Heavy trading

Mets get Estes from Giants for Relaford, Shinjo

Shawn Estes had his best season with the Giants in 1997 when he was 19-5 with a 3.18 ERA. Brian Bahr/Allsport

NEW YORK (AP) -- The busy New York Mets made another deal Sunday, trading outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo and infielder Desi Relaford to the San Francisco Giants for pitcher Shawn Estes.

Shinjo and Relaford both were nice surprises for the Mets in 2001, but the opportunity to trade them for a proven starting pitcher was too good to pass up.

"This is just the next step, not the final step," Mets general manager Steve Phillips said.

Estes was 9-8 with a 4.02 ERA in 27 starts for the Giants. The 28-year-old lefty was an All-Star in 1997 when he won 19 games, and has averaged 29 starts the last five seasons.

Estes was 64-50 with a 4.25 ERA in 160 career starts. He missed a month late this year because of a sprained left ankle, and had surgery after the season to remove a bone chip.

Despite his results, Estes was sometimes criticized for being inconsistent. On the final weekend of the season, he said a change of scenery might help -- a remark he said was out of frustration.

"It's nice to start off with a clean slate," he said while attending the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins. "It think my best days are to come."

"It looks like the Mets are making a pretty good pitch to get in the World Series," he said.

Coming off a World Series appearance in 2000, the Mets struggled to an 82-80 mark that left them third in the NL East. Phillips promised changes in the offseason and has made good on his word.

On Friday, the Mets traded outfielder David Justice to Oakland for reliever Mark Guthrie and a minor leaguer. Justice was acquired only a week earlier from the New York Yankees for third baseman Robin Ventura.

At the recent winter meetings, the Mets obtained All-Star second baseman Roberto Alomar in a major trade with Cleveland. They also signed a pair of free agents, getting outfielder Roger Cedeno to become their leadoff hitter and adding David Weathers for the bullpen.

The Mets are still looking to add a power hitter, with free agent Juan Gonzalez among the possible candidates.

"I've heard that rumor, too," Estes said.

Shinjo, 29, played exceptionally well in his first year in the majors. A star in Japan, he hit .267 with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs in 123 games for the Mets.

Shinjo was outstanding in the field, leading all major league rookies with 12 outfield assists while playing center, left and right. His hustle made him one of manager Bobby Valentine's favorite players.

Relaford was merely a journeyman when, after splitting the year with Philadelphia and San Diego, he was plucked off waivers by the Mets after the 2000 season.

Relaford, 28, blossomed into a productive player, hitting .302 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 301 at-bats over 120 games.

"I just think my game was elevated," Relaford said. "When I played in Philly, I was never really comfortable. When I got to New York, they let me do my thing."

After Relaford showed a live arm at second base, shortstop and third base, Valentine even gave him a chance to pitch. Relaford threw one hitless inning in a blowout and was impressive enough that Valentine said he might consider letting the infielder pitch in another game.

"Both players have become an offensive presence and will bring more speed to the club," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said.

"We've seen our team become more versatile with the additions of Shinjo and Relaford," he said. "We feel both players are emerging as solid offensive and defensive contributors."

Estes was 15-6 in 2000 and helped pitch the Giants into the NL playoffs, where they lost to the Mets.

"This was a tough thing for us to do, considering what Shawn has meant to this organization over the years," Sabean said.

The Giants were 90-72 last season and finished second in the NL West, two games behind Arizona.

Estes joins a rotation that last year included Al Leiter, Kevin Appier, Steve Trachsel, Glendon Rusch and Bruce Chen. Rusch's name has surfaced in trade rumors for the last few months.

"I have ideas about what the end picture looks like," Phillips said.

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