PITTSBURGH -- Reported to be in pursuit of controllable pitching as the non-waiver Trade Deadline approached, the Pirates followed through early Tuesday morning and picked up a big, young arm with the acquisition of Rangers closer Keone Kela.Pittsburgh also backed up its stated willingness to deal high-level prospects, as the Bucs gave up Double-A left-hander Taylor Hearn, their No. 7 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline, along with a player to be named later in exchange for the 25-year-old Kela. According to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, the deal will be completed when the Rangers choose the other player from a list in August.
"Kela is an experienced, quality, high-leverage reliever who projects to be a significant addition to our late-game options for the next few seasons," general manager Neal Huntington said.Huntington went into buy mode over the past three weeks as the Pirates surged into postseason contention by winning 15 of 19 games. But they are 3 1/2 games out of the second National League Wild Card spot, and Pittsburgh's front office always keeps one eye on the future, so the Pirates sought upgrades that would complement their current young core. Kela, a right-hander, fits the description.Will this be it for the Pirates? On Monday, the eve of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, they were connected in various reports to Rays starter Chris Archer, among other controllable starters.Kela was one of the more attractive bullpen options remaining after a flurry of moves was made for relievers in the days leading up to the Deadline. Reports connected him to the Pirates over the past week, and they finally came to fruition around 1:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday."It has been like a little bit of an earthquake here and there," Kela said. "Waking up and knowing I wanted to be a part of this situation, but knowing this game comes with this nature. My first time with this, not a bad issue to have other people want you and go play in contention. Definitely nerve-wracking. Grateful for the opportunity I have here."Kela has put together a strong season, converting 24 of 25 save opportunities while posting a 3.44 ERA, 2.97 FIP and 1.15 WHIP. In his first full year as Texas' closer, Kela has 44 strikeouts and 14 walks with three home runs allowed in 36 2/3 innings. He owns a 3.45 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 180 Major League appearances, all of them coming in relief.Kela's value also comes with his contract. He is making $1.2 million this season, and he remains under club control through the end of the 2020 season. So Kela will join closer Felipe Vazquez and setup man Kyle Crick at the back of what's shaping up to be a formidable bullpen for years to come."I've never played there. Heard from a bunch of guys that it's a fun place to play," Kela said of Pittsburgh. "It's a baseball city. It's family-oriented. Very happy to go over there and get the same love I did here."The Pirates had to pay a price to get Kela, however. The 23-year-old Hearn was part of their next wave of pitching prospects, a hard-throwing left-hander acquired from the Nationals along with Vazquez in exchange for closer Mark Melancon on July 30, 2016. Hearn was 3-6 with a 3.12 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 107 strikeouts in 104 innings over 19 starts for Double-A Altoona.
Adam Berry/MLB.com
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