Ivan

Ochoa

Boston needed a roster spot for Chris Woodward at Triple-A and Ochoa was deemed expendable after hitting just .227/.340/.328 in 45 games. He had a 47-game stint with the Giants last season, but seems unlikely to get back to the majors again.

Burriss had a few weeks left to add to his case to start at shortstop for the Giants next season. He’ll still be the team’s top internal option, but it’s always possible that GM Brian Sabean will bring in a veteran. Ivan Ochoa and Omar Vizquel will play shortstop if Burriss doesn’t return this season.

That’s pretty unimpressive. Durham could have been had for nothing at the start of the season if any team was willing to pick up his contract, and it’s not like he’s a better bet now than he was then. The Giants must be picking up some salary in order to get two prospects for him.

That’s the guess right now. The Giants wouldn’t need more than a lesser prospect like Ford if the Brewers were willing to take on the rest of the $7.5 million that Durham is owed this season. The Brewers would be picking Durham up as a bench player, but there’s always the chance that he could get a chance to start at second if Rickie Weeks fails to pick it up. Unfortunately, they’d be picking up one of the few NL second basemen who is actually more of a liability than Weeks on defense. If the Giants trade Durham, they could go with Eugenio Velez and Ivan Ochoa at second base or bring back Travis Denker.

Vizquel’s benching lasted all of two games, as he was back in the lineup Sunday while Ivan Ochoa got a rest.

Finally! Vizquel is hitting a cool .182/.242/.215 in 181 at-bats, but still talking about playing another year. Aurilia, though, is hitting .278/.332/.420 with eight homers, and fears that sitting could affect his free agent status after the season. He’s going to meet with GM Brian Sabean to see how he’ll be used this season, but Manager Bruce Bochy says that he’ll likely play “two or three times a week.”

Ochoa was hitting .318 at Triple-A, with six homers and 32 RBI. He’d also stolen 20 bases. He’ll take Travis Denker’s spot on the roster as the Giants continue to audition their young players (if by “audition their young players” you mean let them sit on the bench behind Omar Vizquel and Ray Durham).

The RBI was Ochoa’s second in 63 at-bats this season, and the 25-year-old is now hitting .270/.313/.381 on the season.

Cabrera is still far too wild, but he has fanned 185 batters in 168 2/3 innings as a major leaguer. His upside makes him a very nice pitcher to have stashed away in Triple-A. Chavez and Ochoa will join Nick Green as veteran infield insurance at Pawtucket. Ambres is joining the Boston organization for a second time. He’ll be an option as an outfield reserve if J.D. Drew or Rocco Baldelli lands on the DL.

Ochoa hasn’t appeared in a major league game since back in 2008, when he batted .200/.244/.267 in 134 plate appearances for the Giants. He played baseball in a different country last year and is highly unlikely to reach the big league level with Los Angeles.