San Francisco Giants GM Brian Sabean is pulling out all of the stops in August to get his team into the playoffs.
After a cool stretch, the team is now a game behind Philadephia for the NL wild card, and Tim Lincecum has struggled mightily over the past six weeks. Now, just weeks after adding Jose Guillen off waivers from Kansas City, the Giants have acquired Cody Ross from the Marlins in the same way, reports MLBTradeRumors.
Many had thought that no move would actually occur, and that the Giants' claim was a ploy to prevent the Padres from doing the same.
The team began the season with Mark DeRosa, Aaron Rowand and Nate Schierholz as the starting outfield, but as all have struggled, the entire unit has been replaced with players from the scrap heap: Andres Torres, Pat Burrell and Guillen.
All three newcomers have performed admirably. Guillen is averaging .417 since being claimed off waivers, Burrell is slugging .530 for the Giants, and Torres has been consistent with a .283 batting average.
Ross will platoon with all of the above in the crowded Giants outfield, and he will be eligible for arbitration after the season if the Giants do tender him a contract.
The team will assume $1.1 million of his salary for the remainder of the season. Ross is a career .264 hitter with a .466 slugging percentage. He hit 24 home runs for the Marlins in 2009.
