Giants trade Duggar to Rangers in outfielder swap for Calhoun

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SAN FRANCISCO -- For weeks, Gabe Kapler has been asked what the Giants might do when both LaMonte Wade Jr. and Luis González are options for the big league roster. But that left out Steven Duggar, who was on the Opening Day roster and had been rehabbing an oblique injury.

The Giants had to make a decision with Duggar this week as his lengthy rehab assignment ended, and they chose an unexpected path.

Duggar has been traded to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Willie Calhoun and cash considerations, the team announced Thursday. The trade was first reported by Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. 

Duggar has one minor league option remaining and could have been optioned to Triple-A's roster until there was a bigger need at the big league level, but the Giants chose to give him a fresh start and acquire a former top prospect who has struggled in Texas.

Calhoun, a Vallejo native, was one of the game's top 100 prospects when Farhan Zaidi was general manager of the Dodgers, but they traded him to the Rangers as part of the Yu Darvish swap in 2017.

Calhoun has played 253 games for the Rangers over parts of six seasons, posting a .241/.300/.407 slash line with 32 homers. He hit 21 of them in 2019 but has been a part-time player ever since.

Calhoun was demoted to Triple-A in May and reportedly asked for a trade. Part of the appeal for the Giants comes from the fact that he already has cleared waivers, so they do not have to add him to the 40-man roster and can work on making adjustments with him in Triple-A. 

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Duggar has been on the 60-day IL since straining his oblique in April, and in that time the Giants have increased their outfield depth. González has emerged as a starting option, and they also have Wade Jr., Mike Yastrzemski and Joc Pederson as left-handed-hitting outfielders. 

Duggar was the most athletic of the group and the best defender, but he had a .242/.297/.377 slash line in his five seasons in the big leagues. A sixth-round pick in 2015, Duggar will now look to break through in Texas with former Giants hitting coach Donnie Ecker.

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