Giants Notes: Trades, Molina, Sabean

With the Bengie Molina trade just finalized today, there are still a lot of eyes focused on what the Giants are up to next.  Here are some notes from the Bay Area….

• Chris Haft of MLB.com says the Molina deal could be a precursor to another move to acquire a hitter.  With Buster Posey now installed behind the plate, San Francisco are now free to pursue a corner infielder (with Pablo Sandoval playing either first or third as the situation may warrant) or an outfielder.  Names like David DeJesus and Jose Guillen have been mentioned as possible acquisitions, and we also know the Giants will shy away from rent-a-players.
• Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com says the Molina trade was "the most significant move made by Brian Sabean in the past several years." Urban also reports that Molina had "become a subtle but significant source of clubhouse contention."
• Molina tells Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that being traded was "a shock" since there was still a full month before the trade deadline and because he felt he had developed a rapport with the Giants' pitching staff.  When he signed with the team, however, Molina knew a deal was possible given that Posey was waiting in the wings.
• In another Baggarly piece, Sabean disagreed with Buster Olney's informal GM survey that cited Sabean as the toughest general manager to make deals with, or just to reach on the phone.  Sabean felt Olney's piece "lacked context."