Pittsburgh Pirates trade rumors finally led to something on Thursday (July 23). The Pirates traded for third baseman Aramis Ramirez, acquiring him from the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios. A report from NBC Sports confirms that the Pirates have been reunited with Ramirez to add some infield power hitting. With recent injuries to the depth of the team, the front office knew that a deal had to be made before the deadline.
Pirates fans will remember Ramirez quite well, as he began his career there back in 1998. He played six seasons in Pittsburgh before going to the Chicago Cubs during the 2003 MLB season. Ramirez was an All-Star for the Brewers during the 2014 season, putting up a .285 batting average. He is having a down year in 2015, though, posting a .247 batting average with a .725 OPS. The power numbers are still there, as Ramirez has 11 home runs and 18 doubles in 302 plate appearances.
This Pittsburgh Pirates trade makes sense for the team, as the injury to Jody Mercer has left them shorthanded in the infield. It’s also the final year of the contract that Aramis Ramirez has, meaning there isn’t a long-term investment necessary. If he can provide some good hitting against left-handed starting pitchers, this could end up being a very good trade for the team.
On the other end of the deal, the Milwaukee Brewers were just looking to get out of his salary and possibly bring back something before the July 31 MLB trade deadline. Yhonathan Barrios has split time between Double-A and Triple-A this season, posting a 2.68 ERA and 1.314 WHIP over 40 1/3 innings of work. It’s possible that he could be a bullpen arm for the Brewers at some point, but the 23-year-old still has some work to do on his control.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , this might just be the first of many trades that the Brewers make before the end of July. The team has a number of assets that are available, including Carlos Gomez, Kyle Lohse, and Francisco Rodriguez. It has even been noted that shortstop Jean Segura could be available in the right deal. This trade likely won’t be the last one for the team this year.
By the Pittsburgh Pirates trading for Aramis Ramirez, it shows that the team is willing to “buy” for a second half push. With a good core of players, the team may turn its attention to adding another pitcher before the deadline.
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