Twins Trade Lone All-Star To Giants: Noonie Earns Chance To Compete In Playoffs

The Minnesota Twins traded its only All-Star to the San Francisco Giants Thursday night.

Twins infielder Eduardo Nunez was sent to San Francisco in exchange for minor league pitcher Adalberta Mejia.

Twins Trade Lone All-Star To Giants: Noonie Earns Chance To Compete In Playoffs

Nunez will provide some relief to a Giants infield that has been plagued by injuries all year long.

Last season’s All-star second baseman Joe Panik just returned from the disabled list Thursday for San Francisco, while third baseman Matt Duffy and backup INF Ehire Adrianza remain sidelined with lower leg injuries.

Nunez, formerly the player picked to replace Derek Jeter as the Yankees shortstop, was batting .296, with 12 home runs and 47 RBI in 91 games for Minnesota in 2016. At the time of the trade, he was leading the American League with 27 stolen bases.

The former Yankee farmhand will likely spend most his time at third while the Giants wait for Duffy to return healthy.

“We’ll have to follow some return-to-play plan with Matt (Duffy),” Giants general manager Bobby Evans said. “That may be an extra day off or two off a week when he first gets back, which will give Nunez a chance to play then. Otherwise, it’ll be as we would use any utility infield help. As we look at the rest of the season, we just want to have the protection of his experience given the time that these guys have missed and the time they may need to have off as we get down the stretch.”

Nunez was gracious with his goodbye to the Twins, thanking the organization for the opportunity they gave him to play, especially on the infield, when many insiders believed he was a career DH.

EDUARDO NUNEZ 2016 HIGHLIGHTS

He also acknowledged the opportunity in front of him with S.F.

“The Twins are a great organization and made me feel like at home,” Nunez said after Minnesota’s 6-2 win over Baltimore on Thursday. “But at the end of the day, it’s business, baseball. You go wherever is best for you and the team. The Giants want me and I’m going to go there and do my best.”

Nunez will be moving from Minnesota, the team with the second worst record in baseball (38-63), to a San Francisco team that holds a two-game lead in the N.L. West over the Dodgers, with three World Series titles in the last five years.

He welcomes the chance to compete in the postseason.

“Any player wants to be in the playoffs,” Nunez said. “I have the opportunity to go a new team that is in the playoff race. It’s fun to be there.”

Mejia, 23, is a promising, young, left-hander who has spent his minor league career as a starter.

ADALBERTO MEJIA IN 2016 FUTURES GAME

In 18 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Mejia holds a 2.81 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 105 1/3 innings pitched. HIs WHIP is 1.11 and he has held opposing hitters to a .227 batting average.

“We think he’s fairly close to the big leagues and he’s got a three-pitch mix to start,” said Twins interim general manager Ron Antony. “He’s got a big, durable body. So we just think he profiles well. He was pretty much what we were looking for.”