Heading into their four-game series versus the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Francisco Giants knew they would be needing an offensive presence that could roam the outfield in order to compete moving forward. Recent injuries have plagued many of the outfielders in San Francisco as Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence and Nori Aoki have been on the disabled list at some point this season. Though Aoki was taken off the disabled list on Thursday and placed in the starting lineup against the Pirates, there still existed a need to acquire a big bat.
Since they failed to pick up an impact position player during the trade deadline, the Giants saw their best option as claiming an outfielder before the waiver deadline of August 31st past. They found their perfect fit in Marlon Byrd, the former Cincinnati Red's left fielder. The Giants sent Stephen Johnson, a hard throwing relief pitcher, to the Reds in exchange for the the 13-year veteran outfielder along with cash.
With Hunter Pence officially heading to the disabled list, Byrd will likely snag the everyday right field position from Justin Maxwell. This acquisition also has the potential of pushing either Ryan Lollis or Juan Perez back to Triple-A, two players that had been seeing increased playing time prior to the trade for Byrd. While the outlook on his role after Pence's return in a few weeks is cloudy, he will undoubtedly supply the team with more power and more depth. In 2015 his overall production has slid a bit in comparison to past seasons, though his .448 slugging percentage would suggest different. With Aoki and Blanco hitting primarily for average, Byrd will fulfill the position of the power bat in the outfield. In his last five games Byrd has posted a poor .143 batting average, though a change in scenery may be the catalyst for an offensive explosion.
Could this be the dark horse impact trade that Brian Sabean is known for? Only time will tell, but regardless of the result, Sabean has once again worked his magic to strengthen his team's weaknesses. In past years he has found guys like Cody Ross and Marco Scuturo who helped the Giants reach the World Series in 2010 and 2012 respectively. If this trade, combined with the trade for Mike Leake, play out like they should, the Giants could make a run for their fourth title in six years.
Marlon Byrd will most likely make his debut in a Giants uniform on Friday against the Pirates along with Gregor Blanco and Nori Aoki in the outfield grass of PNC Park. He and the Giants will play his former team at home in mid September. Hopefully, by this point his status will be solidified in the offense as a consistent threat.
With an additional outfielder finally secured, the biggest concern for the Giants should be getting All-Star Joe Panik back into the lineup. Kelby Tomlinson has stepped up in a big way, but its hard to replace the amount of production that Panik consistently outputs. Panik is currently stuck on the DL with a nagging back injury that he's slowly recovering from. The Giants getting healthy at the right time could result in a disappointing end for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers by relinquishing the first place in the NL West.