November 18th, 2022

The Pittsburgh Pirates today acquired right-handed pitcher Dauri Moreta (DOW-ree mo-RETTA) from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for infielder Kevin Newman. With the move, the Pirates’ 40-man roster remains at 40. 

The 26-year-old Moreta made five stints in the Majors in 2022, going 0-2 with 1 save, a 5.40 ERA (23 ER in 38.1 IP), 39 strikeouts, 13 walks and a .227 opponents average in 35 games (1 start) for the Reds. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder posted 17 scoreless appearances over his last 20 outings of the season after June 19, posting a 2.92 ERA (8 ER in 24.2 IP) with 23 strikeouts and a .195 opponents average in that time. Moreta had 10 outings of greater than 1.0 inning pitched on the season, including each of his final five appearances. 

In 28 games with Triple-A Louisville last season, Moreta went 3-4 with 1 save, a 3.95 ERA (12 ER in 27.1 IP), 28 strikeouts and a .295 opponent average. In 2021, he was named the Reds’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year, an MiLB.com Organization All-Star and was named to the Baseball America Minor League All-Star Second Team after he went 6-0 with 8 saves, a 1.02 ERA (6 ER in 53.0 IP), 58 strikeouts and .164 opponents average in 42 games between Double-A Chattanooga and Louisville.

Moreta made his Major League debut on September 26, 2021, and appeared in five games that season, posting a 2.45 ERA (1 ER in 3.2 IP) with a .154 opponents average. He entered the 2022 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 15 prospect in Cincinnati’s system.

Newman, 29, was the Pirates’ first-round selection in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft. He combined to hit .260 (402-for-1,545)/.303 OBP/.357 SLG with 67 doubles, 11 triples, 20 home runs and 143 RBI in 431 career games over parts of five Major League seasons with Pittsburgh.

COURTESY MLBpressbox.com & PIRATES MEDIA RELATIONS