Pirates Acquire Connor Joe From Rockies For Minor League Pitcher

The Pittsburgh Pirates have swung a trade with the Colorado Rockies, acquiring first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe. In return, the Bucs are sending right-handed pitcher Nick Garcia to Colorado.

Joe was originally selected by the Pirates with the 39th pick in the 2014 MLB draft.  Three years later, the Pirates traded Joe to the Atlanta Braves in a midseason pickup for Sean Rodriguez.

Joe made his big league debut in 2019 in a brief stint with the San Francisco Giants and has spent the last two seasons with the Rockies.

Last season in Colorado, the 30-year-old slashed .238/.338/.359 with 20 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 29 RBIs. He finished the season ranked 10th among all National League players with an 11.8 walk percentage.

For his career, Joe owns a .247/.346/.385 triple slash in 182 games.

Garcia was a third-round selection of the Pirates in 2020. The 23-year-old spent last season with High-A Greensboro and went 4-4 with a 3.66 ERA in 25 appearances/23 starts.

He becomes the second player from the 2020 draft class traded by the Pirates this offseason as fourth-rounder Jack Hartman was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Ji-Man Choi.

To make room on the roster for Joe, right-hander Nick Mears was designated for assignment.

Mears appeared in two games for the Pirates last season. For his career, he is 4.75 ERA in 36 appearances with Pittsburgh.