Versatile utility man Jose Pirela is on the move, as the New York Yankees have traded the 25-year-old to the San Diego Padres for minor league right-hander Ronald Herrera.
MLB Roster Moves confirmed the deal on Twitter.
Pirela made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2014, appearing in seven games at second base and designated hitter. He got more playing time this season as New York made it to the playoffs, playing in 37 games with a .230/.247/.311 line.
While not a massive upgrade for a Padres team that was a mess in 2015, Pirela does give them more depth to play with next season, as MLB.com's Corey Brock noted:
Pirela's best role may be as a bench player, but the Padres found out the value of having depth last season. Second baseman Jedd Gyorko has been a disappointment since arriving in the big leagues in 2013, posting a .236/.293/.395 line in 364 games.
Plus, the Padres will likely lose left fielder Justin Upton to free agency, and outfielder Wil Myers played in only 60 games last season due to injuries.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller will certainly be more active this offseason as he looks to improve upon the 74 wins his team had in 2015, but Pirela is the kind of valuable bench player he ignored last season investing in all of the marquee names.
With Pirela now on board as a fourth outfielder and extra infielder, Preller and the Padres can look to fill their potential starting roles through free agency or trades.
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