Giants, A's make rare trade

The trade Saturday between the A's and the Giants would barely warrant a mention - Burch Smith for cash? - except that the teams have dealt with each other so rarely in the 52 years they have shared the Bay Area.

For whatever reason - Bay Bridge tolls? - the deal announced Saturday is only the sixth between the teams since the A's moved to Oakland in 1968. The most recent, in 2004, involved only cash and a name few knew then, or now (Adam Pettyjohn).

Now, you might not have heard of Burch Smith, but he's a major league player and the Bay Area teams haven't made a trade involving a major league player since 1990, when the A's sent outfielder Darren Lewis to the Giants for infielder Ernest Riles. (The A's have to hope this works out better.)

Smith, 29, pitched in 10 games last season for the Giants, all in relief. With 8? innings, stats aren't worth mentioning, except (maybe) for a 0.2 WAR. The A's will be his fifth team, following the Padres, Royals and Brewers.

Smith's career stats: 65 games, 13 starts, 2-10 record, 6.57 ERA, 135? innings, 143 strikeouts (hmm) and a -2.0 WAR.

Cash terms were not disclosed, but there's no reason to think the A's gave the Giants much. No reason at all - except for the lopsided trade history between these teams:

March 15, 1978

A's trade Vida Blue to the Giants for $300 cash, Alan Wirth, Dave Heaverlo, Gary Alexander, Gary Thomasson, John Henry Johnson, Phil Huffman and a player to be named later (Mario Guerrero).

Blue appeared in 118 games for the Giants - which is more than the A's got from five of the seven players they acquired. Without the player to be named (Guerrero), they'd have gotten almost nothing. Guerrero was the A's starting shortstop for 295 games over three seasons. Heaverlo made 131 relief appearances and saved 19 games for the A's.

Blue had a second stint with the Giants in which he pitched 61 games over two seasons, going 18-18. His overall record with the Giants was 72-58.

May 12, 1987

Giants trade Brian Harper to the A's for cash.

Harper was released by the A's after spending all but 11 games in the minors. (He joined the Minnesota Twins, for whom he played six seasons - mostly as the starting catcher - and won a World Series in 1991.)

March 23, 1988

A's trade Rod Beck to the Giants for Charlie Corbell.

Beck saved 199 games for the Giants, second in team history to only Robb Nen (206). Corbell never made it to the major leagues, retiring in 1989 after seven seasons in the minors.

Dec. 4, 1990

A's trade Darren Lewis and a player to be named later (Pedro Pena) to the Giants for Ernest Riles.

Lewis became a Gold Glove center fielder for the Giants. Riles batted .214 in one season for the A's.

Pena kept it from being more lopsided, never making it past Single-A for the Giants.

July 17, 2004

Giants trade Adam Pettyjohn to the A's for cash.

Pettyjohn never made it out of Triple-A, for the A's or the Giants.