The Minnesota Twins made another move to bolster their bullpen on Thursday night, sending outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for reliever Shaun Anderson.
Anderson is a 26-year-old right-hander that was a third-round selection by the Boston Red Sox in the 2016 MLB entry draft and recorded a 3.52 ERA in 18 appearances with the Giants last season.
While there is a small sample size to indicate what Anderson brings to the table, there’s no doubt that his slider is his top pitch. According to Statcast, Anderson threw his slider 53.4 percent of the time last season and generated a 39.7 percent whiff rate off that pitch.
Here are some Shaun Anderson sliders for your enjoyment. pic.twitter.com/0NV54SDK31
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) February 5, 2021
The addition of Anderson replaces Matt Wisler, who had similar numbers with his slider (83.4 percent usage, 37.9% whiff), but is two years older than Anderson and out of minor league options.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwNMRTr2r7A
Bringing Anderson into the fold continues a flurry of transactions for the Twins, who signed Nelson Cruz and Alex Colome to one-year deals earlier this week.
For Wade, his departure gives him a chance to find playing time in San Francisco and clears out the log jam in the outfield for the Twins.
With Eddie Rosario non-tendered by the Twins earlier this winter, Jake Cave, Brent Rooker, and top prospect Alex Kiriloff will battle for the starting spot in left field.
