Giants acquire Hunter Pence

The Giants have acquired outfielder Hunter Pence from the Phillies in exchange for outfielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league relief pitcher Seth Rosin, and minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph.

Pence has hit .271 in 440 plate appearances this year. He is under team control through 2013, and he will give the Giants' weak lineup a boost. GM Brian Sabean acquired one of the best bats available on the trade market last year in Carlos Beltran, but Beltran was just a rental player. Pence is more than a rental player because he is locked up for next season as well.

Pence joined the Phillies a year ago in a trade with the Astros. Considering that the Phillies are in last place in the NL East, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has decided to clean the house in Philadelphia.

Schierholtz has hit .257 in 196 plate appearances this year but is vastly known for his great throwing arm. He will earn $1.3 million this year, and is under team control through the 2014 season.

Rosin, 23, has a 4.31 ERA with 10.9 K/9 in 56 1/3 innings for Single-A this year. He has a fourth round pick in the 2010 draft by the Giants, and has struck out three times as many batters as he has walked in the minor leagues.

Joseph has hit .260 in 335 Double-A plate appearances this year. Last season, he hit 22 homers with 95 RBI in 560 plate appearances at the Single-A level.

Analysis: I think the Giants did very well in this deal. Pence is an excellent player, and he will really help the Giants. I'm not surprised that the Phillies traded Pence, because they seem to be set to rebuild their franchise. The Phillies, in my opinion, did not get that much for Pence. Schierholtz is a good bench player, but I doubt he has a future in Philadelphia. Rosin looks like a good pitcher, if he could get his ERA down. His strikeout rate is impressive, and it will be interesting to see how he develops. Joseph, from what I have heard, is a really good prospect. His minor league stats show that he has some power and may even be the Phillies' catcher of the future once Carlos Ruiz leaves.