Pirates get Erik Gonzalez from Indians in 5-player trade

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infielder Erik Gonzalez along with right-handed pitchers Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza from the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday in exchange for outfielder Jordan Luplow and infielder Max Moroff.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said Gonzalez gives the team "another quality option to play shortstop or in the middle of our infield this year and into the future."

In parts of three seasons with the Indians, Gonzalez hit .263/.292/.389, and primarily served as a utility infielder, spending time at second base, shortstop, and third base, with a few games at first base.

Thomas and Mendoza, both 19, have pitched exclusively in rookie ball over the last two seasons.

Going the other way, the 25-year-old Luplow has spent 64 games at the major-league level since 2017. He batted .194/.274/.371 with six home runs, though his numbers at Triple-A last year were more impressive (.287/.367/.462 in 88 games). Moroff has likewise failed to make much of an impact in the big leagues, posting a .625 OPS over 84 career games with the Pirates.