http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_749293.html
Pirates acquire Orioles' first baseman
By Rob Biertempfel
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, July 31, 2011
PHILADELPHIA -- On the eve of the non-waiver trade deadline, the Pirates acquired first baseman Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles Saturday night.
The deal was not costly for the Pirates. They gave up High-A Bradenton first baseman Aaron Baker -- not one of their upper-tier prospects -- and will pay most of the $2.6 million left on Lee's $7.25 million salary for this season.
To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Ryan Doumit (fractured ankle) was moved to the 60-day disabled list. Another move will be necessary when Lee reports, which could be as soon as this afternoon.
"He is an experienced, productive right-handed hitter and solid defender who should add to our team on the field and in the clubhouse," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement.
The Pirates examined Lee's medical records before closing the deal. In November, Lee had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He went on the 15-day disabled list in mid-May with a strained oblique.
Lee did not play in the second game of a doubleheader last night against the New York Yankees. The Orioles officially announced the trade shortly before midnight.
The Pirates have been seeking a right-handed power bat to spark their often sluggish offense. Lee, 35, is a 15-year veteran and three-time Gold Glove winner with 324 career home runs.
Two seasons ago, Lee collected 35 homers and 111 RBI. This year, he's batting .248 with 12 homers and a .715 OPS.
The Pirates needed to make a change at first base, as Lyle Overbay, who signed a one-year, $5-million contract last winter as a free agent, has been a disappointment offensively and defensively.
After grounding out last night as a pinch-hitter, Overbay is batting .227 with seven homers, 35 RBI and a .301 on-base percentage. He has just 18 hits in his past 83 at-bats, a .217 average in July.
Overbay ranks 12th among National League first basemen with a .991 fielding percentage and a minus-5.3 Ultimate Zone Rating. UZR measures how many runs a fielder contributes, compared to a average player at his position.
Unless the Pirates find a team willing to take Overbay in a trade -- not very likely -- he could be released before today's game against the Phillies.
The Pirates had eyed Carlos Pena as a possible trade target. However, the Chicago Cubs yesterday told teams that Pena no longer was on the market.
Injecting some juice into their lethargic offense is only part of the Pirates' main motivation for making a deal before the non-waiver trade deadline at 4 p.m. today.
It's also important that they find somebody who can catch the ball. Manager Clint Hurdle admitted yesterday the club must upgrade its outfield defense, which has been sub-par the past few games.
"It's been bad," Hurdle said. "We've talked to Xavier (Paul) and Garrett (Jones). They're aware of it. We're over-firing cutoff men, we're misplaying balls. It makes things very challenging. I'm not asking them to do anything you shouldn't be able to do at the major league level."
The Pirates have inquired about Oakland's Josh Willingham, San Diego's Ryan Ludwick and Minnesota's Jason Kubel. However, none seems likely to join the Pirates.
The Cleveland Indians, who already picked up Kosuke Fukudome, were pushing hard to add Ludwick. Minnesota, still in the hunt in the AL Central race, is having second thoughts about letting go of Kubel.
Over the past few days, there seemed to be no evidence of any traction for a deal to send Willingham to Pittsburgh. Even Willingham's wife Ginger put a damper on the possibility by tweeting late yesterday afternoon, "At this point, I would be surprised if we are traded."
The Pirates have dropped four of their past five games, including a 7-4 loss last night against the Phillies. Before the game, many players confided that a trade would send a message that the front office is committed to winning now.
"A lot of people think the easiest thing in the world to do is make a trade -- send a message, make a trade," Hurdle said. "This isn't fantasy baseball. To find the right fit is difficult."
Hurdle was Texas' hitting coach last season and said the team got "a bolt of energy" when the Rangers acquired pitcher Cliff Lee.
"I've also been on teams where a week later you're going, 'Why did we get these guys?' " Hurdle said. "There can be a flash of electricity, but the performance after that is what backs it up. People can do the right things for the right reasons, but if the player doesn't perform there's a sour taste in everybody's mouth.
"There are still some teams we're having conversations with. Some teams like to hold back, trying to get somebody on the other side of the table to blink. It's all part of the process."
Rob Biertempfel can be reached at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or 412-320-7811.
Pirates acquire Orioles' first baseman
By Rob Biertempfel
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, July 31, 2011
PHILADELPHIA -- On the eve of the non-waiver trade deadline, the Pirates acquired first baseman Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles Saturday night.
The deal was not costly for the Pirates. They gave up High-A Bradenton first baseman Aaron Baker -- not one of their upper-tier prospects -- and will pay most of the $2.6 million left on Lee's $7.25 million salary for this season.
To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Ryan Doumit (fractured ankle) was moved to the 60-day disabled list. Another move will be necessary when Lee reports, which could be as soon as this afternoon.
"He is an experienced, productive right-handed hitter and solid defender who should add to our team on the field and in the clubhouse," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement.
The Pirates examined Lee's medical records before closing the deal. In November, Lee had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He went on the 15-day disabled list in mid-May with a strained oblique.
Lee did not play in the second game of a doubleheader last night against the New York Yankees. The Orioles officially announced the trade shortly before midnight.
The Pirates have been seeking a right-handed power bat to spark their often sluggish offense. Lee, 35, is a 15-year veteran and three-time Gold Glove winner with 324 career home runs.
Two seasons ago, Lee collected 35 homers and 111 RBI. This year, he's batting .248 with 12 homers and a .715 OPS.
The Pirates needed to make a change at first base, as Lyle Overbay, who signed a one-year, $5-million contract last winter as a free agent, has been a disappointment offensively and defensively.
After grounding out last night as a pinch-hitter, Overbay is batting .227 with seven homers, 35 RBI and a .301 on-base percentage. He has just 18 hits in his past 83 at-bats, a .217 average in July.
Overbay ranks 12th among National League first basemen with a .991 fielding percentage and a minus-5.3 Ultimate Zone Rating. UZR measures how many runs a fielder contributes, compared to a average player at his position.
Unless the Pirates find a team willing to take Overbay in a trade -- not very likely -- he could be released before today's game against the Phillies.
The Pirates had eyed Carlos Pena as a possible trade target. However, the Chicago Cubs yesterday told teams that Pena no longer was on the market.
Injecting some juice into their lethargic offense is only part of the Pirates' main motivation for making a deal before the non-waiver trade deadline at 4 p.m. today.
It's also important that they find somebody who can catch the ball. Manager Clint Hurdle admitted yesterday the club must upgrade its outfield defense, which has been sub-par the past few games.
"It's been bad," Hurdle said. "We've talked to Xavier (Paul) and Garrett (Jones). They're aware of it. We're over-firing cutoff men, we're misplaying balls. It makes things very challenging. I'm not asking them to do anything you shouldn't be able to do at the major league level."
The Pirates have inquired about Oakland's Josh Willingham, San Diego's Ryan Ludwick and Minnesota's Jason Kubel. However, none seems likely to join the Pirates.
The Cleveland Indians, who already picked up Kosuke Fukudome, were pushing hard to add Ludwick. Minnesota, still in the hunt in the AL Central race, is having second thoughts about letting go of Kubel.
Over the past few days, there seemed to be no evidence of any traction for a deal to send Willingham to Pittsburgh. Even Willingham's wife Ginger put a damper on the possibility by tweeting late yesterday afternoon, "At this point, I would be surprised if we are traded."
The Pirates have dropped four of their past five games, including a 7-4 loss last night against the Phillies. Before the game, many players confided that a trade would send a message that the front office is committed to winning now.
"A lot of people think the easiest thing in the world to do is make a trade -- send a message, make a trade," Hurdle said. "This isn't fantasy baseball. To find the right fit is difficult."
Hurdle was Texas' hitting coach last season and said the team got "a bolt of energy" when the Rangers acquired pitcher Cliff Lee.
"I've also been on teams where a week later you're going, 'Why did we get these guys?' " Hurdle said. "There can be a flash of electricity, but the performance after that is what backs it up. People can do the right things for the right reasons, but if the player doesn't perform there's a sour taste in everybody's mouth.
"There are still some teams we're having conversations with. Some teams like to hold back, trying to get somebody on the other side of the table to blink. It's all part of the process."
Rob Biertempfel can be reached at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or 412-320-7811.
