Giants acquire Will Smith from Brewers

The San Francisco Giants added a very good left-handed relief pitcher on Monday. 

According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, San Francisco struck a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers to acquire Will Smith. 

In exchange for Smith, the Brewers received right-hander Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac, as Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports. 

The 27-year-old Smith is 1-3 with a 3.68 ERA and a 22-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22 innings pitched, good for a 4.27 FIP. He's been worth 0.1 WAR, according to FanGraphs. 

He is signed through the 2019 season, as he is arbitration eligible for the first time next offseason. This made him so valuable. 

The Giants felt they needed another bullpen piece as the trade deadline approached, and Smith certainly fits the bill. San Francisco's bullpen has been one of the worst in the Major Leagues, ranking 26th in WAR, despite posting an ERA in the middle of the pack.

It took a for the Giants lot to get Smith, though, giving the Brewers what appears to be a promising return. 

Bickford, 21, is listed as the Giants' best prospect on MLB.com. He is in Class-A Advanced, where he has made six starts. Over his entire season, Bickford has a 2.71 ERA and a 105-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 93 innings pitched. He was the Giants' 1st round pick in 2013.

As for Susac, he's no longer a prospect but has not been in the Majors at all this season. At Triple-A, he has a .277/.347/.455 slash line over 251 plate appearances, hitting eight home runs and driving in 38 RBI. Susac could be a replacement for Jonathan Lucroy if the Brewers decide to move him. 

​--Devan Fink

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