SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, September 1, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Giants’ eventful day: McCutchen in the Bronx, Shaw in left field, Posey on crutches John Shea Friday’s pregame vibe was different from most. Buster Posey, four days after hip surgery, walked into the Giants’ clubhouse with crutches. Pablo Sandoval walked in with his leg in a brace, in the wake of hamstring surgery. Steven Duggar is next on the operation table, and he was speaking positively about his upcoming shoulder procedure and five-month recovery, giving him plenty of time to be at full strength for spring training. The Andrew McCutchen trade was completed early in the day, and by all accounts, he’ll be missed greatly as he joins the playoff race as a Yankee. His replacement was getting hugs on his first day in the big leagues, and Chris Shaw was looking forward to his first start in left field, where he’ll be playing regularly, according to manager Bruce Bochy. Shaw, Duggar and Austin Slater spent much time together in Triple-A and spoke in a Chronicle interview in May about playing together in the big leagues. This isn’t how they imagined it, however, with Duggar absent. But maybe another day. Here are some highlights on a day of transition: 1 •Bochy thanked McCutchen for his five months in a Giants uniform and said, “Obviously, we were hoping this year would go a little bit better than how it did and he would be a huge part of it. I hope it goes well for him over there. I really do.” Brian Sabean on McCutchen: “We liked what we saw of Cutch, on and off the field. It was a great honor to have him. He was a pleasure to be around, a breath of fresh air. He was as advertised.” Both Bochy and Sabean said they’re open to McCutchen returning in 2019, but that’s probably a long shot if only because the Giants need to get younger. Plus, McCutchen is the type of player who’d get interest from a lot of teams. •When Duggar was hurt sliding back into second base Tuesday, he was relieved it wasn’t his throwing shoulder and wondered how long he’d be out. “Those are two things that went through my mind when it first happened,” said Duggar, relieved that he’ll be ready to go for training camp. The injury wasn’t easy to take. “It was tough, “Duggar said. “I cried. I threw stuff. Just privately by myself. Once I got that out of my system, it’s been a laser focus.” A date for surgery hadn’t been set. •Sabean said the Giants were open to trading McCutchen, who’ll be a free agent after the season, because, “It was the prudent thing to do. Three teams in front of us, and we were running out of games.” •The trade allows the Giants to get a long look at Shaw. “He’s a bat that we think is going to play here at some point on a regular basis,” Bochy said, “so this is a chance to show what he could do up here.” Bochy didn’t want to put added pressure on Shaw, who hit 24 homers with Sacramento. “I don’t want him coming up here trying to hit home runs. Just hit the ball hard. Get the barrel on that thing,” Bochy said. That has been an issue. In 422 plate appearances, Shaw struck out 144 times and drew just 21 walks. •One of Shaw’s biggest supporters is Gregor Blanco, who’s back in the majors and lockers next to Shaw. 2 “He’ll change those numbers in right field,” said Blanco, referring to the splash hits number count. “I think he’ll put more balls in the bay, for sure. He’s got the power, he’s got the swing, he listens. works hard. He’s just the type of guy the Giants need.” •Blanco wasn’t fully confident he’d return to the Giants after being designated for assignment in early June, but here he is. “You’ve got to go back to Triple-A, it was hard, definitely,” Blanco said. “This is a great opportunity again, especially because I was missing was the fans, the city, the grind itself. It’s definitely fun to be back.” San Francisco Chronicle Giants finalize McCutchen trade, prepare Duggar for surgery John Shea The Giants completed a trade Friday that sent right fielder Andrew McCutchen to the Yankees for two prospects. “We liked what we saw of Cutch, on and off the field,” Giants executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean said. “It was a great honor to have him. He was a pleasure to be around, a breath of fresh air. He was as advertised.” The Giants received Triple-A infielder Abiatal Avelino, who was a Double-A Eastern League All- Star this year and had 15 home runs between the two farm clubs, and right-hander Juan De Paula, a 20-year-old who had 46 strikeouts in 471/3 innings for the Yankees’ short-season rookie team in Staten Island. The Giants and Yankees both will pay the $2.4 million remaining on McCutchen’s contract. Sabean didn’t rule out re-signing McCutchen as a free agent and said the trade was made because, “It was the prudent thing to do. Three teams in front of us, and we were running out of games.” The Giants acquired McCutchen in January for pitcher Kyle Crick, outfielder Bryan Reynolds and international bonus slot money. Manager Bruce Bochy thanked McCutchen for his five months in a Giants uniform and said, “Obviously, we were hoping this year would go a little bit better than how it did and he would be a huge part of it. I hope it goes well for him over there. I really do.” 3 Hoping the trade is a win-win-win for the Giants, Yankees and McCutchen, Sabean said he’s pulling for McCutchen to win a World Series ring. Duggar surgery: The decision to undergo shoulder surgery was easy for Giants center fielder Steven Duggar , but the realization that he’d miss the rest of his rookie season was the tough part. “I cried. I threw stuff,” Duggar said. “Just privately by myself. Once I got that out of my system, it’s been a laser focus.” The Giants were trying to set a date for Duggar’s operation to repair a torn labrum after he dislocated the shoulder while diving headfirst back to second base Tuesday. Duggar said he was told recovery time is five months, meaning he should be at full strength for spring training. He agreed surgery was better than trying to rehab because he wants the shoulder fixed so he could be fully confident when diving into a bag or to make a catch. “I don’t want to hold my breath every time,” Duggar said. “I’m a pretty aggressive player. If I have to dive for a ball in center field, I don’t want to think about second-guessing that play because (of the risk of) getting hurt. That’s not how I play.” Duggar was hurt when he stretched for the base and got tagged on the shoulder. San Francisco Chronicle Giants’ youth movement: Garcia, Shaw, Suarez highlight 7-0 win John Shea You gotta like these kids, to steal a slogan from 1986. That was the year Will Clark and Robby Thompson burst onto the scene and introduced a new, vibrant brand of Giants baseball. Clark and Thompson made their big-league debuts in the same game, and Clark homered in his first at-bat against Nolan Ryan. It happened again Friday night, for the first time in 32 years. Two Giants position players debuted in the same game and were difference-makers in a 7-0 victory over the Mets at AT&T Park that neither player will soon forget. 4 On the day the Andrew McCutchen trade was completed, Chris Shaw was called up from Triple- A Sacramento, started in left field and hit a seventh-inning sacrifice fly off former Giants prospect Zack Wheeler to drive in the game’s first run. Also, catcher Aramis Garcia, who was recalled Saturday to replace Buster Posey, finally got in a game and not only caught the shutout but hit an eighth-inning home run, his first big-league hit and added an eighth-inning RBI single. “You just dream of getting here,” Garcia said. “You want to do well and make your family proud. To get a shutout win tonight and two hits, it’s special.” Garcia got the home run ball from the fan who retrieved it, exchanging two bats, some batting gloves and a signed ball. The home run ball went to Garcia’s dad, whose name is Jose but also goes by Aramis. “I don’t think he’ll let anybody else have it,” Garcia the younger said. “That baby’s going up on my case,” Garcia the elder, one of several family members in attendance, said outside the Giants’ clubhouse. “Grandpa can have the second hit.” Andrew Suarez, another rookie, pitched seven innings of two-hit ball — he and Garcia played together in a summer league in high school (the Florida Legends) — and Tony Watson and Ty Blach completed the all-lefty shutout. Garcia’s homer began a six-run rally. Brandon Belt hit a two-run triple and scored on a single by Austin Slater, the fourth rookie in the lineup.