LOS ANGELES -- Left fielder Alfonso Soriano is still with the Nationals, but left-hander Mike Stanton is not after he was traded to the Giants for right-hander Shairon Martis on Friday evening.

It's the second trade made by general manager Jim Bowden before Monday's non-waiver deadline. It's also the second time Bowden has traded Stanton in less than a year. On Sept. 29, 2005, Stanton was traded to the Red Sox for Minor League pitchers Rhys Taylor and Yader Peralta. Stanton then signed a free-agent contract with the Nationals on Christmas Eve.

Stanton, 39, appeared in 56 games this season, going 3-5 with a 4.47 ERA. He was the only reliever not involved in the relief corps shenanigans that cost bullpen coach John Wetteland his job on June 15. When the relievers were shooting firecrackers or breaking Chad Cordero bobble head dolls in the bullpen, Stanton was in the dugout watching the game.

"He had a very solid year for me," manager Frank Robinson said. "He did a good job. He was a nice presence in the clubhouse. He was a real professional."

Stanton felt a deal was coming since the team announced that it was going in a different direction with young players.

"I'm glad to get back in a pennant race," Stanton said over the phone. "I have no control over the move."

Stanton didn't rule out a third stint with the Nationals in 2007.

"You can never say never," he said. "Obviously, I left on good terms. Jim and the organization were very good to me."

Stanton's absence means that Micah Bowie is now the only lefty in the bullpen for the Nationals. Bowie, who has done a good job thus far, has pitched in three consecutive games, tossing 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball.

The trade is the start of the Nationals' move to try to stockpile their Minor League system with young pitchers, a philosophy taken out of the Braves' playbook, one that was co-written by Stan Kasten, now the Nationals' president.

Martis, 19, was 6-4 with a 3.64 ERA in 15 starts for Class A Augusta. Martis allowed two runs or less in five of his final seven starts with Augusta, including a trio of starts in which he worked at least five innings and did not allow a run. Martis will pitch for Class A Savannah in the Nationals' organization.

On March 10, Martis threw the first seven-inning no-hitter in World Baseball Classic history, leading the Netherlands to a 10-0 mercy-rule-shortened contest over Panama.

Martis has averaged 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings during his nearly three-year career, during which he is 12-8 with a 2.59 ERA in 40 career games.

"I'm very comfortable with [the trade]," said Kasten, who traveled with the team to Los Angeles. "Jim is trying to acquire assets to strengthen our Minor Leagues. We were able to pick something up. It's a good addition. To get better, we need a series of moves. Some will be big, some will be small, but as long as they have us move in the right direction, I support all of it."

Bowden said the Nationals have been scouting Martis since he was playing in the Arizona Fall League last year.

"We like Martis a lot. ... We like his arm," Bowden said. "He throws 91-95 miles per hour. We like his delivery. He is only 19 years old. He has a high ceiling. Certainly, it's down the road. It's a building for the future.

"It's difficult to give up Mike Stanton for several reasons. No. 1, His influence in the clubhouse is special. His help in developing young relievers is remarkable, and he's just a class act. ... Everybody needs a left-handed reliever in a pennant race, so there was a lot more interest than we thought. But this was by far the best deal on the table, and we really like those young arms. Any time we get a chance to get a good young arm, we are going to do it."

To replace Stanton on the roster, the Nationals purchased the contract of right-handed pitcher Travis Hughes from Triple-A New Orleans. Hughes, 28, was 1-5 with a 2.48 ERA and four saves in 46 appearances in New Orleans. He also had 80 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings.

Hughes has experience in the big leagues, giving up eight runs in 14 innings for the Nationals last season.

"He showed signs of promise," Robinson said. "At times, he had some rough spots. But he wasn't here long enough to get a good feel for what he was capable of doing over a course of a season. He has the arm, but he has to learn to locate his pitches better and how to set up hitters."