OK, Eduardo Nunez was an All-Star this year, but it was basically only because the Twins were required to have a representative. Still, the fact remains that the 29-year-old utility man is having a good season. He's hitting .296/.325/.439 with 15 doubles and 12 homers.
Nunez brings base-stealing potential to the Giants, as he's 26 of 32 in steals this season. He was actually leading the AL in steals heading into Thursday.
Overall, the Giants aren't averse to running, even if they lack gaudy stolen base numbers as a whole. Angel Pagan, Denard Span, Matt Duffy, Buster Posey, Joe Panik and Gregor Blanco entered Thursday with between five and nine stolen bases apiece.
It's just that they don't have that one guy who is an imposing base-stealing threat. Span stole 31 bases two years ago, but he's battled injuries and is 32 years old now. He's only 9 for 14 this season.
Again, Nunez is 26 of 32.
Another element Nunez adds is versatility and depth to the infield -- and maybe even the outfield -- and the Giants have desperately needed it. Third baseman Matt Duffy has been out since late June 19 with a strained Achilles tendon and could start working back on a minor-league rehab assignment Saturday. Second baseman Joe Panik (concussion) was back in the lineup Thursday night for the first time since June 27. Right fielder Hunter Pence has been out since June 1 with a serious hamstring injury and could return soon as well.
Still, those injuries surely contributed to the recent rut for the Giants. Nunez helps give a layer of protection. He's played third base in 147 games, second base in 28 games, left field in 23 and right field in six. Where he's appeared most is shortstop, so there's always the possibility of him spelling Brandon Crawford -- though he's a gigantic step backward defensively.
As for the Twins' return, Adalberto Mejia, 23, is a left-handed pitcher. He was ranked as the 86th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball Prospectus before the 2015 season, but fell out of the rankings before this season. No other major outlet ranked him in the top 100 heading into the season, but he appeared at No. 91 on Baseball America's midseason top-100 list.
In 11 starts for Double-A Richmond this season, he had a 1.94 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 65 innings. He was then promoted to Triple-A Sacramento, where he was 4-1 with a 4.20 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings. Keep in mind the Pacific Coast League is historically pretty hitter-friendly.
So it's possible this deal could be mutually beneficial. Maybe the Twins found someone who could help fill out the back-end of a rotation down the line. The Giants got a useful piece who can play around the field and swipe bases in what could be a deep playoff run.
