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Pirates Re-Acquire Duke Welker for Kris Johnson

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have re-acquired right-handed pitcher Duke Welker in exchange for left-handed pitcher Kris Johnson, per a team press release. Welker was sent to the Twins after the season as a player to be named later in the deal that brought Justin Morneau to the Pirates. Johnson joined the Pirates in August as a reliever, after putting up some impressive numbers in Triple-A.

The trade works well for both teams. Johnson might have a shot of being a number five starter, or a lefty middle reliever. He was going to be far down the depth chart as a starter, and wouldn’t beat out Tony Watson or Justin Wilson as a reliever. He might have a better shot at making the Twins rotation. Welker is a hard throwing right-hander who hits upper 90s, and could be a late inning relief option in the future, especially with the other trade that sent away Vic Black.

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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