The Pittsburgh Pirates added what could be a nice bench piece on Monday and in the process cut ties with one half of their first base platoon the past couple of seasons.
The Bucs have acquired infielder Sean Rodriguez from the Tampa Rays in exchange for a player to be named later and cash considerations.
In a corresponding move, first baseman Gaby Sanchez has been designated for assignment to clear roster space.
The 29-year old Rodriguez was designated for assignment by the Rays last week. He hit a career-high 12 home runs in 2014, but saw all of his other numbers take a sharp decline.
Once a highly thought of prospect in the Angels organization, Rodriguez posted a .211/.258/.443 slash line in 2014. More troubling is that his walk rate was a career-low 3.9 percent and his strike out rate was up to an alarming 26 percent of his plate appearances.
An average hitter, Rodriguez is more known for his versatility as he can play all four infield positions as well as the outfield. With the Pirates infield being already set for next season, Rodriguez will likely be a primary backup at each infield spot.
Moving on from Sanchez, who posted a .241/.327/.394 line in three seasons with the Pirates, furthers the organizations commitment to Pedro Alvarez as the everyday first baseman heading into 2015.
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