Pittsburgh, PA – The Pittsburgh Pirates bolstered their starting rotation by acquiring Wandy Rodriguez and cash from the Houston Astros in exchange for three players.
The move was announced following Tuesday's 5-1 loss against the Chicago Cubs, in which former Pirate Paul Maholm outdueled Pittsburgh's number two starter James McDonald.
"Wandy Rodriguez is a quality starting pitcher and we are pleased to add him to our club," said Pirates general manager Neal Huntington. "Wandy has quietly ranked among the upper echelon of Major League starting pitchers the last three seasons in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts among other categories. We believe he will be a solid addition to our rotation for the remainder of this season and beyond."
The 33-year-old left-hander had gone 7-9 with a 3.79 earned run average in 21 starts for the Astros this season.
In 227 games (218 starts) since breaking into the majors in 2005, Rodriguez holds an 80-84 mark, 4.04 ERA and a pair of complete-game shutouts.
Heading to Houston are minor league pitchers Rudy Owens and Colton Cain along with outfielder Robbie Grossman.
"Wandy has been a terrific pitcher for the Astros for a long time," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "Trading a player like Wandy is not easy, but we know this deal is a very good one for us, the Pirates and for Wandy. We thank him for all he has done for the Astros and wish him continued success."
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