Pittsburgh Pirates: Keone Kela Acquired from Texas
In a trade season full of relievers on the move, the Pittsburgh Pirates have joined the fray. Although they are currently 7.0 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central Division, they are only 3.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card.
Source: Keone Kela has been traded to the Pirates.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2018
According to Jeff Passon of Yahoo Sports, the Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired right-handed reliever Keone Kela from the Texas Rangers.
Kela is currently in his 4th MLB season and he is unable to become a free agent until after the 2022 season. Through 36.2 innings pitched he holds a 3.44 ERA, a 2.97 FIP, and a 1.145 WHIP. He also has 24 saves on the season.
Kela holds a 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings average and a 3.14 strikeout to walk ratio. Through his 38 appearances, he has compiled 44 strikeouts compared to 14 walks.
Two prospects go to Texas for kela
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2018
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According to Jon Heyman on Fancred, the Pirates will send out two prospects in return for the Kela. One of the prospects is left-handed starting pitcher Taylor Hearn, and the other will be a player to be named later.
Hearn was drafted by the Pirates in 2012, but decided not to sign. He was then drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013 and the Minnesota Twins in 2014, but did not sign with either team.
In 2015, he was drafted by the Washington Nationals and chose to sign with the team. The Nationals then moved Hearn to the Pirates as part of a package to acquire Mark Melancon in 2016.
Hearn has spent the 2018 MiLB season at the Double-A level. Through 19 starts, he has compiled 104.0 innings pitched. In those innings, he holds a 3.12 ERA and a 1.087 WHIP.
His performance this season also led to a selection in the 2018 Eastern League All-Star Game.
Next. Seattle Mariners Acquire Two Relievers. dark
As Kela is controlled through the 2022 season, this is a solid move for the Pittsburgh Pirates to strengthen their bullpen. Although the player to be named later is unknown, Hearn looks to also be a promising starting pitching addition for the Rangers.