7:04pm: Pittsburgh will only pay Hechavarria a pro-rated portion of the league-minimum salary, per Ron Blum of the Associated Press (via the AP’s Will Graves, on Twitter).
3:15pm: The Pirates have acquired shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from the Rays in exchange for right-hander Matt Seelinger, as per press releases from both teams. Tampa Bay will also send the Bucs some money in the trade.
Hechavarria was designated for assignment last Wednesday, after the Rays couldn’t find a taker for him (and the approximately $1.9MM still owed to him in salary this season) before the trade deadline. One would think the cash considerations headed from Tampa to Pittsburgh in the deal will cover most, if not all, of that remaining salary. The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin reported over the weekend that Hechavarria was thought to have cleared trade waivers, which appears to be the case.
Over 2920 career plate appearances with the Rays, Marlins, and Blue Jays, Hechavarria has only hit .255/.291/.344, only coming closest to being a league-average hitter when he posted a modest 92 OPS+ and 89 wRC+ during the 2015 season. He has still provided value, however, thanks to consistently strong glovework at shortstop. Hechavarria has declined a bit in this area in 2018 (+4 Defensive Runs Saved, 1.0 UZR/150), though he still boasts +23 DRS and a 2.7 UZR/150 over his career at short.
This represents an upgrade from longtime Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer, who has below-average defensive numbers over his career and is only a marginally better hitter with a career .257/.318/.384 slash line. Mercer is also a free agent after the season, so this is the clearest sign yet that his long tenure in Pittsburgh is likely coming to an end.
The Pirates continue to be surprising buyers down the stretch, as the team has now acquired Hechavarria and Chris Archer in separate trades with the Rays, and also picked up reliever Keone Kela from the Rangers. At 57-55, the Bucs are still on the outskirts of the playoff race, entering today 7.5 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central and five games out of a wild card position. Archer and Kela are at least controlled beyond 2018, whereas Hechavarria is a free agent this winter and thus a pure rental for the Pirates. The team does rank near the bottom of the league in both DRS (-47) and UZR/150 (-3.1) this season, so the Bucs could see this deal as a low-cost way of patching up a hole on defense.
Seelinger was a 28th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2017 draft, and he has posted a 2.44 ERA, 12.8 K/9, and 4.45 K/BB rate over 62 2/3 minor league innings. Seelinger has pitched exclusively as a reliever in his pro career, and he’ll continue at the A-ball level with Tampa Bay’s affiliate in Bowling Green.
Does this mean Sean Rodriguez is finally getting DFA’d?!
We can only hope and pray.
Nope. They are stacking the lineup with S-Rods.
I hope he goes to Korea or Japan. He’s one of the biggest douchebags in baseball. Nothing he doesnt complain about. He’s still mad at the Cubs for the 2015 WC game. I think the pitcher was hit in the arm or something like that.
He just needs to go away. Not sure if john jaso still plays for the pirates but he should go away too.
SEAN RODRIGUEZ DFA!!!!
Jordy Mercer should get dfa he sucks
at least Mercer is batting over .200 tho
He’s just over the Bob Uecker line. (Mr Baseball made that joke, for his hof speech a few years back)
Don’t know how many games Pitt has left with my brewers, but Mercer has killed us. Might be worth it to hang onto him just for those games.
yea, release now
Interesting… Hechavarria hasn’t played any position except SS since 2012, so he likely isn’t being brought in to be a utility infielder.
The only defensible reason that Sean Rodriguez was still on the roster was that he was the only backup at SS. I have to think this is the end for him.
Great guy. Was a good player. He’s never been right since the car wreck. It’s a shame. But, it’s the right move.
It also gives them options if they fall out of the race and someone wants Jordy Mercer.
Part of me thinks that the Bucs may already have a possible taker on Mercer. Just a hunch.
I don’t see them dumping Mercer. If they do you are back to SRod on the roster. Frazier can be your super utility while Adeiny can be the backup middle infielder
They like Srod on the roster
Both Mercer and Hechy are FAs at end of year, so I suspect neither will be there on Opening Day 2019……nice pickup tho, guy can pick ’em…….just won’t hit much…..
Where’s all the “why bother, they’re out of it” complaints, a la the Cards picking up Tyson Ross?
Also, good for the Bucs for staying in the race..
Hopefully gone. This whole mentality that only 3-4 teams should bother impr0vong or competing is absurd, and a sign of youth and inexperience. Giants won all 3 of their recent championships as the underdog in every series.
David Freese is day to day
He’s in the lineup tonight at 3B
Looks like today is his day
As Keith Olberman used to say… we are all day to day
“ (Mercer) . . . is only a marginally better hitter with a career .257/.318/.384 slash line.”
Um, … it’s the difference between 91 OPS+ and 75 OPS+. I’m not suggesting that OPS+ is a perfect measure, or that either is actually a good hitter but the difference between the two players as hitters is not marginal.
I said yesterday that they should acquire him.
Some great depth and should be bye bye S Rod
They should just bring up Kevin Newman already to provide some offense to the position.
And this is because AAA stats ALWAYS translate directly to MLB success, right?
Yeah man, Newman just played in the 2018 AAA All-Star game. Why waste a roster spot on a bum like him? Release the guy!
Can’t be worse than either Mercer or SRod.
Dang, hoping the Orioles would have taken a look at him.
I see this addition as a potential backup plan for next year for Kevin Newman in case Jordy Mercer gets signed elsewhere.I think that the eleven game winning streak threw a monkey wrench into the plans to bring up Newman and Kramer after the July 31 trading deadline.I do not see Mercer and AH flip flopping this year as the position is too important and needs consistency.They either have a taker for Mercer and are getting someone decent in return,or will use AH as the backup SS.Alas,I think it means the end of the career of SRod in Piitsburgh.
I heard they are resigning SRod to a 3 year contract.
I think I would rather have Sean Rod instead of Osuna
as a pirates fan i wanted Adeiny for a while but couldn’t really justify it since Mercer was doing ‘good enough’ considering what it would take to get him.
While still kinda true, Adeniy’s price to acquire … great move. I like jordy better but he is having the worst defensive season of his career.
Bonus to Adeiny is that next year’s control gives insurance for the prospects.
at this price, move is hard to not like (unless you are Jordy then you might be worried)
That’s all Mercer has ever been…..good enough. Absolutely no range especially lately and his fumble of a DP grounder cost them a win against the Cards
whooops no control next year.. my bad.
Hechavarria bears a remarkable resemblance to Clemente. It’ll be interesting to see him in a Bucco uniform.
The Pirates acquire some DFA’d dude rather than giving their 2015 first rounder and #7 prospect Kevin Newman, who’s been hitting .300 in 566 AB in AAA, a shot?
Cheap garbage franchises like the Pirates ruin prospects’ careers. Newman, the 2018 AAA All-Star shortstop, turned 25 just two days ago. I hope the Pirates lose him and/or 2B Kevin Kramer to the 2018 Rule 5 draft. These guys deserve better than Pittsburgh’s crappy treatment.
^What he said.
The thing that sticks out to me is that TB covered all but the pro-rated league minimum salary to offload Hech. I know he’s in a walk year, but it surprised me that the Rays would take a hit to get rid of him. He’s really not that bad of a SS.
hech wasn’t dfa’d because he’s “just some dude”…it was a way to free up room on the 40 man and give Adames the peace of mind that ss is his. Hech is damn good on def and only (incredibly) slightly less off prod compared to mercer…he should start. watch him field, you’ll be sold.
Are any scouts watching the Pirates other than from the Rays?
can he score runs, cause they have not scored only but 1 run since Sat night in the 4th inning !!!!