Pirates trade for Tampa All-Star
Seattle QB to join Yankees camp
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Tampa Bay traded All-Star designated hitter Corey Dickerson to Pittsburgh on Thursday for relief pitcher Daniel Hudson, minor league infielder Tristan Gray and cash.
The 28-year-old Dickerson was designated for assignment Saturday. He was the AL’s starting DH in last summer’s All-Star game, but struggled at the plate the second half of the season. The trade lets the Rays shed Dickerson’s $5.95 million salary.
Hudson is a 30-year-old right-hander who went 2-7 with a 4.38 ERA in a career-high 71 appearances in 2017. He’s 37-30 with a 3.98 career ERA over eight seasons with the Pirates, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Hudson has 59 career starts, but primarily as a reliever since returning from a second Tommy John surgery in 2015.
Dickerson batted .282 with 27 home runs and 62 RBIs last season. He was obtained from the Colorado Rockies in January 2016 and hit .265 with 51 homers and 132 RBIs over the past two years.
Gray was a 13th-round pick of the Pirates in 2017. He spent his first pro season with Short-A West Virginia in the New York-Penn League, batting .269 with seven homers and 37 RBIs in 53 games.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting said Thursday that the team won’t stray from its roster strategy even if some of its moves are unpopular with fans. Pittsburgh traded away two of its top players, outfielder Andrew McCutchen and pitcher Gerrit Cole, in exchange for six younger players, including pitcher Joe Musgrove and third baseman Colin Moran, who will be on the opening day roster.
The turnover comes after the Pirates missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons.
“We’ve made a clear directional shift this offseason,” Nutting said. “No question, this team is going to be stronger in 2019 and ’20 than it would have been without those trades.”
Nutting insists the Pirates are not in a rebuilding mode.
“We are not at a point where we need to punt a season to harvest some draft picks,” Nutting said. “I think that’s the wrong approach for the Pirates. Will we need to make some very challenging trades to harvest talent? Yes. Will they be enthusiastically welcomed? No. We will continue to do what we think is right to infuse talent into this organization everywhere we can.”
Backlash to the team’s moves have come from fans and the clubhouse.
Believing the team is not committed to winning, second baseman Josh Harrison already has requested a trade. Third baseman David Freese has said he has not felt much competitive fire in the clubhouse the past two seasons.
Both players met privately with Nutting.
“I think some of the comments were correct and fair,” Nutting said. “I think they’re helping to build what we need to do, which is put the most important things up front to make sure we do have that winning culture.”
Nutting said he’s done his part this week by being visible on the fields at Pirate City during spring training workouts, and said the players must do more, too.
“Any great culture primarily is coming from the bottom up,” Nutting said.
YANKEES: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is set to join the New York Yankees’ spring training camp on Monday.
The Yankees acquired the one-time minor league infielder from the Texas Rangers on Feb. 7 for future considerations.
Wilson will spend a few days with the Yankees but won’t play in any games. He was assigned No. 73; his football jersey is No. 3, long retired by the Yankees for Babe Ruth.
“As a quarterback leadership, obviously, huge role for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday. “He’s developed a reputation of being a tremendous leader. So, anytime we can get people like that around our guys, it’s something we welcome.”
RED SOX: Cleveland High School alumnus Blake Swihart tripled and drove in three runs in Boston’s 15-2 exhibition win over Northeastern University Thursday.
PADRES: San Diego manager Andy Green says newly acquired first baseman Eric Hosmer won’t play in at least the first two spring games.
ORIOLES: Pitcher Chris Tillman and Baltimore finalized a $3 million, oneyear contract that allows him to earn an additional $7 million in performance bonuses.