The Pittsburgh Pirates have traded catcher Tyler Heineman to the Toronto Blue Jays for IF/OF Vinny Capra. Heineman was designated for assignment earlier this week.
Heineman was with Indianapolis for most of this year, serving as the third-string catcher for Pirates. He appeared briefly in the majors when Austin Hedges was placed on the 7-day concussion Injured List.
Heineman had an 1.145 OPS in limited time with Indianapolis. He went 1-for-9 with the Pirates. He played 52 big league games for Pittsburgh last year after they acquired him from the Blue Jays. The 31-year-old is a .210/.276/.269 hitter over 85 big league games, though defense is his strong suit.
Capra appeared briefly in the majors with the Blue Jays last year, going 1-for-5 at the plate, while getting into eight games. He was currently on the Development List at Triple-A Buffalo this year, no longer on the 40-man roster. He has hit .167/.357/.222 in 17 games this year, seeing infield and outfield time.
The 26-year-old Capra hit .283/.378/.403 in 52 games for Buffalo last year. He then struggled in winter ball in the Dominican, putting up a .398 OPS in 11 games. He started as a shortstop in pro ball, then turned into more of a utility player, who has played all nine positions at some point. A large majority of his work has been shortstop/third base/second base.
He’s not really a speed or power guy, with 20 homers and 34 steals since being drafted out of college in the 20th round back in 2018. Capra has been assigned to Indianapolis.
As a side note to this deal, the Blue Jays cut former Pirates outfielder Jordan Luplow to make room on the 40-man roster for Heineman.
