Pirates, D-Backs Make 5-Player Trade
The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced that they have acquired catcher Chris Snyder, minor league shortstop Pedro Ciriaco and cash considerations from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for infielder Bobby Crosby, outfielder Ryan Church and right-handed pitcher D.J. Carrasco.
The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.
The 29-year-old Snyder made 58 starts behind the plate for the Diamondbacks this season and hit .231 (45-for-195) with 10 home runs and 32 RBI in 65 games overall. He had his 240-game errorless streak snapped on June 6; the third-longest streak in Major League history by a catcher behind Mike Redmond (253 games, July 22, 2004-May 18, 2010) and Mike Matheny
(252 games, August 2, 2002-August 1, 2004). Snyder’s current OPS of .778 ranks ninth among Major League catchers with at least 225 plate appearances and he has the seventh-highest OPS (.774) among catchers in the Major Leagues with at least 1200 plate appearances since 2007.
“Chris Snyder is a solid major league player who will provide us with a quality catching option for this year and next year,” said Huntington. “He brings leadership to the club, along with a game calling and receiving ability that will help our pitching staff mature. Additionally he will add some home run power to our lineup.”
Since the start of the 2007 season, Snyder leads all Major League catchers in fielding percentage (.999), having made just two errors in 2456 chances. On offense, he established career highs in doubles (22), home runs (16) and RBI (64) while playing in a career-high tying 115 games with Arizona in 2008.
Originally selected by Arizona in the second round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Snyder made his Major League debut with the D-Backs in 2004 and singled off Aaron Harang in his first big league at bat on August 21 that season.
The 24-year-old Ciriaco hit .259 (92-for-355) with 15 doubles, seven triples, six home runs, 51 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 44 runs scored in 87 games with Triple-A Reno this season. The Dominican Republic native was also selected to play in the MLB Futures Game on July 11.
Ciriaco entered the 2010 season as the Arizona organization’s top base stealer the last two seasons (40 in 2008 and 38 in 2009) and ranked by Baseball America as having the Best Infield Arm in the system for the fourth straight season. The right-handed hitting Ciriaco was also rated by Baseball America as being Arizona’s Best Defensive Infielder prior to the 2009 campaign, during which he was named to the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams after leading the Double-A Mobile Bay Bears with a .296 batting average and 139 hits. At season's end he was ranked by the same publication as the Southern League's Best Defensive Shortstop and as having the Best Infield Arm. In 2008, Ciriaco finished third in the California League in hits (161) and stolen bases (40) while batting .310. He was also selected to the mid- and post-season
California League All-Star teams in 2008.
Snyder is scheduled to join the Pirates and Ciriaco is expected to join Triple-A Indianapolis. The Pirates have also recalled infielders Argenis Diaz and Jeff Clement today and they are expected to be in uniform for tonight’s game in St. Louis.
e-mail from Jim Trdinich
The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.
The 29-year-old Snyder made 58 starts behind the plate for the Diamondbacks this season and hit .231 (45-for-195) with 10 home runs and 32 RBI in 65 games overall. He had his 240-game errorless streak snapped on June 6; the third-longest streak in Major League history by a catcher behind Mike Redmond (253 games, July 22, 2004-May 18, 2010) and Mike Matheny
(252 games, August 2, 2002-August 1, 2004). Snyder’s current OPS of .778 ranks ninth among Major League catchers with at least 225 plate appearances and he has the seventh-highest OPS (.774) among catchers in the Major Leagues with at least 1200 plate appearances since 2007.
“Chris Snyder is a solid major league player who will provide us with a quality catching option for this year and next year,” said Huntington. “He brings leadership to the club, along with a game calling and receiving ability that will help our pitching staff mature. Additionally he will add some home run power to our lineup.”
Since the start of the 2007 season, Snyder leads all Major League catchers in fielding percentage (.999), having made just two errors in 2456 chances. On offense, he established career highs in doubles (22), home runs (16) and RBI (64) while playing in a career-high tying 115 games with Arizona in 2008.
Originally selected by Arizona in the second round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Snyder made his Major League debut with the D-Backs in 2004 and singled off Aaron Harang in his first big league at bat on August 21 that season.
The 24-year-old Ciriaco hit .259 (92-for-355) with 15 doubles, seven triples, six home runs, 51 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 44 runs scored in 87 games with Triple-A Reno this season. The Dominican Republic native was also selected to play in the MLB Futures Game on July 11.
Ciriaco entered the 2010 season as the Arizona organization’s top base stealer the last two seasons (40 in 2008 and 38 in 2009) and ranked by Baseball America as having the Best Infield Arm in the system for the fourth straight season. The right-handed hitting Ciriaco was also rated by Baseball America as being Arizona’s Best Defensive Infielder prior to the 2009 campaign, during which he was named to the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams after leading the Double-A Mobile Bay Bears with a .296 batting average and 139 hits. At season's end he was ranked by the same publication as the Southern League's Best Defensive Shortstop and as having the Best Infield Arm. In 2008, Ciriaco finished third in the California League in hits (161) and stolen bases (40) while batting .310. He was also selected to the mid- and post-season
California League All-Star teams in 2008.
Snyder is scheduled to join the Pirates and Ciriaco is expected to join Triple-A Indianapolis. The Pirates have also recalled infielders Argenis Diaz and Jeff Clement today and they are expected to be in uniform for tonight’s game in St. Louis.
e-mail from Jim Trdinich
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