The Pittsburgh Pirates dealt from a position of strength to fill a position of need in a trade consummated late Thursday night.
The team announced the acquisition of Jason Rogers, first baseman with the Milwaukee Brewers, in exchange for outfielder Keon Broxton and starting pitching prospect Trey Supak.
Rogers comes to the Pirates having had his first real taste of the majors last season. The 27-year-old appeared in 86 games for Milwaukee last season, collecting 169 plate appearances. In those appearances he collected four home runs, 16 RBI and slashed .296/.367/.441. Rogers, a 32nd round pick in the 2010 amateur draft, has played both first base and third base during his brief career-to-date. Rogers shows to be an excellent fielder at first base, with a sole error coming in 220 chances last season.
In giving up Broxton, the Pirates dealt from a position of strength. At this point in his young career, Broxton is thought to have but one tool that can play at the major league level: his speed. With the starting outfield set for the foreseeable future and better in-house options for depth, Broxton has no clear path to regular major league appearances with the Pirates.
Supak was ranked 15th overall in the Pirates farm system as per MLB.com. The young right-hander is just 19-years old, and posted a 6.67 ERA in his first taste of minor league action with the rookie-level Bristol Pirates.
The acquisition of Rogers raises serious questions about the team’s plans for first base. With Michael Morse already in tow along with unproven Jake Goebbert, it is surprising to see the team add another right-handed hitting option. This leaves Goebbert as the sole left-handed first base bat with major league experience.
Update: As this story was going to press, it was also reported by Pirates Prospects that the team had released starting pitcher Allen Webster. While no formal announcement has been made, the team’s transactions page on their official website lists Webster as having been released on December 16th.
Webster had a chance to make the rotation out of spring training as the roster is currently constructed. With this move, the team’s search for a starting pitcher will likely intensify.
