POSTED BY ANDREW BAGGARLY ON DECEMBER 6TH, 2011 AT 7:59 PM | CATEGORIZED AS UNCATEGORIZED

I just got off the phone with Andres Torres, whom the Giants traded this evening to the New York Mets along with reliever Ramon Ramirez for outfielder Angel Pagan.

Torres is a fan favorite and the 2010 winner of the Willie Mac Award as the most inspirational Giant as selected by his teammates. He was one of the most valuable center fielders in baseball in 2010, when his terrific defense and surprising production from the leadoff spot helped the Giants surge to a World Series championship. No, he wasn’t in a San Francisco uniform for long. But fans won’t forget him anytime soon.

And he said he won’t forget them, either.

“We won the World Series,” Torres said by phone from Puerto Rico. “How would I ever forget the Giants, the fans, all the people? I’ll always respect them and always thank them for everything. I always said I’ll put some part of the Giants in my heart.”

Torres heard trade rumors in recent days and knew he could be on the move, so the deal didn’t catch him off-guard. The Mets value his Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field. He understands this trade probably means more at-bats than he’d have found with the Giants, where he had become seen as a reserve outfielder.

“Hey, this is part of the game,” Torres said. “I’m excited too because maybe I’ll get an opportunity to play, and that’s good.”

Torres knows that many people will consider his 2010 season as a flash in the pan from a 32-year-old career minor leaguer. He’s determined to change that perception, and he’s working in the cage with former AL MVP Juan Gonzalez in Puerto Rico. Presumably, that’s when he isn’t hurling blocks of concrete while shirtless and wearing designer jeans.

“I believe I’m a good player,” Torres said. “I’m working very hard on my hitting. I’ve been working with Juan Gonzalez here a lot, hitting every day. I know it’s going to be a good year for me. I believe you have to make adjustments and I want to show I can play this game and that I’m going to work hard to do it.”

Torres has a lot of family in New York and New Jersey and said there’s a comfort in knowing that he’s going to a city where he has a big support network.

He acknowledged that he’s leaving behind family, too.

“I always told the Giants, `You could release me and I’ll never say a bad word,’” Torres said. “The organization, the city and the fans – they treated me like family. Everything is great and I love it.”