Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Pirates Acquire Corey Dickerson from Tampa Bay Rays


The recipient of a bachelor's degree in energy business and finance from Pennsylvania State University, Eva Jeanne Markosky serves as an engineering assistant in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Outside of her professional pursuits, Eva Jeanne Markosky is a passionate fan of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Pittsburgh Pirates.

With spring training underway and the start of the 2018 MLB season fast approaching, the Pirates found a solution in left field on February 23 as the team acquired Corey Dickerson from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange or relief pitcher Daniel Hudson, minor league infielder Tristan Gray, and $1 million. Despite being an All-Star last season with 27 home runs and a .282 batting average, Dickerson was designated for assignment by the Rays to facilitate a trade, and the Pirates jumped at the opportunity to add him to the team’s roster. 

Originally selected by the Colorado Rockies in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, Dickerson played three years with the team before being dealt to Tampa Bay. Through 563 career games, the 28-year-old boasts a .280 batting average to go along with 90 home runs and 256 RBI. As for the players the Pirates gave up, Hudson was inconsistent last season, though he gives the Rays a potential setup man out of the bullpen. Meanwhile Gray spent the 2017 season playing shortstop and second base with Pittsburgh's Class A short-season affiliate.