Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports the Pirates have acquired outfielder Travis Snider from the Blue Jays for right-hander Brad Lincoln. Both were first-round picks in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, as Snider was picked 14th overall while Lincoln was picked fourth.
The Pirates have been looking for another outfielder for a while now. Snider isn’t a big name like Justin Upton of the Diamondbacks, but the Pirates didn’t have to give up the farm to get him, either. The 24-year-old entered play tonight with an underwhelming .247/.305/.429 batting line over 914 plate appearances in the big leagues and has a penchant for the strikeout, but he could still develop as a middle-of-the-order power threat. He’ll be under team control through 2016.
Lincoln, 27, has a solid 2.73 ERA and 60/14 K/BB ratio over 59 1/3 innings this season. The Blue Jays could give him another chance as a starter, but he’s more likely to be successful in his current relief role.