Pirates, Twins Complete Morneau Trade
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have completed their trade for Justin Morneau by sending right-handed pitcher Duke Welker to the Minnesota Twins.
The final portion of the Aug. 31 trade was announced on Saturday. The Pirates sent outfielder Alex Presley and a player to be named later to the Twins for Morneau to give them some extra pop at the plate and a reliable defensive first baseman.
The 27-year-old Welker went 3-4, with a 3.57 ERA and nine saves in 48 appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis this season. He appeared in two games for the Pirates this season, pitching 1 1-3 scoreless innings. He has a career minor league record of 16-39 with a 4.19 ERA. He was originally drafted by the Pirates in the second round in 2007.
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