Marlins trade Casey McGehee to Giants

The Miami Marlins have traded Casey McGehee to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for a couple of right-handed pitching prospects: Kendry Flores and Luis Castillo. McGehee made his major league debut with a cup of coffee with the Cubs in 2008, but he was claimed off waivers by the Brewers following that season and made a name for himself there by hitting .301/.360/.499 with 16 home runs and a 126 wRC+ in 394 plate appearances in 2009.

McGehee had a pretty good year at the plate in 2010, too, hitting .285/.337/.464 with 23 home runs and a 113 wRC+ in 670 plate appearances. But his production as a hitter went into a downward spiral after that season. With a 68 wRC+ in 2011 and a 77 wRC+ in 2012, McGehee bounced around three major league teams before heading off to play the 2013 season in Japan, the details of which Steve Sypa covered in a profile last year.

In his return to Major League Baseball, McGehee hit .287/.355/.357 with 4 home runs and a 102 wRC+ the Marlins in 2014. While his power obviously was not nearly what it used to be, McGehee's walk and strikeout rates were better than they had been in any of his previous big league seasons. He played 158 games at third base for Miami and figures to slot in as Pablo Sandoval's replacement in San Francisco.

About that: Here's some of what Grant Brisbee had to say about the deal over at McCovey Chronicles:

I would have started Matt Duffy and held onto the raffle tickets, all things considered. The upgrade isn't that explosive or guaranteed, and I'm a little risk averse. Getting a somewhat-known quantity for prospects out of the top 15, though, probably isn't something to make you go full Guy Fawkes.

As for the Marlins, Martin Prado, who they traded Nathan Eovaldi to the Yankees for, can handle third base if they go with Dee Gordon at second base and Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop.