Sure Enough, the Pirates Are Buying: Acquire Rangers Closer Keone Kela (UPDATE)

Whether the Cubs were going to be in on Keone Kela or not – I tend to think not, since he’s a very good, cost-controlled, young reliever for whom the Rangers would want very good prospects – I still don’t like seeing the Pirates get him.

Source: Keone Kela has been traded to the Pirates.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2018

So, this confirms that not only are the Pirates not selling (good for them, I suppose), but they are also affirmatively buying. It’s a cost-controlled guy, so they are not necessarily going all in on rentals, but still. It’s buying that will improve them this season.

The Pirates are currently 7.0 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central, and 4.0 games out in the Wild Card. They face the Cubs 10 more times this season, starting with two in Pittsburgh tomorrow night and Wednesday.

UPDATE: Here’s at least part of the return:

The Rangers will receive LHP Taylor Hearn as one of 2 players from Pittsburgh.

— John Blake (@RangerBlake) July 31, 2018

Hearn was just ranked by MLB.com as the Pirates’ 7th best prospect, but was outside the top 10 to Baseball America.