The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds completed the first major trade of the 2005 Winter Meetings Tuesday night. Cincinnati sent first baseman Sean Casey to Pittsburgh in exchange for pitcher Dave Williams. Casey, 31, had spent the past 8 seasons with the Reds organization. The first baseman hit for a team leading batting average of .312 last season. He added 9 homers and 58 runs batted in to a strong Reds lineup. The former Indians 2nd round draft pick also produced a .371 on-base percentage and struck out 48 times in 2005. Williams, 26, held a 10-11 record last season and generated an ERA of 4.41. The southpaw was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 17th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Breaking Down The Deal Both teams involved in this deal clearly had agendas. Cincinnati used the deal to dump salary, while Pittsburgh unloaded a struggling pitcher. By dealing Casey, the Reds are finally able to accommodate their players ? Adam Dunn will shift to first base, while Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena, and Ken Griffey Jr. will patrol the outfield. Cincinnati frees up $8.5 million and acquires a young pitcher for their weak staff in Dave Williams. Williams throws a high 80s fastball along with a good curveball. The 26-year-old struggles with runners in scoring position and lacks endurance. He still has some time to emerge as a mid to low-end starter, but time is quickly running out. Casey, on the other hand, is coming off a season in which he missed 25 games - mostly due to a concussion. He is a very good hitter and is still more than capable of knocking it over the fence. One thing for sure is that he will continue to drive runs in. Winner: Pittsburgh Pirates ? Pittsburgh acquires a solid presence to their lineup. Casey provides the big middle-order bat that the Pirates have lacked in past seasons. While Cincinnati gets rid of Casey?s salary, they lose a formidable bat and good clubhouse guy. All they have to show for this deal is a struggling Dave Williams. ? I think the Delgado-to-Mets deal left the Reds crippled as New York had considered Casey a possible option for their club. Do you have a question, concern, or comment? ? Feel free to email me at [email protected]