The Pirates have acquired right hander Brady Dragmire from Toronto for Brian Jeroloman cash. The Jays had designated Dragmire for assignment last week. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated left hander Phil Coke for assignment. Coke was about to become a free agent.
Baseball America rated Dragmire as the Jays' 16th best prospect after last season. He relies mainly on a 92-94 mph sinker that can top out at 96-97. He's had a very high groundball rate, but doesn't miss many bats. Dragmire spent this season pitching in relief in AA, and didn't fare all that well. He had a 4.38 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, while posting a K/9 of only 5.1. He didn't pitch well last year, either, with a 5.26 ERA and 1.58 WHIP as a reliever in the pitching-dominated Florida State League. He at least had a better K/9, at 8.1. Dragmire was drafted out of high school in 2011 and has moved up slowly. He'll be 24 in February and has two options left.