By Jim Callis
August 26, 2003

When they picked up Brian Giles on Tuesday, the Padres not only acquired one of the game's top sluggers but also wound up with a surplus of outfielders. They remedied that by sending Rondell White to the Royals for high Class A lefthander Chris Tierney and Double-A righty Brian Sanches. San Diego also included cash to cover part of White's $5 million salary for 2003.

White, 31, went to spring training with the Yankees, who traded him to the Padres for Bubba Trammell and lefty prospect Mark Phillips in mid-March. Injuries over the course of his career have eroded his 30-30 potential, but he's still a solid hitter who's batting .278-18-66 in 115 games this year. He doesn't draw many walks or run nearly as well as he once did. He has good range and a below-average arm in left field. White is a career .287-152-569 hitter in 1,097 games. His two-year, $10 million contract expires after 2003.

Tierney, 19, was a seventh-round pick out of an Illinois high school in 2001. He's a 6-foot-6 lefty who shows potential with his fastball, curveball and changeup, but he's still learning the nuances of pitching. Tierney is having a mediocre season at Wilmington, going 5-11, 4.38 in 26 starts. His strikeout-walk ratio is just 73-48 in 127 innings, and opponents are strafing him for a .313 average.

Sanches, 25, was a second-rounder out of Lamar in 1999. His career started well, but he hit the wall after pitching a no-hitter and one-hitter in consecutive starts for Wilmington in May 2000. He has spent the last three seasons in Wichita, where he has become primarily a reliever. Sanches doesn't have a plus pitch. His best offering is a curveball, and he has a high-80s fastball and a changeup. In 38 games (six starts) this year, he's 1-5, 3.16. Sanches is throwing strikes better than ever, with a 73-17 K-BB ratio in 85 innings, and opponents are hitting .260 against him.