Right-hander Tyler Yates, a hard-throwing reliever who probably wasn't going to make the Atlanta Braves' opening day roster, was traded today to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Double-A right-hander Todd Redmond.The 30-year-old Yates, a Kaua'i High and Hawai'i-Hilo alum, will be used as one of the Pirates' setup men, an unexpected addition to a bullpen that has been overly crowded all spring with more than a dozen relievers competing for jobs.
The Braves had the same problem, which meant Yates probably wasn't going north with them.
"They have a couple of guys out of options, (right-handers Chris) Resop and (Blaine) Boyer, who have really throw the ball well for them this spring and, as a result, they had extra pitching and we benefited from that," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said.
Yates has thrown his fastball from 92-97 mph this spring, his slider from 87-90 mph and will give the Pirates another of the power arms Huntington likes.
"He can get a strikeout and can overpower people," Huntington said.
Yates, who broke into the majors with the Mets in 2004, has a 6-12 record in three seasons. He was 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA in 75 games last season after going 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 56 games in 2006.
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