Pirates Acquire Jason Rogers

In a curious move, the Pirates acquired right-handed first baseman Jason Rogers from the Brewers for Keon Broxton and Trey Supak. Rogers brings with him a resume packed with minor league hitting credentials which have translated rather well to the Majors. His line of .296/.367/.441 in 169 plate appearances, coupled with a solid hitting history in the minors, gives the Pirates another option for first base. One might also look at this move as an insurance policy as well, as Jung-Ho Kang’s injury status could be up in the air.

The loss of Broxton isn’t too detrimental. The Pirates already had a solid outfield in place in Polanco, McCutchen, and Marte, so the best role he could expect was as a 4th outfield option or as a pinch runner. If anything, Broxton rivaled the role Gorkys Hernandez held in his brief stint with the Pirates: speedy, defensive outfielder who can’t hit.

It is too early to say if Supak will amount to anything. One thing is for sure is his second professional season was dreadful. In 28.1 innings, he pitched to a 6.67 ERA, despite having 23 K’s and 5 BB’s. The Brewers may see some kind of future for Supak, which is completely logical, as he is only 19 years old and has a few years to rebuild his prospect stock.

This makes a trade for Mitch Moreland less likely. Adding another right-handed bat to the lineup in Rogers now fortifies the position though doesn’t give much hope for a long-term option. If Rogers can continue to show off his hitting prowess, then he could supplant Michael Morse. This trade may slot both players as placeholders until Josh Bell is called up to the majors though.