Pirates and Indians trade five

PITTSBURGH – The Pirates concluded Wednesday a five-player deal with the Indians, choosing a major league league option and two prospects for a pair of players with great league experience.

Pittsburgh sent a thief Jordan Luplow and field player Max Moroff in Cleveland in exchange for a field player Erik Gonzalez and the right-handers of the Minor League Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza. Gonzalez, 27, could be part of the opening round of the Pirates, given the uncertainty that prevails at the short stop and second goal.

PITTSBURGH – The Pirates concluded Wednesday a five-player deal with the Indians, choosing a major league league option and two prospects for a pair of players with great league experience.

Pittsburgh sent a thief Jordan Luplow and field player Max Moroff in Cleveland in exchange for a field player Erik Gonzalez and the right-handers of the Minor League Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza. Gonzalez, 27, could be part of the opening round of the Pirates, given the uncertainty that prevails at the short stop and second goal.

"Erik Gonzalez is a sports midfielder who plays well in defense and could become a productive hitter at the Major League level," Chief Executive Neal Huntington said in a statement. "It gives us another option to play in short-stop or in the middle of our battlefield this year and in the future."

Video: CLE @ TOR: Gonzalez takes a break in the 8th place

Gonzalez has had major league offensive problems since his debut in 2016, setting up a .263 / .292 / .389 diagonal line with five homers and 27 runs in 275 games. The Indians have used him as a utility infielder, giving him 30 matches at second base, 20 at third and 16 at the short stop last season.

The addition of Gonzalez and two young pitching hopefuls costs the Pirates two young big players, Luplow and Moroff. The writing was perhaps on the wall for Moroff when Pittsburgh did not call him last September when he was already on the list of 40 men. It is more surprising to see the Pirates part with Luplow, who played well in Triple-A and seemed to be lining up to have more playing time in the outfield early next season. Gregory Polanco ends his recovery from shoulder surgery in September.