The Giants completed some big trades on Wednesday, dispatching four of the team's pitchers in exchange for some potentially better offensive players, and young talent.
The biggest deal of the day — and one that has Twitter calling the team's president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi a "wizard" — was the deal to acquire the Milwaukee Brewers' number-three prospect Mauricio Dubon. As the Mercury News reports, the Giants are getting Dubon — a 25-year-old middle infielder and the first player born in Honduras to play a major league game — in exchange for veteran pitcher Drew Pomeranz and right-handed reliever Ray Black.
And in some last-minute brokering on Major League Baseball's trade day, the Giants traded away veteran relief pitcher Sam Dyson to the Minnesota Twins, and acquired infielder Scooter Gennett from the Cincinnati Reds. Also traded away is closer Mark Melancon to the Atlanta Braves, for which the Giants will get pitching prospect Tristan Beck and right-handed reliever Dan Winkler in exchange.
Many had been wondering how Giants management was going to handle the mid-season trades, given the team's recent, miraculous recovery from what seemed like a doomed season. But as the Mercury-News reports, just before the 1 p.m. PDT deadline Wednesday, the Giants dispatched Dyson in exchange for 2015 draftee Jaylin Davis, a "power-hitting outfielder" who's been wallowing in the minors, along with two other minor league pitchers, Kai-Wei Teng and Prelander Berroa — per the Pioneer Press.
The Giants reportedly took Gennett away from Cincinnati in exchange for a Giants player to be named later.
Regarding Melancon, the Mercury-News writes:
The veteran right-hander signed a four-year, $62 million deal to join the Giants as the team’s closer ahead of the 2017 season but dealt with injury troubles throughout the first two years of his tenure. Melancon missed three separate chunks of his first year with the club and also spent a significant portion of the 2018 season on the injured list.
There's speculation that the Giants will get some "salary relief" out of the trade, given what they still owe on Melancon's contract.
As for Dubon, he's considered a "highly regarded prospect" per the Merc, and here's what Twitter had to say:
Wow. That’s really impressive. Farhan Zaidi might be a wizard disguised as a GM. https://t.co/RgrU37A5Bl
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) July 31, 2019
For Farhan Zaidi to get a top 3 prospect from the Brewers for Pomeranz/Black is a HEIST! A Chris Taylor type add at a very reasonable cost. Big win! Mauricio Dubon Stats, Highlights, Bio | https://t.co/pKEVhPRcUL https://t.co/YVoChkhwjG
— Larry Krueger (@sportslarryknbr) July 31, 2019
The #SFGiants have traded Drew Pomeranz and Ray Black for the #Brewers #3 overall prospect
— Taylor Wirth (@WirthTM) July 31, 2019
Farhan Zaidi is a wizard pic.twitter.com/wq0jWAmqZQ
Farhan Zaidi leaving work this evening like... pic.twitter.com/0ZsJ1l5LCX
— Matt (@VendoMatt1) July 31, 2019