Updated 10:27 PST:
San Francisco acquired two young, right-handed pitching prospects in the deal. The headliner of the return is righty Shaun Anderson, who came in rated as Boston's 18th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline.
The 22-year-old righty, a third-round selection in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft, entered the season at Boston's A-level affiliate in Greenville. Across 38 2/3 innings pitched for the Greenville Drive, Anderson struck out 23.9 percent of batters faced and posted a strong 16.8 percent K-BB rate. He demonstrated a great ability to limit solid contact and held opponents to a .211 batting average against him and allowed just two home runs across 155 batters faced.
He would later earn a promotion to High-A Salem, a challenge that provided him with plenty of opportunities. Across 58 2/3 innings, Anderson's strikeout numbers have taken a hit while the loud contact is on the rise. His strikeout rate is down to 19.4 percent, meanwhile his K-BB rate dropped to 12.1 percent. He has allowed six home runs to 248 batters faced and his ERA jumped from 2.56 to 3.99.
But Anderson still flashes plenty of potential. He offers an above-average fastball that draws some 60-grades and an additional three-pitch arsenal that he used out of the bullpen while at Florida, before the Red Sox transitioned him to the starting rotation upon his arrival in the minor leagues. His extensive repertoire allowed him the ability to shift back to starting and slowly is turning him into an even more promising prospect. While Anderson is still a few years away, he offers the upside of a solid mid-rotation starter in a pitcher-friendly park.
San Francisco also landed a lottery ticket in Santos. The 17-year-old put his raw ability on display in the Dominican Summer League and left scouts with a positive impression. Across 30 innings pitched, he posted a 0.90 ERA and a solid strikeout rate, though his command would make baseball's most erratic pitchers wince. A wild arm with some good velocity, Santos is a wait-and-see prospect that will all depend on if he can ever show the ability to locate his pitches.
Given Nunez's status as a utility infielder with only half a season remaining on his contract, San Francisco netted a solid return and adds to a farm system that needed significant help.
Original Story: The moment Eduardo Nunez walked down the dugout stairs into the hall, everyone knew it. The San Francisco Giants third baseman would be on the move. On Tuesday night, San Francisco traded Nunez to the Boston Red Sox for two prospects. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal first reported news of the deal.
Nunez finds himself on the move for the second time in a year. San Francisco previously acquired him from the Minnesota Twins on July 28 last year, now he is traded three days short of the anniversary.
The 30-year-old's delivered solid production at the plate this season. Across 315 plate appearances, Nunez posted a .307/.331/.413 slash line and stole 17 bases, with time split between third base, shortstop and left field in San Francisco this season. Nunez is fresh off a career-best 2016 season, when he stole 40 bases and posted a .288 batting average.
While Nunez remains outstanding on the basepaths, his production beyond his batting average is essentially average. His 99 wRC+, .745 OPS and 1.1 WAR are a greater indicator of Nunez's true abilities. But while his bat won't make for a high-end addition to Boston's lineup, his versatility, speed and consistency provide Boston's needs at the position.
The Red Sox recent promotion of third base prospect Rafael Devers gave the team more options. Devers offers future All Star ability at the hot corner, while the arrival of Nunez provides stability if Devers struggles in his first taste of the majors. Nunez's ability to also play shortstop could allow Boston to give Xander Bogaerts additional rest days, who missed time with a hand injury last week.
San Francisco's return for Nunez is limited by his status as a rental player. He is due almost $1.5 million over the remainder of the season, though it's unknown at this point if the Giants will attach any money to the trade.