Thank You Jesus! Brian Bixler Has Just Been Traded. For Jesus!

Pirate fans don’t have Brian Bixler to bitch about any more.  In a move that came out of necessity to clear roster space, Bixler was traded today to the Cleveland Indians for Jesus.

Well, Jesus Brito who somehow let four other players hit higher than him in all of Minor League Baseball.  He played third base and he wears his hat ala Sean Burnett.  For now that’s all I got.   

UPDATE from Pirates press release:

The 22 year old Brito finished fifth in batting among all minor league baseball players in 2009 after hitting a combined 353 (79-for-224) with 19 doubles, 10 triples, three home runs, 43 RBI and 52 runs scored in 60 games at rookie level Arizona and A ball Mahoning Valley.

The right handed hitting Brito finished first among all Arizona League hitters in BA at .366 and on base percentage .439 while also ranking second in triples with eight and slugging percentage .642 in 2009.

He ranked fifth in the league with 23 extra base hits and hit safely in all but seven of his 35 games with Arizona.  During July, he ranked second in the Arizona League in BA with a .418 and total bases 68 and tied for fourth with 23RBI.

Brito was promoted on August 8 to Mahoning Valley, where he hit safely in 10 of his first 11 contests and in 20 of his 25 overall as a member of the Scrappers.  In 90 at bats with Mahoning Valley, he batted .333 and posted an 875OPS.