The Pittsburgh Pirates just announced that they have traded Ian Snell and Jack Wilson to Seattle.
The team will acquire first baseman Jeff Clement, shortstop Ronny Cedeno and right-handed pitchers Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock from the Mariners.
Dejan Kovacevic first reported this afternoon that Wilson was traded to Seattle.
The Mariners intend to keep Wilson beyond this year which is why they got back into the mix this week. The Mariners and Pirates have been scouting each other extensively over the past month.
Clement, 25, is a former first round pick and is batting .288 with 14 home runs (33 doubles) and 68 RBI’s in 92 games for Class AAA Tacoma.
The Pirates intend to use Clement at first base but he will be assigned to Class AAA Indianapolis this week.
Pitchers Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lrin and Nathan Adcock will be assigned to Class A.
Shortstop Ronny Cedeno will join the Pirates for Friday’s game against the Washington Nationals.
The initial vibe in baseball circles is that the Pirates got a very good return for Wilson and Snell.
Clement, 25, was Seattle’s first-round selection (third overall) in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft and was rated by Baseball America as the organization’s number one prospect for both 2006 and 2008.
“Our scouts have consistently projected Clement to be an everyday Major League contributor with the power to hit 20-plus home runs,” said Pirates GM Neal Huntington. “He has been an extremely highly-regarded prospect since he was drafted third overall in 2005 and has performed consistently since then, showing the tools to be a quality offensive player.”
Cedeno, 26, spent his entire career with the Chicago Cubs organization before being acquired by Seattle in January in a three-player deal.
“Ronny is a solid Major League defensive-oriented shortstop,” said Huntington. “We feel we can help him become more productive with the bat, while his defense helps our pitching staff.”
The 22-year-old Pribanic went 7-6 with a 3.21 ERA while surrendering just one home run in 17 starts for Single-A Clinton of the Midwest League this year while being named to the league’s mid-season All-Star team.
“Aaron has been highly regarded since he was drafted in the third round out of the University of Nebraska in 2008 by Seattle,” said Huntington. “He put up excellent numbers in his first full professional season. He has a heavy four-seam fastball that reaches up to 93 miles per hour and a two-seam fastball with significant sinking and tailing life low in the zone that has allowed him to get ground balls.”
Lorin, 22, went 5-4 with a 2.44 ERA, 87 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 16 starts this year for Single-A Clinton. The 6-foot-7 righthander was named to this year’s Midwest League All-Star team after leading the league with 77 strikeouts at the All-Star break.
“Brett has been noted by our scouts for his plus makeup, competitive nature and desire to win and succeed,” said Huntington. “He complements his solid fastball that can touch the mid-90s with a curveball that has shown tight rotation and the form to project to an above-average Major-League curveball.”
The 21-year-old Adcock went 5-7 with a 5.29 ERA in 21 games (19 starts) with Single-A High Desert of the California League. He went 5-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 14 starts before the All-Star Game and was charged with three earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 19 starting assignments.
“Nathan has shown our scouts quality pitching instincts, including a curveball that was ranked the best in Seattle’s system by Baseball America,” said Huntington. “Despite pitching in the worst pitcher’s park in baseball in High Desert of the California League, Adcock has shown the ability to get ground balls with an advanced three-pitch mix and the ability to locate his 91-plus mile per hour fastball, which are crucial tools.
