Indians trade Garko to Giants

The San Francisco Giants got the offensive first baseman they’ve been seeking. The Cleveland Indians received a pitcher they consider a future big league starter.

The Giants acquired first baseman Ryan Garko from the Indians on Monday, filling a big need in the infield and adding a key right-handed bat.

Garko was a late lineup scratch for the Indians before they opened a road series against the Los Angeles Angels, and he just needed to fly about an hour up the Pacific Coast to join his new club. He was batting .285 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs in 78 games for Cleveland, including .343 this month to raise his average 25 points.

The Giants, who fell out of the wild-card lead with a 3-7 road trip, gave up Class-A left-hander Scott Barnes in the deal. Barnes, considered a Top-20 prospect in San Francisco’s organization, was 12-3 with a 2.85 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 18 starts and 98.0 innings.