53.5 F
Pittsburgh

Pirates Trade Kevin Newman to the Reds

Published:

The Pittsburgh Pirates have reportedly traded Kevin Newman to the Cincinnati Reds, according to Rob Biertempfel and Ken Rosenthal. The move came not long after the Pirates tendered Newman a contract for the 2023 season.

Newman was expected to receive $2.8 million in arbitration. It was likely that he would be a backup infielder for the Pirates, with Oneil Cruz starting at shortstop, and Rodolfo Castro emerging as a second base option. Newman wouldn’t have been cost prohibitive as a backup. His value was more defensive geared, but his price was within that normal range.

No word yet on the return. We will post an update when more information becomes available.

UPDATE 10:05 PM: The Pirates are getting right-handed pitcher Dauri Moreta in return.

Moreta is a 26-year-old reliever who put up a 5.40 ERA and a 4.38 xFIP in 38.1 innings last year in the majors. His fastball averages 96 MPH, and he mixes in a changeup and slider. Opponents had a .464 OPS against the slider, and a .694 against the changeup. They crushed the fastball this past year to a tune of a .948 OPS. It’s possible that Moreta could benefit from a move to a two-seam, to pair with the slider.

At best, the Pirates made a cost cutting move to boost their depth. They are down a backup middle infielder, added a middle relief option, and saved a few million. Moreta has two options remaining, and six years of team control if he figures things out.

UPDATE 11:01 PM: The trade is now official.

UPDATE 11:12 PM: Here is a good note on Moreta from Doug Gray, who runs the amazing RedsMinorLeagues.com.

Liked this article? Take a second to support Pirates Prospects on Patreon!
Become a patron at Patreon!
Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

Related Articles

Latest Articles