Just before 5:00 this afternoon, Dean Anna sent out the following tweet:
Want to thank the padres for everything. Just been traded to the New York Yankees. Excited for the new opportunity.
— Dean Anna (@DeanOfSwing) November 21, 2013
Anna, a lefty batter who played mostly second base and shortstop, hit .331/.410/.482 with nine home runs in Tucson this past season and played in the Triple-A All Star Game. Many Padres fans were hoping to see him to get a cup of coffee with the big league club in 2013, but it never happened (and Wonko discussed why that was here). Now, as we reach the deadline to protect minor league players from the Rule 5 Draft, Anna has become the first San Diego player to be traded. In doing so, the Padres are free from having to find room for him on the 40-man roster and they get something in return rather than risking losing him for nothing in next month's Rule 5 Draft.
In exchange for the infielder, the Padres get 24-year-old reliever Ben Paullus. The right-hander put up a 3.01 ERA in 2013, collecting 66 strikeouts and issuing 28 walks, as he spent time in both low-A and high-A ball. Corey Brock predicts that Paullus will begin the 2014 season in Lake Elsinore, so he'll be right up the 15 from the big league club in San Diego.
Anyone have any strong opinions about the trade? I'm guessing some people will be sad to see Anna go, but it seems to make sense for the club.