The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired veteran infielder John McDonald from the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who reported the deal Wednesday.
The Pirates will send a player to be named later or cash to the Diamondbacks, according to Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Bucs were hit with the news that infielder Chase d'Arnaud would miss six-to-eight weeks after undergoing surgery Monday on his thumb, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. On March 12, Rosenthal reported that Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers was looking to trade McDonald due to the presence of Willie Bloomquist and Chad Pennington.
To make room for McDonald on the 40-man roster, the Pirates will move d'Arnaud to the 60-day disabled list, as Sanserino notes.
With the Pirates in need of some depth after the loss of d'Arnaud, along with the report that Towers was looking to ship McDonald east, the deal would seem to work out logistically.
McDonald, 38, has spent 14 years in the majors playing primarily shortstop, second base and third base, although he has spent time in the outfield, too.
While not widely known for his offensive prowess, McDonald is renown for his defensive capabilities. His career UZR (ultimate zone rating) of 22.2 displays his overall defensive worth, yet despite his age, he is still responsible in the field (via Fangraphs).
In 2012, McDonald appeared in 70 games, hitting .249 with six home runs and 22 RBI. In the field, the defensive stalwart primarily filled in at shortstop, although he did fill in at second base and third base sparingly. Combined, he only committed one error all season.
Over the offseason, the Pirates acquired infielder Brandon Inge and further added some options to the team's potential bench. The acquisition of McDonald would give the Bucs a quality defensive replacement to supplement or spell Clint Barmes, Neil Walker or Pedro Alvarez.
Josh Harrison (2.1 at 3B, minus-0.7 at 2B, minus-1.0 at SS), Jordy Mercer (1.9 at 2B, 0.8 at SS) and d'Arnaud (zero at 2B, minus-0.1 at SS) didn't have the best UZR numbers last season, and McDonald would boost the options off of the bench.
The Pirates conclude spring training at the end of March and open the season April 1 against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.
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