Giants Trade Derek Law, Alen Hanson To Blue Jays For Kevin Pillar
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The San Francisco Giants, searching to add a potent bat to their lineup, traded infielder Alen Hanson and pitchers Derek Law and Juan De Paula to the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday for veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar.
The move came in the wake of a rare hitting display in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday night. Currently, the Giants ranked 28th among the 30 teams with a club batting average of an anemic .194 with just two homers and nine RBIs after 5 games.
The 30-year-old Pillar has spent his entire professional career with the Blue Jays after being drafted by the organization in 2011 from California State University Dominguez Hills.
Last season, he led Toronto in batting average (.252), doubles (40; a career high) and stolen bases (14), while also hitting 15 home runs and driving in 59 RBI in 142 games.
The West Hills, California native is a three-time Gold Glove Award finalist (2015, 2016, 2017) and earned the 2015 Wilson Defensive Player of the Year for center field.
Since 2015, his 56 defensive runs saved in the outfield are the fifth-most in the big leagues according to FanGraphs.
Pillar owns a career .260 batting average with 156 doubles, seven triples, 55 home runs, 231 RBI and 69 stolen bases in seven big league seasons.
Hanson appeared in 110 games for the Giants last season and batted .252 with 30 extra base hits (17 doubles, five triples, eight home runs) and 39 RBI. He was signed by the Giants as a minor league free agent in 2017.
Law was selected by San Francisco in the 2011 draft and has posted a record of 9-3 with a 3.83 ERA in 109 relief appearances during his big league career the last three seasons. He spent most of last season with triple-A Sacramento going 1-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 33 relief outings.
De Paula was acquired by the Giants from the Yankees last year in exchange for outfielder Andrew McCutchen. He split last season between Class A Staten Island and Augusta combining for a 2-3 record and a 1.72 ERA in 11 games (10 starts).
To make room for Pillar on the roster, the Giants have designated outfielder Michael Reed for assignment.
