The San Francisco Giants had been in on the Chase Utley sweepstakes, but lost out to their rivals in Los Angeles. The Giants couldn’t sit still and let the Dodgers get the upper hand, so they added to their outfield on Thursday afternoon. They traded Double A right hander Stephen Johnson to the Reds in exchange for Marlon Byrd. Byrd can play all three outfield positions and he’ll need to with both Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence on the disabled list.

Why the Giants make this deal

This part is pretty easy. With the performance of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs, it’s division title or bust for the Giants this season. Hunter Pence has been in and out of the lineup all season and Angel Pagan has been in and out of the lineup his entire career. Byrd’s season totals don’t look spectacular (.237/19/46/42), but they are good enough to hold down a spot while the others return to health. Nori Aoki will slot into left field when everyone returns to health, but the Giants desperately needed another bat to get them by in the meantime.

According to MLBTR, Byrd has slashed .258/.286/.454 since returning from the disabled list. He has had nine home runs in 203 plate appearances since his DL stint. So, I’m sure the Giants are hoping he will continue to produce at that clip and if he does they have a slight chance of catching the Dodgers. As we all know, once the Giants get in the playoffs, they are extremely dangerous.

Why the Reds do this deal

This is also pretty simple. Marlon Byrd will be a free agent at the end of the season and the Reds were unlikely to sign him. They also would not be offering him a qualifying offer. So, they decided to save a little money and get a prospect in return. Stephen Johnson is a 24 year old right hander that was a sixth round pick by the Giants back in 2012. Since entering their system, he’s posted a 15-7 record with a 3.68 ERA out of the bullpen. He is 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA this season for their AA affiliate.

Johnson has averaged more than ten strikeouts per nine innings (10.6) throughout his time in the Giants’ system. He profiles as a middle reliever if he reaches the big leagues, so it’s not like he’s a big time prospect. Yet, you can’t have too many live arms in your system and they would have lost Byrd and gotten nothing for him had they let him finish the season.

What this trade means for you

Byrd is owned by 40 percent of leagues in Yahoo. If he is unowned in your league you might consider him adding him if for nothing else than bench support. He is eligible as a right fielder and left fielder and likely will play both slots in San Francisco with Hunter Pence on the shelf. AT&T Park is not the best place to hit in, but since we are talking about five weeks he is likely not to see that much of a dip in production. You can probably hope for a .250 average and five home runs in the last five weeks. You be the judge of whether that can help you or not.