Bucs Pull the Trigger; Get Kela for Hearn & PTBNL

The Bucs strengthened an already formidable bullpen early this morning when they got Texas closer Keone Kela for minor leaguers LHP Taylor Hearn and PTBNL (reportedly to be not as highly ranked in the system as Hearns, a Top Ten prospect, was). Also, someone on the active & 40-man roster is going to have to get chopped to clear a space for Kela.

The Pirates most serious contender, according to reports, was the Dodgers; the Cubs and Red Sox were also in the hunt. The Pirates were looking for immediate but controllable help while the Rangers are looking at a rebuild with a 2020 transition window, so the deal gives both sides what they were after.

Keone Kela (photo Mark Terrill/AP)

Kela, 25, moved into the closer’s role for the first time this season and converted 24 of 25 save chances (spoiler alert: he had a lead of three-plus runs in 14 saves; he had just six saves closing out with a one-run lead), with a 3.44 ERA and 44 K in 36-2/3 IP. Keone features a fastball (97-98)/curve combo. The righty fits the hard-thrower mold the Pirates like and fills the controllable/affordable bills; he won't hit his walk year until 2021 and makes $1.2M, plus he sports the appropriate arm ink.

KK does present some risk; he was on the DL three times with elbow and shoulder injuries in 2016 and ’17, but so far, so good in 2018. Kela also had a discipline issue that landed him in AAA to start 2017, but that appears to be water over the dam as he's been a good citizen since (and we assume the Pirates did a background check). He also sports a chasm of a split with a .125 BA v RHH/.321 v LHH; he has all but ditched his change. The Pirates could maximize him with that third pitch in his kit, so Uncle Ray's job will be to develop that or another pitch to attack the lefties.

He won't bump Felipe Vazquez but now Clint has a couple of late-inning set up choices with Kela and Kyle Crick, joining with Edgar Santana and Richard Rodriguez to form a pretty strong back end, with all sorts of leverage possibilities if the ol' skipper feels frisky.

Taylor Hearn (via @thearn14 twitter)

Hearn, 23 and the Pirates #7 prospect, slashed 3-6/3.12 with 1.09 WHIP and 107 strikeouts in 104 IP for the Curve, holding opponents to a .198 average. It's a homecoming for him as Hearn is from Royse City, Texas, less than an hour away from Arlington. He was projected to be a big league reliever, although he was the top-ranked lefty starter in the Pirates system, so it'll be interesting to see how Texas uses him.

Now to see if Neal has any more wheelin' and dealin' in mind before the 4 o'clock deadline drops...