RED SOX ADD UTILITY MAN EDUARDO NUNEZ
The Boston Red Sox acquired infielder/outfielder Eduardo Nunez from the San Francisco Giants for pitchers Shaun Anderson and Gregory Santos.
What does it give the Boston Red Sox
In Nunez, the BoSox add a quality utility man who has been playing mostly third base for the Giants this season (though he also spent a little time in left field earlier in 2017). Capable of playing all over the infield and outfield, Nunez provides some added insurance at the hot corner for top prospect Rafael Devers (recalled from the minor leagues recently). Nunez is scheduled to become a free agent this winter, so he appears to be a pure rental acquisition.
What does it give the San Francisco Giants
In exchange for their starting third baseman, the also-ran Giants receive a pair of young, right-handed pitching prospects with upside. That is a pretty good deal for a San Francisco squad devoid of a lot of top prospects (and whom currently sit 31.5 games behind the rival LA Dodgers). The 22-year-old Anderson is more advanced and may advance quickly if he continues to progress. Santos is only 17 and a major project, though not without talent. The Giants will now audition 3B candidates.
Fantasy impact
Nunez loses tremendous fantasy value if he will no longer play every day at the hot corner in Beantown, while Devers may also see his short-term value decrease down the stretch (he is still among the best everyday-player keepers in MLB). Both Anderson and Santos can be future keepers, and both could be helped by moving to a National League organization with a fairly rich pitching history. However, both (especially Santos) need more development time. As for San Francisco's third base situation, Conor Gillaspie, Miguel Gomez, Jae-Gyun Hwang, Ryder Jones and Christian Arroyo may all get a look down the stretch. The Giants would like to see the latter seize the opportunity and become the team's present and future at the hot corner.
