By Jim Callis
November 14, 2003

Only one trade came out of the general managers meetings in Phoenix, but it was a big one on Friday. With Minor League Player of the Year Joe Mauer ready for the majors, the Twins shipped all-star catcher A.J. Pierzynski to the Giants for big league reliever Joe Nathan and minor league pitching prospects Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano. Minnesota also will give up a player to be named later or cash.

Pierzynski, 26, had been a very productive catcher for Minnesota, earning all-star honors in 2002 and setting career highs across the board with a .312-11-74 performance this season. He's a line-drive hitter with gap power who offsets his main offensive shortcoming (not drawing many walks) by hitting for high averages to post good on-base percentages. He's also solid defensively and threw out 27 percent of basestealers in 2003. Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Pierzynski is due a significant raise from the $365,000 he made this year—a major factor in the Twins' decision to deal him. He'll replace free agent Benito Santiago on the Giants. Pierzynski is a career .301-26-193 hitter in 430 games, with a .341 on-base percentage and .447 slugging percentage.

Nathan, a 28-year-old righthander, was attractive to the Twins because they may need bullpen reinforcements in the wake of Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins declaring their free agency. Nathan also is coming off his best season after he led the National League in relief wins by going 12-4, 2.96. He also ranked fifth in the NL in appearances (78) and sixth in holds (20). In 79 innings, he had an 83-33 strikeout-walk ratio and held hitters to a .186 average (righties batted just .136). Nathan comes after hitters with hard stuff: a 92-96 mph fastball and two power breaking pitches (curveball and slider). He made the minimum $300,000 in 2003 and won't be arbitration-eligible until after 2004. In 121 career games, he has gone 24-10, 4.12.

Bonser, a 22-year-old righty, was the 21st overall selection in the 2000 draft out of a Florida high school. He threw in the mid-90s while tearing up low Class A in 2001, but his fastball has settled into the 89-92 mph range since. He's still an effective pitcher, however, and his mechanics are much smoother. He also throws a slider, curveball and changeup, and he's known for his competitiveness. The Giants put him on the fast track and he held up reasonably well, going 8-12, 3.87 in 28 starts between Double-A and Triple-A in 2003. He had a 131-75 strikeout-walk ratio and .238 opponent average in 158 innings. Once he refines his command, he'll be ready for his first shot at the majors.

Like Bonser, the 20-year-old Liriano was one of the Giants' top pitching prospects. He attended a Dominican Republic tryout camp in 2000 as an outfielder, but after signing him the Giants immediately moved him to the mound to take advantage of his powerful left arm. It's one of the best in the minors—when it's healthy, which it hasn't been recently. Before he injured his shoulder in 2002, he was throwing 93-97 mph and showed an advanced slider and changeup for a teenager. But Liriano was shut down in July that season, and after making one start at high Class A San Jose this April, he experienced more shoulder pain. He didn't pitch again until mid-August in the Rookie-level Arizona League.

Update: The Twins completed the deal by sending cash considerations to the Giants.