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Pirates Designate Michael McKenry For Assignment

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The Pirates announced that they have designated catcher Michael McKenry for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for the recently acquired Chris Stewart.

McKenry, 28, batted .217/.262/.348 with three homers in 122 plate appearances for the Pirates in 2013 before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus in late July. McKenry was projected by MLBTR's Matt Swartz to earn $900K in arbitration this season, making him a non-tender candidate.

The former seventh-round pick could draw some interest from other clubs in need of catching help if they believe his solid 2012 campaign to be repeatable. McKenry slashed .233/.320/.442 with 12 homers in a career-high 275 plate appearances that season. However, he's struggled to throw out baserunners throughout his career and isn't regarded as a strong defensive catcher, which is likely one of the reasons that the Pirates considered the lighter-hitting Stewart to be an upgrade.

Pirates Acquire Chris Stewart

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9:25am: The Pirates have acquired Stewart in exchange for a player to be named later, the teams announced via press release.

8:56am: The Pirates will acquire catcher Chris Stewart from the Yankees, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). ESPN's Buster Olney was the first to report that a trade was in the works (Twitter link). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported prior to the agreement that the Yankees would likely receive cash considerations or a player to be named later in the deal (also on Twitter).

Stewart, 32 in February, was a non-tender candidate after hitting .211/.293/.272 in a career-high 340 plate appearances with the Yankees in 2013. However, he's regarded as a superior defensive catcher to the Pirates' Michael McKenry, who is a non-tender candidate himself after missing the final two months of the 2013 campaign due to knee surgery.

Stewart projects to earn $1MM in arbitration, per MLBTR's Matt Swartz, while McKenry's projection sits at $900K. Either backup will likely face competition in the form of Tony Sanchez, who offers more with the bat at a slightly lower price. Pittsburgh could also carry all three into Spring Training, where the trio would compete for the right to play second fiddle to primary catcher Russell Martin.

Quick Hits: Tulowitzki, McKenry, Athletics

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Three-team trades aren't easy to dream up, let alone to achieve, but ESPN's David Schoenfield has five of them to entertain you in what's been a quiet day at the hot stove. One idea has the Rockies shipping Troy Tulowitzki to the Pirates and Dexter Fowler to the Marlins and receiving top Pirates prospects Gregory Polanco and Alen Hanson, along with Marlins closer Steve Cishek and prospects Jake Marisnick and Justin Nicolino. The Marlins would also receive Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer in the deal. It's a fun idea, although, as Schoenfield suggests, it's questionable whether the cost-conscious Pirates would be willing to take on Tulowitzki's enormous contract. Here's more from around baseball.

Pirates, Yankees Nearing Chris Stewart Trade

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8:51am: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Yankees would receive cash or a player to be named later in the deal that's being discussed.

8:27am: The Pirates are on the verge of acquiring catcher Chris Stewart from the Yankees, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link).

Stewart, 32 in February, is a non-tender candidate after hitting .211/.293/.272 in a career-high 340 plate appearances with the Yankees in 2013. However, he's regarded as a superior defensive catcher to Michael McKenry, who is a non-tender candidate himself after missing the final two months of the 2013 campaign due to knee surgery.

Stewart projects to earn $1MM in arbitration, per MLBTR's Matt Swartz, while McKenry's projection sits at $900K. Either backstop will likely face competition in the form of Tony Sanchez, who offers more with the bat at a slightly lower price.

This post was originally published on Dec. 2, 2013.

Minor Moves: Cody Eppley, Nevin Ashley

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Pirates announced that they have signed right-hander Cody Eppley and catcher Nevin Ashley to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training. Eppley, 28, pitched 46 innings of 3.33 ERA ball for the Yankees in 2012, averaging 6.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. He split 2013 between the Twins, Yankees and independent ball, totaling a 6.08 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9. Ashley, 29, slashed .235/.328/.374 for Cincinnati's Triple-A affiliate.

AL East Notes: Moreland, Cano, Napoli, Sox, Orioles

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Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports that the Rays have some interest in Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland, who could be deemed expendable in the wake of Texas' acquisition of Prince Fielder. The Rangers, of course, covet David Price, and including Moreland in a package for him (presumably as a somewhat minor component) could take a potential destination away from the Mets in their shopping of Ike Davis. Here's more out of the AL East…

  • Within that same piece, Martino writes that the Fielder-Ian Kinsler swap may not impact the Robinson Cano market as much as many initially thought. Cano is markedly better than Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar, so if he wants to be a Ranger or Tiger and the price isn't crazy, those players shouldn't preclude Texas or Detroit from striking a deal.
  • The Red Sox seem to be letting Mike Napoli's market develop before deciding what their final offer to him will be, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
  • Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald spoke with Red Sox GM Ben Cherington who told him that the team is "in a position to be a little choosy, a little selective" in its search for a new catcher. Cherington says the Sox are interested in a "small handful of free agents" and has also actively pursued trades at catcher.
  • On Brian McCann's recent five-year contract with the Yankees, Boston catcher and close friend of McCann, David Ross, told Lauber: "He told me, I think it came down to years. When you add an option for six, it puts you at almost $100 (million), that’s a game-changer." Cherington wouldn't indicate to Lauber how far the Red Sox were willing to go in negotiations.
  • Mark Ellis is considered an option for the Orioles, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, but Baltimore has yet to reach out to the second baseman.
  • Kubatko also reports that the Orioles don't have any immediate interest in first baseman/outfielder Garrett Jones, who was designated for assignment by the Pirates yesterday.
  • One more from Kubatko, who reported last week that the Orioles won't look to re-sign left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada, who never appeared with the O's after signing a two-year deal prior to the 2012 season. Wada fell victim to Tommy John surgery and didn't make it to the big league level in Baltimore. Executive vice president Dan Duquette told Kubatko: "I think that the Wada chapter is over with the Orioles. We're just going in another direction … I'm sorry that it didn't work out, but it's time to move on."

Pirates Notes: First Base, Furcal, Burnett, Trade, Jones

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Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays a host of updates on the Pirates (all links to Twitter):

  • One area where GM Neal Huntington hopes to make a move is at first. Though the club believes that Gaby Sanchez can increase his production against same-handed pitching, he is still in need of a platoon partner to hit righties.
  • The Pirates have joined seven other clubs in reaching out to shortstop Rafael Furcal, his representatives at Kinzer Management Group told Sawchik.
  • Turning to the still-unresolved situation of free agent starter A.J. Burnett, Huntington said he was hoping to see some movement. "It has not inhibited our abiity to do things at this point in time," said Huntington, "but there is no question it is something we would like to see move forward if it's possible. If not, we'll have to operate as we see fit." The GM had more pointed words as well, telling MLB.com's Tom Singer that, "if he or others want a market-value deal, they'll sign elsewhere." As Singer notes, there must be at least some temptation for Burnett to look outside the Pittsburgh market given the money promised recently to mid-to-late 30's starters like Dan Haren ($10MM, one year) and Tim Hudson ($23MM, two years).
  • On the club's acquisition today of outfielder Jaff Decker and righty Miles Mikolas, Huntington noted that Decker can play anywhere in the outfield and has a realistic shot at making the team's active roster out of Spring Training. Huntington also indicated that Decker has appeal both from an analytic and a scouting perspective. As for Mikolas, Huntington indicated that his groundball inducing abilities were the primary draw.
  • Meanwhile, Garrett Jones, who lost his roster spot as part of the day's dealings, was just going to be too expensive to bring back, according to Huntington. "[T]he arbitration process was likely to drive the dollars above where we were comfortable," the GM said. Decker's move to Pittsburgh could also have an impact on Travis Snider, with respect to whom Huntington would only say that the front office is "working through the process."

Pirates Designate Garrett Jones, Kyle McPherson

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The Pirates designated Garrett Jones and Kyle McPherson for assignment, according to Tom Singer of MLB.com (on Twitter).  The move comes on the heels of Pittsburgh's acquisition of Jaff Decker and Miles Mikolas from San Diego.

Jones, 32, owns a career .254/.316/.458 slash line across six big league seasons.  The first baseman/outfielder had a down year in 2013, however, hitting .233/.289/.419 in 440 plate appearances.  Jones was due $5.3MM in arbitration this winter, according to MLBTR's Matt Swartz, making him a non-tender candidate.  Still, Jones has cleared 20 homers in three of his five seasons with the Bucs and he should draw interest as a platoon bat with power.

McPherson, 26, was sidelined for most of last season, making just two minor league starts.  He underwent Tommy John surgery on July 10 this year, making it unlikely that he's able to contribute much in 2014.  In 25 career starts at the Double-A level, McPherson owns a 3.39 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Pirates Acquire Jaff Decker, Miles Mikolas

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The Padres announced they have traded outfielder Jaff Decker and right-handed reliever Miles Mikolas to the Pirates for first baseman/outfielder Alex Dickerson.  Both Decker and Mikolas were designated for assignment last week.

Decker, 23, was taken with the 42nd overall pick in the 2008 draft.  He ascended to Triple-A for the first time in 2013 and hit .286/.381/.443 in 105 games.  He also saw 13 games on the varsity squad with most of his action coming in August.  Decker entered the 2013 season ranked 23rd on Baseball America's list of Top 30 Padres prospects, with BA noting that he has a walk-first, hit-second approach at the plate and could profile as an offensive-minded reserve outfielder.  He is capable of handling all three outfield spots.

The 23-year-old Dickerson was born and raised in the San Diego suburb of Poway, graduating from Poway High School in 2008 before playing baseball at Indiana University.  Dickerson spent all of 2013 with Double-A Altoona, hitting .288/.337/.494 in his first year at that level.  Dickerson entered the season ranked as the Pirates' No. 11 prospect according to BA and MLB.com, the latter of which currently has him 13th overall among Bucs farmhands. BA praises his ability to use the whole field, while MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo is impressed with his understanding of the strike zone.

Mikolas, 25, has 27 big league games to his credit over the last two seasons but he spent the bulk of 2013 in Triple-A, posting a 3.25 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 54 outings.  He entered the season ranked 25th among Padres prospects, per BA, who noted that he has a good curveball and can touch 98 mph with fastball that doesn't have much movement on it.  BA wrote that his ceiling may be a middle reliever or setup man, but he has a high probability of reaching that level.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Lance Berkman Leaning Toward Retirement

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The Pirates reached out to Lance Berkman but were told by his agent that Berkman is leaning toward retirement, tweets Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Berkman, 37, appeared in 73 games for the Rangers this season, batting .242/.340/.359 — hardly the numbers that Texas was hoping for when signing Big Puma to a one-year, $10MM contract last offseason. Berkman was slowed by injuries once again this year — primarily hip inflammation but also some pain in the same surgically repaired right knee that cost him the majority of his 2012 season.

It feels like a long time ago that Berkman revived his career with a stellar 2011 campaign that helped the Cardinals to a World Series victory. The switch-hitting slugger slashed .301/.412/.547 with 31 homers that season, earning himself a one-year, $12MM extension with the Cardinals that proved to be a sunk cost due to the aforementioned knee issues.

Berkman is a career .293/.406/.537 with 366 home runs. If he decides to call it quits after this season, he'll have banked just north of $124MM in his big league career, according to Baseball-Reference.

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