MLB PLAYER NEWS

Pirates bring back old friend in Ramirez

The Sports Xchange

July 24, 2015 at 1:52 am.

Ramirez is hitting .247 with 11 home runs and a .725 OPS in 81 games this season.  Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Ramirez is hitting .247 with 11 home runs and a .725 OPS in 81 games this season. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH — Exactly 12 years and one day after giving Aramis Ramirez away to the Chicago Cubs while under financial duress, the Pirates got the 38-year-old third baseman back Thursday night in a bid to make the postseason for a third consecutive season.

The banged-up Pirates acquired Ramirez and cash considerations in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers for Triple-A Indianapolis right-handed reliever Yhonathan Barrios.

Pirates third baseman Josh Harrison is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. Shortstop Jordy Mercer is also not expected back until September after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Sunday in a game at Milwaukee.

“The fact we’ve got two players that are out for probably for a large chunk of time is what really pushed us into action here,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. “When we lost one, we were fine. When we lost the second, it was a challenge.”

The Pirates have a 3 1/2-game lead in the National League wild card standings but are six games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central.

“We felt this was a legitimate major league bat that wherever (manager) Clint (Hurdle) wants to put him in the lineup, he can do some damage for us,” Huntington said. “He can be a threat and provide some protection. That was important for us.”

The Pirates, on the brink of insolvency, traded Ramirez to the Cubs on July 22, 2003, in order to reduce their player payroll. Ramirez was just 25 and just two years removed from having a 112-RBI season for a team that lost 100 games in 2001.

Ramirez is hitting .247 with 11 home runs and a .725 OPS in 81 games this season. He has hit .352 in 16 games in July and has a .333 batting average in 25 games since June 19.

The Pirates signed Ramirez in 1994 as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic. He made his major league debut on May 26, 1998, at age 19. He is the last teenager to play for the Pirates.

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