Pagan isn’t the defender Torres is. He committed 10 errors last season and has been known to throw to the wrong bases. Then again, he has been a big-leaguer longer than Torres (six seasons) and sports a .279 lifetime average, and the Giants certainly need an offensive upgrade. Plus, Pagan is two years younger.

Clearly, the Giants weren’t convinced Torres would bounce back to his 2010 form, when he was a valuable leadoff man in the Giants’ championship run.

Pagan is an excellent athlete, in fact was considered the best on the Mets, better than Jose Reyes, outdoing the shortstop in all agility drills. He played volleyball in high school and is known for his physical gifts if not his baseball acumen.

All three players in the deal are arbitration-eligible, and the Mets will be taking on extra salary, if only because it was a 1-for-2 trade.

The Giants still are seeking more offensive help, including a shorstop but no trade will involve White Sox corner outfielder Carlos Quentin or Boston infielder Jed Lowrie, both out of Stanford, both considered trade bait by their teams.