Giants acquire OF Calhoun from Rangers for Duggar

Willie Calhoun requested a trade from the Rangers on May 3 after he was sent down to Triple-A Round Rock, and on Thursday, it was granted.

The Giants acquired Calhoun and cash considerations for outfielder Steven Duggar, the team announced.

The move may bring a formal end to Calhoun’s nearly five-year tenure in Texas, but it will revitalize a bromance between two former Dodgers.

"I'm personally excited about it," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. "I really like Willie, I think he can really swing the bat, he can really make contact with pitches anywhere in the zone. He has a history of getting a lot of line drives to the pull side. I've known him for a really long time, I know what his strengths are and I'm excited that he's a Giant."

Calhoun was a fourth-round pick (132nd overall) of the Dodgers in 2015, and though Kapler never played for Los Angeles, he was the director of player development for the team from 2014-17. Calhoun worked with Kapler until the outfielder was traded to the Rangers and Kapler was named Phillies manager.

Calhoun, who came to the Rangers in a Deadline deal as a part of the Yu Darvish trade in 2017, was rated as the Rangers' No. 2 prospect at the time, per MLB Pipeline. He made his big league debut that September, batting .265/.324/.353 with one home run and four RBIs in 13 games.

Kapler said that the 27-year-old will begin where they both met, in the Minor Leagues. Calhoun will join Triple-A Sacramento to begin his journey with San Francisco.

Duggar will head to Texas as part of the outfielder-for-outfielder swap. A prototypical glove-first player, Duggar has been on the injured list since April 21, when he suffered a left oblique ailment against the Mets. His rehab assignment ended on Thursday.

"Exceptionally top of the charts teammate," Kapler said. "I don't think there's a player in there, or a coach, that doesn't think the world of Steven Duggar. Exceptionally gifted, super athletic and talented all the way around. All of us want to see him have a lot of success going forward and [it's] not easy to lose that type of teammate and personality and athlete."

In 107 games last year, Duggar hit .257 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs while tallying a 0.6 dWAR in the field. He was batting .194 with four RBIs in 12 games this year, and he ranks in the 64th percentile in sprint speed.