Pirates Acquire Lefty Specialist Antonio Bastardo From Phillies

The Pittsburgh Pirates bolstered their bullpen on Wednesday by acquiring pitcher Antonio Bastardo from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for minor league hurler Joley Rodriguez.

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A day after re-signing pitcher Francisco Liriano, the Pittsburgh Pirates further improved their staff by acquiring left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for minor league pitcher Joley Rodriquez.

Bastardo went 5-7 for the Phillies in a team-high 67 appearances in 2014, recording a 3.94 ERA in the process. Bastardo, who had spent his entire career in the Phillies organization since being signed as a free agent in 2005, was once regarded as a top prospect as a starter and made all five of his major league starts when he debuted with Philadelphia in 2009.

The Phils moved him to the bullpen the following season, where he made 269 appearances over the past five seasons. Bastardo has recorded 11 saves in that span while establishing himself as the Phillies most useful arm out of the bullpen. He also has become a tough arm for left-handed hitters, as evidenced by his .175 batting average against them last season.

Rodriguez is a 23-year-old lefty who was signed by the Pirates out of the Dominican Republic in 2009. He reached Double-A in 2014, where he finished 6-11 with a 4.84 ERA in 30 appearances, including 21 starts.

The Pirates made the move for Bastardo after losing out on reliever Pat Neshek, who signed with the Houston Astros earlier on Wednesday. Neshek had been close to signing with the Pirates before the Astros pulled off a last-minute deal that swayed Neshek.

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