Giants Notes: Cabrera, Crawford, Beltran, Sanchez

The Giants acquired Melky Cabrera from the Royals today, sending Jonathan Sanchez to Kansas City in the process. Here’s the latest on the team, starting with some comments GM Brian Sabean made on a conference call with reporters…

• Sabean said the Giants have never been close to trading Sanchez in the past, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
• Though the Giants are comfortable with Cabrera in center field, Sabean didn’t say where he fits into the lineup or outfield, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News (all Twitter links). It’s unclear how the move affects the future of Andres Torres, a non-tender candidate with a projected salary of $2.5MM. 
• Sabean said the Giants haven’t decided whether to pursue starting pitching.
• Baggarly hears that the Giants are strongly considering making Brandon Crawford their shortstop if they can improve their lineup at other positions. Though Crawford doesn’t project to do much at the plate, he’s considered a strong defender.
• Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports that the Giants are shopping for bargains this winter (Twitter links). He doesn’t expect Sabean to pursue Jimmy Rollins or Jose Reyes and even Carlos Beltran may be a stretch for San Francisco.
• Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles suggests the Giants would have been better off trading Sanchez for a prospect. This would have kept Torres in center field and pushed the Giants to focus on other needs.
• Alex Speier of WEEI.com hears that the Red Sox had some interest in Sanchez, though they weren't a match in the end.