GIANTS DEAL: RHP TIM ALDERSON FOR 2B FREDDY SANCHEZ

To get an All-Star at a position of need and a force at the top of the lineup in exchange for a player who has not won a game for you at first makes this trade seem lopsided in favor of the G-men.

And Sabean is borderline giddy.

"Simply put, our long-awaited next move has finally been consummated," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. "A kid that has distinguished himself as an All-Star three out of the last four years and a batting champ within that time frame. The timing's great."

If the objective was to inject the Giants back into the pennant race, this MAY do the trick. Matt Holiday would have been better and I'm sure the Ryan Garko trade just brings back bad memories of Shea Hillenbrand.

However, Alderson may prove to be a heavy price to pay for this move down the road. The Giants paid a big price in giving up Alderson. He is one of the top ranked prospects in the organization. He was ranked by as the #4 prospect int he organization by Baseball America. He's only 20, is 6-foot-6 and 217 pounds. This season, he has a combined 7-2 record and a 3.65 ERA.

However, he has not won a game above the AA level and his experience there is limited, so the Pirates are taking a real gamble here as well. It would seem as if Sanchez should have fetched more in return, but it's possible the Pirates gave up on quantity for quality in Alderson, i.e. one top-tier prospect rather than two lower echelon players.

"We are pleased to bring in a pitcher as highly regarded as Alderson into our system," Pirates GM Neal Huntington said. "Tim has the size, frame, athleticism and an advanced feel for pitching at his age to become a high quality Major League starting pitcher. He has a solid arsenal of pitches with plus command that has allowed him to move through the Giants' deep system at an accelerated pace."

Good Luck to them, and to the Giants. They still seem as if they are a productive corner OF short of REAL contention. The combo of Randy Winn and Freddie Lewis does not scare any pitching staff in the league. Have to get more pop out of those positions.