The now tied for first place San Francisco Giants just confirmed that they're acquired Phillies power hitter Hunter Pence. In exchange we will give Philladelphia Nate Schierholtz and two minor leaguers. The news was first reported by CBS 5' Dennis O’Donnell who reports that, in addition to adding a his batting prowess to the team, "Pence will likely become the Giants everyday right fielder."
But what do the experts at McCovey Chronicles have to say about the deal? Let's see:
[...] An improvement. But if you're expecting a repeat of 2011, you're likely to be disappointed. A good way to describe Pence would be Nate Schierholtz with an extra dozen home runs per year. That's not insignificant. It's not as significant as you might think, though, especially if you note that Schierholtz is a much better defender. Over the last two years, Schierholtz hit .271/.326/.429 over 510 at-bats. Pence's career numbers: .290/.342/.481. Add in the difference in parks, and it's closer than you'd hope.In a way, Pence is the most obvious Giants acquisition since the last one. Average-dependent, swings at a lot of bad pitches ... he'll fit right in. He'll frustrate, and he'll excite. And he'll creep you out. You have to stare behind him, like a Magic Eye poster, if you want to live.
Also, for what it's worth, Pence has been dating 2007 Playboy Playmate Shannon James since 2011. Delightful.