Okay, Giants fans, this is it. We’re in August. The deadline is behind us, and players have been exchanged. There are new faces all over the league and plenty of big names that are in new zip codes.

Two of those new guys are in San Francisco, with Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Garko added to the team and Scott Barnes and Tim Alderson shipped out.

Now that the dust has settled, I asked the fellow Community Leaders to comment on the fallout of these deals.

After retooling the minor league system and promoting the youth movement, did Brian Sabean revert to his old self, dealing great pitching prospects for decent veteran hitters? Or is this the new Sabean in disguise?

Who gets the short end of the stick with the acquisitions? With the solidifying of second base (a la Sanchez), Emmanuel Burriss and Kevin Frandsen are no longer the second basemen of the future for this team. Who feels that worse?

All these questions will be answered, and remember, you can always suggest questions for us to answer by going to the San Francisco Giants fan page and clicking on Contact Evan or Danny or Andrew. Enjoy!

DANNY

When looking at the trades that the Giants made before the trading deadline, you couldn't help but think that these were typical Brian Sabean moves.

In his tenure as Giants GM, Sabean has always preferred the proven veterans to the young kids in the system. There's no denying that this is true about Sabean, and that most of the time he hasn't seen the minor league talent sent in the other direction push the brink of superstardom.

That's why you have to think that there was something that Sabean saw in the two pitchers he dealt, especially Tim Alderson, that makes you think more of the same kind of evaluations have taken place.

The difference with these moves is that both of them are viewed as trades that will be utilized beyond 2009. There are no rent-a-players, a la Shea Hillenbrand or Sidney Ponson, like there were earlier this decade.

Garko is under the Giants' control until 2012 and has already shown that he is the best option at first base that there is in San Francisco.

Because Garko is going to be with the Giants going into next season, and most likely beyond, they don't have to rush prized prospect Angel Villalona.

They can let Big V develop in the minors, learn some much-needed discipline at the plate, and then, when 2011 or 2012 rolls around, take stock in what is going to happen when Garko is finally eligible to hit the open market.

There is an obvious trickle-down effect with the acquisition of Sanchez at second base.

Even if he said he doesn’t hit the 600 plate appearances needed to automatically enact the $8.1 million vesting option for next season, Sabean has said that Sanchez is going to be back. That’s certainly huge for Sanchez, but not for the guys who were competing for the job at the beginning of the season.

Kevin Frandsen seemingly is going to be riding the bus between Fresno and San Francisco as long as he is in the Giants organization. The Giants don’t view him as a regular player, and wherever you stand on him not getting his shot at a regular job, the acquisition of Sanchez seemingly puts an end to him having a long-term future with the Giants.

It’s a different situation for Community Leader favorite Emmanuel Burriss, who is younger and probably the better all-around player then Frandsen.

Burriss has what few other young Giants infielders have—speed to burn and a great glove. And because Edgar Renteria’s contract is up after next season, there could still be a chance that Burriss finds himself at his natural position of shortstop.

But for now, Burriss is rehabbing after having season-ending surgery on his injured foot a few weeks ago.

The best thing this trade has brought to the team, no matter if you weren’t a supporter of who they traded to get Garko and Sanchez, is that the everyday lineup is now consistent.

Bruce Bochy can basically pen Sanchez into the No. 2 hole every game and Garko at first just as much. Little Pronk may find himself in a different spot in the order depending on who is pitching, but he’s going to get basically all the at-bats based on how he has done so far.

My personal opinion is that the deadline dealing is enough to get the Giants into the postseason. 

What they do lack in a pure cleanup hitter is what they now have in pure intangibles at the plate. The Giants now have two hitters who have great approaches at the plate.

Remember—the Giants weren’t supposed to contend this year. I’ve said numerous occasions that .500 would’ve been perfectly fine with me.

Now that they’re a year ahead of schedule, things are just being accelerated, but the big vision on long-term success is still there.

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