The SF Giants traded left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb to the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday in a minor deal for outfielder Trenton Brooks. While the MLB trade deadline has passed, teams can still part with players who have not been on a 40-man roster this year. Neither Newcomb nor Brooks has. Brooks is a 28-year-old minor league veteran who has yet to reach the majors, but he has put up some impressive numbers this season at Triple-A.
Brooks' scouting report will sound similar to many older minor league outfielders acquired by the Giants since Farhan Zaidi became the president of baseball operations. Brooks has been productive his entire professional career since he was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the 17th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Nevada, posting a .264/.350/.430 career triple-slash in more than 2,300 minor league plate appearances. However, this season, Brooks has shown more power in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, hitting .299/.405/.529 with 29 doubles and 16 home runs in 94 games.
Brooks has always had a standout approach, never striking out more than 85 times in a season alongside above-average walk rates. This year, though, he has been even better in both categories, with nearly as many walks (57) as strikeouts (67) in 412 plate appearances.
If Brooks were a viable defensive center fielder, he probably would have found his way to the majors already. However, he has been limited to first base and the outfield corners his entire professional career. Without standout power, Brooks needs to be an amazing all-around hitter. To his credit, he has shown that this season. Of course, the fact that the cellar-dweller A's have not given him a big-league opportunity and are willing to trade him for a 30-year-old pitcher who has spent the entire season at Triple-A suggests that they are skeptical his improved performance this year could translate to the next level. Of course, it would not be the first time Zaidi has capitalized on a team misjudging their own talent.
Newcomb signed a minor league deal with the Giants last offseason and has been a consistently solid reliever at Triple-A. In 20 appearances (34.1 innings pitched), Newcomb has a 3.15 ERA with 45 strikeouts and 20 walks. An MLB veteran, Newcomb appeared in every big-league season from 2017-2022, primarily with Atlanta. Given Oakland's thin pitching staff, he could very easily be on the brink of a return to the majors.
The move is likely driven by a roster need for the Giants in the upper minors. The recent promotions of Luis Matos (Giants Top 4 Prospect) and Wade Meckler (Giants Top 22 Prospect), alongside some injuries, have forced San Francisco to scramble to field a lineup in Sacramento. Over the weekend, relief pitcher Chris Wright was forced to start in left field. For now, Trenton Brooks will give the SF Giants some much-needed minor-league outfield depth.
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