Francisco Cervelli Traded to Pirates: Latest Details and Reaction

In a move that perhaps confirms the expected departure of Russell Martin, the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees agreed on a trade for catcher Francisco Cervelli on Wednesday.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported the deal:

The Pirates would later confirm the trade and that pitcher Justin Wilson would be heading to New York:

Cervelli, 28, has spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Yankees, serving primarily as a backup to Jorge Posada, Brian McCann and Martin. He hit .301/.370/.432 with two home runs and 13 RBI last season, appearing in his highest number of games (49) since 2010.

With McCann locked into a long-term contract and Cervelli eligible for arbitration this winter, the Yankees began shopping the Venezuelan at the general manager meetings in Phoenix. Cervelli's contract status, plus the presences of Austin Romine and John Ryan Murphy, who can step into the backup role, made the decision one of basic logic.

The Pirates, meanwhile, hope Cervelli can become the latest former Yankees catcher to thrive in Pittsburgh. Martin signed with the Pirates following a two-year run in New York before the 2013 season, later becoming a key component in leading the team to back-to-back playoff berths.

Heyman believes this doesn't change the Pirates' pursuit of re-signing Martin:

He turned in perhaps the best all-around campaign of his career in 2014, hitting .290/.402/.430 with 11 home runs and 65 RBI. His 5.3 wins above replacement were the second-highest of his career, behind only his 2007 breakout campaign with the Dodgers. With Jeff Blair of SportsNet reporting Martin wants a five-year deal worth at least $75 million, the Pirates might be preparing to cash their chips despite their protestations otherwise.

John Bazemore/Associated Press

“Were going to to stretch. We are going to go way beyond our comfort level and hope it’s enough,” general manager Neal Huntington told 93.7 The Fan’s Cook and Poni show in September. “If it’s not then we’ve got to work hard to get out and try to back fill as best as we can."

Cervelli, while he's never carried the full 162-game load, could easily slide into an effective platoon. Pittsburgh, like it did with Martin, may examine the open market and try signing an undervalued veteran. 

Wilson, 27, is a left-handed reliever the Yankees hope they're buying low on. After a very solid 2013 campaign, Wilson turned in a 4.20 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in his second full big league season. The Yankees needed to solidify their middle relief with a lefty at some point this offseason, making this a smart move for both sides.

In 2013, Wilson had a 2.08 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Odds are the Yankees will need his production to be much closer to 2013 levels for this trade to work.

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