PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Recently, Pirates trades with Tampa Bay have been one-sided. Today the Rays acquired another former Bucco.
Tampa Bay trading cash to the Pirates for reliever Sean Poppen. The right-hander designated for assignment on Thursday after three appearance with the Bucs to give a 40-man roster spot to 1B Will Craig. Poppen went 4.2 innings allowing 11 hits, 7 runs, 4 earned, a home run, a pair of walks and 4 strikeouts with the Pirates in 2021. The 27-year-old pitched 4 innings in AAA this year with a 4.50 ERA.
Poppen picked up in the off-season after 10 career games with the Twins in 2019 and 2020 with 11 runs allowed in 16 innings. The 6'3", 210 pounder played four years at Harvard before the Twins took him in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
He is not arbitration eligible until 2024 and is technically still a rookie.
