The trade Saturday between the A’s and the Giants would barely warrant a mention — Burch Smith for cash? — except that the teams have dealt with each other so rarely in the 52 years they have shared the Bay Area.
For whatever reason — Bay Bridge tolls? — the deal announced Saturday is only the sixth between the teams since the A’s moved to Oakland in 1968. The most recent, in 2004, involved only cash and a name few knew then, or now (Adam Pettyjohn).
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Now, you might not have heard of Burch Smith, but he’s a major league player and the Bay Area teams haven’t made a trade involving a major league player since 1990 when the A’s sent outfielder Darren Lewis to the Giants for infielder Ernest Riles.