 2020 season before going 3-of-16 for the struggling Yankees this year leading up to the trade.
Tauchman notably has no more options, so he cannot be sent down. Peralta, meanwhile, had one more, which made him more appealing to the Yankees.
Peralta was a solid reliever for the Giants in 2020, one of the more trusted out of Gabe Kapler’s bullpen, and had allowed five runs in 8 1/3 innings this season. But the Giants’ bullpen has been heavily lefty, which led to them bringing up young righty arms like Camilo Doval and Gregory Santos. Losing one lefty arm creates space.
This is the second trade between the two teams already this season. The Giants had dealt for shortstop Thairo Estrada earlier this month.