Pirates send Travis Snider to Baltimore

The Pittsburgh Pirates needed to make some space in their outfield and sent outfielder Travis Snider to a place that he could play-Baltimore in return for minor league pitcher Stephen Tarpley and a player to be named later.

Snider hit 13 homers last season in playing a career high 140 games (previous high was 111),but with the Pirates wanting to give the right field job to Gregory Polanco and Polanco also hitting from the left side of the plate,Snider was an extra part that had too much value to sit and not enough to play ahead of the talented Polanco.
With Baltimore's loss of Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis in this off-season,the Orioles could have use for Snider,who may finally have his opportunity to play every day.

The Pirates end of this is Stephen Tarpley,who was the Orioles third rounder in 2013,but did not get out of short-season Aberdeen last year.
Tarpley turns 22 in February and the lefthander will likely be assigned to low A West Virginia to start the season.
Tarpley is reported to have a solid fastball and curve and led the Ironbirds in innings pitched last season.
Tarpley was most likely a top 20 prospect in the Orioles system,but not a top 10 player.
The player to be named later is not likely to be a top prospect either and considering the player is to be named,I'd guess it might be someone from the 2014 draft that will not be transferred until later this summer due to the rules of MLB that a player cannot be traded until one year after his signing.

We'll see how this works out,but I like Baltimore's end of the deal as they get a solid defensive outfielder that might have 20 homer power in a hitter friendly park like Camden Yards.
The Pirates added two players to their system for a player that was likely going to play a smaller role than on last year's team.

Back tomorrow with a possible cleaning of the inbox....