Pirates, Mariners Make a Seven-Player Trade

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

According to multiple sources, the Pirates have just finalized a deal with the Seattle Mariners involving shortstop Jack Wilson as the centerpiece.

The teams will be swapping shortstops at the Major League level, with the Mariners sending over Ronny Cedeno as part of the deal. The Pirates also sent right-handed starter Ian Snell.

The package the Mariners sent to Pittsburgh included C/1B Jeff Clement and three A-ball pitchers: Brett Lorin, Nathan Adcock and Aaron Pribanic.

Pittsburgh is paying all but $400,000 of the remaining salaries of Wilson and Snell for the remainder of the season.

Let's take a look at the players involved in the deal.

Jack Wilson

The centerpiece of this deal for the Mariners, Jack Wilson is a flashy defensive shortstop. Pirates fans have enjoyed watching him make several beautiful plays over the years, and he's had his share of rotations in ESPN's Web Gems.

Statistically speaking, he's in the middle of the best defensive season of his career.

The big knock on Wilson is that he can't hit to save his life. Of course, neither could anyone else the Mariners were playing at shortstop. The addition of Wilson will help stabilize the team's middle infield defense, which has been a weakness for them all year.

The 31-year-old Wilson is likely no more than a one-year rental for the Mariners, who have the ability to buy out of his option next year for $600,000 if they don't feel he's worth keeping on board.

Ian Snell

Snell had a full season's worth of dominant baseball in Pittsburgh split over two seasons, and he may make an interesting reclamation project for Seattle. However, he had burned his bridges in Pittsburgh.

At 27 years old, Snell still has some potential to be wrung out of him. He has amazing stuff, with lots of zip and movement to all of his pitches.

The knock on Snell is a mental one. Although he has the tools to succeed, at times he gets into mental blocks on the mounds and serves up fat pitches to the outer part of the plate.

Pitching coaches and fans alike have criticized his steadfast refusal to spread the ball around the zone, preferring to constantly work the outer half of the plate.

Snell has a reputation for his temper. While Pittsburgh reporters have denied it, fans have gleaned from the quotes in the papers that he has a tendency to fly into fits of rage when things don't go well for him on the mound.

This year, Snell requested and received a demotion to AAA, and while there revealed to the Indianapolis media that he had been struggling with depression and contemplating suicide. Perhaps the change of scenery in Seattle will help him get his life back on track.

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