The non-waiver trade deadline has passed but the San Francisco Giants are still making moves to possibly help themselves in September and October. Instead of trading with another ballclub, the team looked to the waiver wire and picked up a veteran in Xavier Nady according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com.
On July 21, the Washington Nationals designated Nady for assignment in order to make room for the recently-returning left-hander John Lannan. After failing to organize a trade, the Nationals unconditionally released the 33-year-old player with experience at first base and in the outfield. In 40 games with the Nationals, Nady batted only .157 with three homers and six RBIs. While his numbers with the Nationals were disappointing, he was a surprise to make the Opening Day roster in the first place after signing a minor league contract with the team in the offseason.
Now the Giants have possession of Nady and he'll give a boost to the team's Triple-A Fresno roster. With limited outfield depth at Fresno, Nady will be a valuable veteran to have in case one of the team's current outfielders on the major league roster struggle or get injured.
Looking forward to September when the rosters expand to 40 players, Nady could certainly be a player that finds himself back in the majors in a month's time. As a power right-handed bat, he could be the experienced bench option they've been looking for as they fight the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West pennant race. With 100 home runs and 399 RBIs in his career, Nady could be an intriguing addition to the roster if he hits well in the minors.
Another interesting aspect to this addition is Nady's connection to manager Bruce Bochy. Back in 2000, Bochy managed Nady for his major league debut with the San Diego Padres and saw him have some solid seasons from 2003-2005. Given his familiarity with the Cal alumnus, Bochy may have a preference for adding Nady to the major league roster and contributing to the Giants' playoff push.
Sources:
Giants, Nady agree to minor league contract, CSN Bay Area
Nady DFA'd by Nats, CSN Washington
Nationals release Xavier Nady, The Sports Network
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Austin Chang is a lifelong San Francisco Bay Area native, baseball fan, and supporter of the San Francisco Giants. Follow this Featured Contributor on Google+ and Twitter @_austinchang.
