Giants find modicum of help in Burba

By John Manuel
September 2, 2004

With the Giants chasing both the Dodgers in the National League West as well as the wild card-leading Cubs and, general manager Brian Sabean was unable to make a deadline-day deal to bolster the rotation, and the Giants instead turned to the farm system for help. In August, Sabean tried to work something out with the Rockies to get Jeromy Burnitz, but that also fell through. Finally, Sabean found a deal he could make, acquiring veteran Dave Burba on Thursday from the Brewers in exchange for Double-A lefthander Josh Habel.

Burba, 38, settles into a middle-relief role with the Giants, his days as a rotation stalwart behind him. A second-round pick in 1987 by the Mariners, Burba, who's earning a modest $440,000 this season in a one-year deal, has pitched in the major leagues since 1990 and was with the Giants previously from 1992-95, primarily working as a reliever. He entered the season with a 111-86, 4.50 record, and he is having one of his most effective seasons in years in 2004, posting a 3.96 ERA in 73 innings. He's pitched three scoreless innings since being acquired by San Francisco.

He has allowed just six home runs, helping minimize the damage of his 25 walks and paltry 49 strikeouts. He uses a fastball that tops out around 92 mph and a good splitter to go with average breaking stuff, as he throws both a curveball and slider. He's more effective against righthanded hitters (.221, .580 OPS) by a significant margin (lefthanded hitters bat .261 against him with a .777 OPS).

Habel, who turns 24 on Sept. 10, was just 4-10, 4.36 at Double-A Norwich, owing mostly to his propensity to give up walks (50 in 136 innings) and home runs (21, including 15 in 74 innings away from home). The lefthander was winless into June, but he has some good things going for him as well. His 123 strikeouts tied him for fifth in the Eastern League, and opposing hitters batted just .256 against him (130 hits in 136 innings).

Habel, a 14th-round pick in 2002 out of Northern Iowa, doesn't have overpowering stuff, and his main strikeout pitch is a changeup. However, it's a plus-plus pitch that allows him to handle righthanded hitters effectively. Habel throws his fastball in the high 80s and needs to hone his fringy breaking ball, but he has a chance to be a back-of-the-rotation starter because of the change.