The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they have acquired outfielder Lastings Milledge and right-handed pitcher Joel Hanrahan in exchange for outfielder Nyjer Morgan and left-handed pitcher Sean Burnett. The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington. Milledge, 24, began the season with Washington and spent a majority of the 2009 campaign with Triple-A Syracuse. He was on a rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast League Nationals at the time of the trade due to a broken finger on his right hand suffered on May 11 while playing with Syracuse. "In both Hanrahan and Milledge we have acquired players with the upside to be solid to above average major league players," said Huntington. "Hanrahan had a strong season in his first year as a relief pitcher in 2008 and has the arsenal to pitch in late game situations in a quality Major League bullpen. Milledge was one of the premier prospects in baseball. He is still young enough and has the tools to develop into an above average Major League player. We have the confidence in our staff to help each of these players reach their high ceilings."

The New York Yankees today acquired infielder/outfielder Eric Hinske from the Pittsburgh Pirates along with cash considerations in exchange for minor leaguer right-handed pitcher Casey Erickson and minor league outfielder Eric Fryer. Hinske, 31, appeared in 54 games with the Pirates this season, batting .255 (27-for-106) with 18 runs, 9 doubles, 1 home run and 11RBI. He has played 13 games in right field, six games at first base and three games at third base, and has made 29 pinch-hit appearances, going 8-for-24 (.333) with 5 walks. Hinske was the Opening Day right fielder for the 2008 American League champion Tampa Bay Rays, batting .247 (94-for-381) with 21 doubles, 20 home runs and 60 RBI, making 47 starts in right field, 37 in left field, nine at first base and four at third base. He was also a member of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox in 2007.

The Nationals and Mariners have swapped minor league outfielders Ryan Langerhans and Mike Morse. Washington acquired Morse, who can also play in the infield, for Langerhans. The move doesn't affect either team's the 40-man roster.

The Indians traded infielder Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals on Saturday night for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later, according to an Associated Press report. DeRosa, who the Indians acquired from the Cubs in a trade last offseason, was hitting .270 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs.

The Atlanta Braves made some noise around the major leagues on Wednesday when they dealt three of their highly regarded prospects for All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth. In return, Atlanta sent right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton, left-handed pitcher Jeff Locke and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez to Pittsburgh. It?s been a busy couple of days for Braves General Manager Frank Wren. On Tuesday, Wren sent struggling center fielder Jordan Schafer to Triple-A Gwinnett. Then, he released future Hall-of-Famer and fan-favorite, Tom Glavine, just hours before trading for McLouth. ?We?re excited,? Wren said, ?He really fills some voids that we have and have had since Furcal left. He?s a gold-glove center fielder. He gives us power, speed, and defense. It?s a guy that we really needed.? So far this season, McLouth is batting .256 with nine home runs and a.470 slugging percentage. He will replace Schafer in center and will provide a much needed boost of power for a team that ranks 26th in baseball in home runs. McLouth has four more home runs than any player in the Braves lineup. He will likely bat leadoff for Bobby Cox?s club. The knock on the trade for Atlanta is that they have too many left-handed bats. It was thought that a right-handed power bat would fit much better into the lineup than another lefty. Atlanta already has Kelly Johnson, Brian McCann, Casey Kotchman, and Garret Anderson who are everyday players that bat from the left side of the plate. McLouth is signed for the next four years and Wren is comfortable with the price tag that he comes with. He will make $2 million this year, $4.5 million next year, $6.5 million in 2011 and is a team option for $10 million in 2012. He is 27. ?He is signed at a rate that makes a lot of sense for the club,? Wren said. Atlanta does give away some good talent in the deal. Gorkys Hernandez is a nice prospect who plays center field. A lot of teams are high on Hernandez?s potential. However, with Schafer and now McLouth, the Braves had the depth to let him go. ?When you get a player of [McLouth?s] caliber, it hurts a little bit, because you have to give up good players, but we have the depth in the organization [to make a deal].? Morton started 15 games for Atlanta last year and went 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA. He could find a spot in Pittsburgh?s rotation relatively soon. Locke is a prospect that is at least a couple years away from the big leagues. All and all, it?s a good move for Atlanta. It shows their fans that they are ready to compete for the division title this year. It is a move that is kind of similar to when they traded for Mark Teixeira a couple years ago. Grade for the Braves: B+ Pittsburgh fans have to be frustrated as they lose another all-star for more minor league prospects. Last year, they traded Jason Bay to the Red Sox for a flurry of potential talent and also dealt Xavier Nady to the Yankees. They may have acquired some good pieces in this deal. However, you just have to wonder when Pittsburgh will start keeping their stars instead of constantly developing them only to send them away when they finally make it. Grade for the Pirates: C- - Brian Reynolds is a contributing writer for RealGM and a recent graduate of Emory University. He can be reached at Brian.Matthew.Reynolds@gmail.com

The Braves have acquired All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth from the Pirates in exchange for three highly regarded Minor League prospects. The clubs announced that the Pirates will send McLouth to the Braves in exchange for right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton, left-handed pitcher Jeff Locke and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.