Pirates acquire Antonio Bastardo from Phillies

The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired lefty Antonio Bastardo from the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Robert Murray of MLB Daily Rumors. In return, the Phillies received fellow left-hander Joely Rodriguez, they announced. 

Bastardo has reportedly been close to being traded to the Red Sox yesterday. Regardless, the Pirates finally get another lefty in their bullpen, one with a lot of potential.

Bastardo, 29, went 5-7 with a 3.94 ERA in 64 innings pitched last season. He stuck out 84 hitters, but walked 34. His ERA was likely inflated, as his 3.10 FIP suggests that he received some had defense and was only responsible for 3.10 of his 3.94 ERA. Regardless, Bastardo has shown some real good promise, but has yet to really turn that into consistency. He was previously suspended for using PEDs.

Rodriguez, 23, went 6-11 with a 4.84 ERA in 134 innings pitched with Double-A Altoona this past year. He is considered a power lefty, and as Nathaniel Shultz of FanGraphs wrote back in October 2013, he is a deep sleeper that could pitch meaningful innings in 2015. With Philadelphia, that really becomes a reality. He hits his fastball in the mid-90s with good movement. He could be real steal for the Phillies.

--Devan Fink