The Giants added an intriguing young outfielder to their 40-man roster Sunday in exchange for just cash considerations.
Luis Basabe, a 23-year-old who not too long ago played in the Futures Game, was picked up from the Chicago White Sox and will report to the alternate site in Sacramento. To clear a 40-man spot, the Giants put Jordan Humphreys, acquired recently from the Mets, on the restricted list. That gives them two additional flyers in exchange for just cash and Billy Hamilton, who wasn't going to be on the big league roster anyway.
Basabe was Chicago's 11th-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
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Basabe reached Double-A for the White Sox last year, although his numbers didn't stand out. He had a.672 OPS across two levels last year with three homers in 74 games. In 2018, Basabe hit 15 homers across two levels. Overall he's a .248 hitter in the minors with 44 homers, 104 doubles and 40 triples in 598 games.
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The White Sox had DFA'd Basabe to clear a spot for pitcher Carlos Rodon. They originally had acquired him in the Chris Sale deal with the Boston Red Sox, and he played in the Futures Game two years ago, homering off one of the hardest-throwing prospects in the game:
Basabe doesn't figure to be in the mix for the final six weeks of the season, but he adds to the outfield depth in the upper minors.
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