Pirates announce the trade of John Grabow, Tom Gorzelanny to Chicago

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced that they have acquired right-handed pitchers Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio and infielder Josh Harrison from the Chicago Cubs organization in exchange for left-handed pitchers John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny.

The 26-year-old Hart went 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA (27.2ip/8er) in eight games (four starts) this year with the Cubs. As a starter, he was charged with two earned runs or fewer in three of his four starts and won his final outing this afternoon after allowing three earned runs in 6.0 innings of work against the Astros at Wrigley Field.

Hart, who will immediately join the Pirates, entered the season rated by Baseball America as the Cubs’ sixth-best prospect.

He began the year with Triple-A Iowa of the Pacific Coast League, where he went 3-3 with three saves and a 3.10 ERA (52.1ip/18er) and 57 strikeouts in 22 games (six starts). Hart made each of his first 16 appearances with Iowa in relief before going 3-0 with a 1.41 ERA (32.0ip/5er) and .157 batting average against in six starts.

In 146 career games (100 starts) in the minor leagues, Hart struck out 575 batters and allowed just 224 walks in 604.1 innings pitched.