Brandon Jones
According to Jennifer Langosch, the Pittsburgh Pirates have traded outfielder Brandon Jones to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for a player to be named later. It’s likely that the Pirates end up getting nothing for Jones but “cash considerations” especially when factoring in his value this year.
Jones started out the calendar year on Atlanta’s 40-man roster. He was designated for assignment in January, and claimed by the Pirates seven days later. The Pirates assigned him to AAA, then designated him for assignment on April 25th. He cleared waivers and was outrighted back to AAA three days later.
Jones was the 70th best prospect in baseball prior to the 2008 season, but he has struggled since then, especially in the minors this year. After hitting for a .205/.277/.321 line in 156 at-bats in AAA for the Pirates this year, Jones was demoted to AA, where he only hit for a .248/.322/.321 line. Aside from the poor performance, Jones was eligible for minor league free agency after the season, making it unlikely that he would have returned to the Pirates’ system next year.
