The Pittsburgh Pirates today traded right-handed pitcher Bryan Morris to the Miami Marlins.
In exchange for Morris, Pittsburgh will receive Miami’s 39th overall selection (competitive balance A) in this year’s First-Year Player Draft on Thursday. The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.
Morris was 4-0 with a 3.80 ERA in 23 2/3 IN with the Pirates while striking out 14 and walking 12. In three years with the club, Morris is 9-7 with a 3.46 ERA.
“We feel this trade will have a positive impact on our organization in the short, moderate and long term,” said Huntington. “In the short term, this trade will add a quality prospect to our system that will enhance our ability to make additional prospect for major league player type deals while helping us to better sustain crucial prospect depth. Additionally, we feel we have made this move from a position of strength as we have kept our core bullpen intact. In the moderate and long term, we add an additional first-round talent that we project to play a significant role on future Pirates’ teams.”
Pittsburgh will now have 42 selections in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, including four of the first 73 (numbers 24, 39, 64 and 73 entering today).
Bill Brink of the PG explains that the trade also adds money to the Pirates draft pool which is beneficial if a high-end player drops.
#Pirates add $1,457,600 to draft bonus pool (according to @BaseballAmerica) by trading for No. 39 overall pick.
— Bill Brink (@BrinkPG) June 1, 2014
The Pirates have recalled Casey Sadler from AAA Indianapolis to take Morris’s place on the 25-man roster.
Information provided by the Pittsburgh Pirates PR Dept. Follow @TBerardi_OVA
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
