The Pirates are bringing back one of their former first-round draft picks, as they have acquired first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe from the Rockies in exchange for minor-league pitcher Nick Garcia.
Joe, 30, was selected in the first round by the Pirates in 2014, where he posted middling results in the minors before being traded to the Braves in 2017 for Sean Rodriguez. After bouncing around between the Braves and Dodgers, Joe earned a cup of coffee in the majors with the Giants in 2019.
He got his first extended look with the Rockies in 2021, where he hit .285 with an .848 OPS over 211 trips to the plate. He could not replicate those results over a whole year in 2022, where he slashed .238/.338/.359 with seven home runs, 28 RBIs and six stolen bases over 467 plate appearances.
According to Baseball-Reference, Joe was worth 0.9 WAR in 2022.
Joe split time between first base and corner outfield last season. The Pirates have several left-handed options at those positions, including Ji-Man Choi and switch-hitter Carlos Santana at first base and Jack Suwinski, Travis Swaggerty, Canaan Smith-Njigba and Cal Mitchell in the outfield. They have searched for a right-handed option to complement them, which could be Joe.
Joe seems to check similar boxes to Miguel Andujar, who was claimed off waivers late in the season and signed a $1.7 million deal ahead of the non-tender deadline this winter. Unlike Andujar, Joe has minor-league options remaining.
Garcia was the Pirates' third-round selection in the 2020 draft, where he received a $1.2 million bonus. This past year he made 23 starts for Class High-A Greensboro, where he had a 3.66 ERA and 8.7 K/9.
Garcia is the second pitcher from the 2020 draft class the Pirates have dealt this offseason, the other being fourth-rounder Jack Hartman to the Rays for Choi.
To make room on the 40 man roster, right-handed reliever Nick Mears was designated for assignment. He recorded a 4.75 ERA over 30 1/3 innings over parts of three seasons with the Pirates.
The Pirates will need to also open up roster spots for free agent lefty Jarlin Garcia and catcher Austin Hedges, both of whom's deals are pending.
