The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated Chase d’Arnaud for assignment, according to Chris Cotillo.
#Pirates designate Chase d'Arnaud for assignment.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 24, 2014
The move clears room for Brent Morel, who was claimed off waivers from Toronto earlier today. The Pirates will have ten days to waive or trade d’Arnaud. If he clears waivers, they will be able to outright him to Indianapolis, where he was projected to begin the 2014 season. D’Arnaud was projected to be a depth option at shortstop and second base, while Morel is projected to serve as depth at third base. The Pirates have a more desperate need for third base depth at the moment.
D’Arnaud arrived in the majors in June 2011. In his career he had a .507 OPS in 157 plate appearances. He has a lot of speed and he’s a great base runner. D’Arnaud is also a good enough defender to play shortstop, with a lot of range. The downside is that his bat hasn’t produced in the upper levels, with the exception of success against left-handed pitching.
UPDATE 5:00 PM: The Pirates make the move official.
