Pittsburgh Pirates acquire Sean Rodriguez from Atlanta Braves
By Tim Haberin
The Pittsburgh Pirates reunite with Sean Rodriguez after swinging a deal for the utility player from the Braves following a waiver claim.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will welcome back an old friend after completing a deal to acquire utility man Sean Rodriguez from the Atlanta Braves. The Pirates send minor league infielder Connor Joe to Atlanta in the trade, which was worked out after Pittsburgh put a waiver claim on Rodriguez, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
The 32-year-old Rodriguez will provide the Pirates with some additional depth and versatility as they attempt to remain in the postseason race down the stretch. He has received ample playing time at every infield position and the corner outfield spots during his 10-year big league career.
Rodriguez played for Pittsburgh in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, slashing .260/.321/.447 (106 OPS+) with 22 home runs and 73 RBI in 279 games during his first stint with the club. Last offseason, he signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal to join the Braves as the rebuilding franchise looked to add some veteran pieces to its squad.
However, in late January Rodriguez and his family were involved in a car accident that required him to undergo surgery on his left shoulder. While early reports suggested Rodriguez wouldn’t miss much time, it later emerged that he could be sidelined for a significant chunk of – if not the entire – season.
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But Rodriguez worked his way back and made his Braves debut on July 17. He’s still clearly regaining his sea legs, slashing .162/.326/.351 with two homers and three RBI in 15 games. Per Bowman, contributions from similarly versatile players like Johan Camargo (.300/.328/.467 in 190 PA) put Rodriguez’s long-term role with the team into question. Infielder Ozzie Albies, one of the organization’s top prospects, was also recently promoted to the club.
So when the chance to make a deal presented itself, Atlanta took it. Their return, the 24-year-old Joe, has spent the majority of the year at Double-A, batting .240/.338/.380 with five home runs and 30 RBI in 70 games.
This wasn’t the only waiver activity Pittsburgh engaged in today either: It was also awarded reliever George Kontos from the San Francisco Giants. To make room for him and Rodriguez, outfielder Danny Ortiz and right-hander Jhan Marinez were designated for assignment. Kontos, 32, owns a 3.83 ERA in 51.2 innings this year.
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The Pirates are still a manageable 4.5 games behind in the NL Central, and they chose not to give up their postseason hopes by selling at the trade deadline. Rodriguez gives them a familiar ally as they aim to become the unlikely winner of their division. Under contract for 2018, he can also help them beyond the current season.