After having initial discussions in December never materialized, it appears as if the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles are closing in on completing a trade that would send Pirates outfielder Travis Snider to the Orioles.
First reported by Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, Connolly suggests sources are telling him that a deal could be completed within the next day, if not sooner.
Snider, originally a first round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, came to the Pirates in a mid-season trade in 2012 in exchange for Brad Lincoln, a former first round pick of the Pirates.
After struggling to close out the 2012 season, Snider entered 2013 as the favorite to be the Pirates starting right fielder before injuries derailed the once promising prospect and limited him to just 285 plate appearances.
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Last season, Snider enjoyed a resurgence as he produced a line of .264/.338/.438 while providing above average defense and a key left-handed bat off the bench as the Pirates were able to ease top prospect Gregory Polanco into the lineup.
At just 26-years-old, Snider produced a WAR of 2.5 last season and showed he could handle a starting role. After losing Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz to free agent this off-season, the Orioles have been on the hunt for a right fielder and Snider may fit their mold. Earlier this month, the Pirates and Snider agreed to a one-year, $2.1 million deal to avoid salary arbitration and with two more seasons of team control, the Orioles could view Snider as someone who can be an everyday player while the Pirates currently see Snider as an expendable commodity with Polanco poised to take-over the everyday job.
Right now, specifics have not been detailed, but it appears the trade could involve 1-2 Oriole prospects who are not currently on their 40-man roster. If the deal were to fall through, Snider would likely enter the 2015 season serving a valuable bench role and spelling Polanco against tough right-handed pitching.
If a deal is finalized, please check back for further details.