The Pittsburgh Pirates will sign outfielder Travis Snider to a minor-league contract, according to a report by Chris Cotillo of SB Nation.
Source: Pirates are signing Travis Snider to a minor-league deal.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) August 19, 2015
Snider, 27, played two and a half seasons with the Pirates from 2012 to 2014, but was traded to the Baltimore Orioles this offseason, in a move that was unpopular at the time. The Pirates acquired minor-league left-handed pitchers Steven Brault and Stephen Tarpley for Snider.
Snider appeared in 69 games for the Orioles, batting .237 with 20 RBIs and three home runs before being released by Baltimore on August 15.
The Pirates were immediately interested in bringing Snider back to the organization after his release by Baltimore, with general manager Neal Huntington saying that he had contacted Snider on his radio show on Sunday.
In his three seasons in Pittsburgh, Snider had hit .243 with 72 RBIs and 19 home runs. The Pirates originally acquired Snider from the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012 for relief pitcher Brad Lincoln. Lincoln, ironically, is also back with the Pirates on a minor-league contract.
Brault and Tarpley have both performed will in the Pirates’ minor-league system. Brault, 23, is 6-3 with a 2.63 ERA at Double-A Altoona. Tarpley, 22, is 10-2 with a 2.14 ERA at Single-A West Virginia.
Snider will help the team’s outfield depth, which currently consists of only Jaff Decker and Willy Garcia on the 40-man roster at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Photo credit: USA Today
