Pittsburgh traded veteran third baseman David Freese to the Dodgers for minor league infielder Jesus Manuel Valdez in a deal that will help the contending Dodgers with a player that can play third or first and hits lefties very well.
Freese hit .282 with nine homers for the Pirates this season and is exactly the type of players that contenders go and get for the playoff run.
As far as the player coming from the Dodgers is concerned, I know next to nothing about Jesus Manuel Valdez other than he's an infielder, turns 21 in December and was playing for the Dodgers Dominican league team.
20 is pretty old to play at that level, where Valdez hit. 230 with six homers and stole 16 bases, so even terming him a lottery tickey is a major stretch for the Pirates, who must have seen something in him.
In the other deal, Adeiny Hechavarria made his stay in Pittsburgh a brief one, as the Pirates traded him to the New York Yankees for a player to be named later or cash (Care to guess which one the Nutting's will take?).
Hechavarria lasted just 15 games after being acquired from Tampa Bay, hitting .233 and a homer.
Hechavarria is expected to provide infield protection against further injury to Didi Gregorius, who has struggled with a heel injury of late.
That is a minor transaction, but I'd still rather have a longshot prospect than a check, which the Pirates usually prefer.
Whew, Now that I have caught up on baseball moves, it's time to look at the Browns cuts and additions as they prep for Pittsburgh.
I do have a few problems with those roster changes, so I will have plenty to say next time!
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