Giants trade Wandy Peralta for Mike Tauchman

The San Francisco Giants made a trade on Tuesday, and it figures to shore up their outfield while they wait for Mike Yastrzemski to heal up. The Giants sent left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta to the New York Yankees in exchange for lefty outfielder Mike Tauchman. San Francisco also is including a player to be named later.

Both players were on their old teams’ respective active rosters at the time of the trade, and both players should immediately be plugged into spots on their new teams’ active rosters.

For the Giants, the trade represents an opportunity to trade out of depth and acquire a player at a position of need. Peralta was one of five left-handed relievers to be in the Giants bullpen on Opening Day, and one of four on the active roster at the time of the trade (Jarlin García is on the 10-day Injured List). So, even though Peralta has been decent, the Giants didn’t need him.

But they could use a left-handed outfielder, as Alex Dickerson is currently their only healthy one, since LaMonte Wade Jr. is on the IL and Yastrzemski is sidelined.

Enter Tauchman, a 30 year old who is only two years removed from a 2019 season in which he hit .277/.361/.504, with a 128 wRC+ and 2.6 fWAR in fewer than 300 plate appearance.

That’s the good. The bad is that in the other four years of his career, including this one, he’s provided 0 or worse fWAR (in admittedly limited playing time). So far this season he’s 3-14 with 1 double, 1 walk, and 6 strikeouts.

Peralta ends his three-year Giants tenure with 43 appearances, a 3.70 ERA, a 4.14 FIP, and 38 strikeouts to 15 walks in 41.1 innings.

Update: The Giants have activated Skye Bolt to take Peralta’s spot on the active roster, since Tauchman is not yet with the team.