Pirates acquire INF/OF Jason Rogers

     Yesterday, the Pirates made their second inner-division trade with the Brewers in the last 6 months. The Pirates acquired corner INF/OF Jason Rogers from the Brewers in exchange for OF Keon Broxton and P Trey Supak. Let's do a rundown on the players involved in the deal. 

OF Keon Broxton- Keon Broxton was acquired in 2014 from the Dbacks in a move that was supposed to be rather meaningless. Dbacks were giving him away. However, the Pirates saw good potential in the guy because of his defense and speed. That is the reason he was broken out in the majors at September callups last season. He was used primarily as a pinch runner. His hitting prowess was never anything to marvel at, though. His ceiling with the Pirates was a 4th OF, if that. Willy Garcia probably had him beat there. He had no place in Pittsburgh. The Pirates did a great job turning a meaningless pickup into value in a trade. Good work. 

P Trey Supak- Supak was a second round draft pick by the Pirates in 2014. However, he has struggled in his first two seasons in the low minor leagues. Given this and the fact that the Pirates are loaded with pitching prospects, it was easy for them to push Supak in a trade like this. 

INF/OF Jason Rogers- Jason Rogers, despite being 28 years old, made his big league debut not too long ago. His debut came in 2013. Doing the math, the Pirates earned a lot of years of control for a pretty decent player overall. His defensive metrics look good, especially at 1B, where he posted an above average score, according to UZR. Another thing that strikes me is that he was great down the stretch, hitting over .400 in the latter part of the season. He posted a .296 BA overall in close to 200 plate appearances, which isn't bad by any means. 

     I like this trade. I think the Pirates gave up a couple of players that didn't really have organizational fits while getting back a player that may not be a big name, but he is still a decent player. He won't be the guy to put the team over the top, but he certainly gives the Pirates flexibility to spend in other areas, knowing that Rogers is still making the league minimum. Rogers is also a great insurance policy in case of injury to someone or if Kang isn't ready by Opening Day, or even by May. The Pirates like the position flexibility, and Rogers provides that. Knowing how the injuries happened last year, Rogers is just the guy the Pirates need to help sooth the trouble, if it should arise. As I said, I like the pickup. The Pirates did good with this one.