Pirates, Twins Complete Morneau Trade
The Pittsburgh Pirates have completed their trade for Justin Morneau by sending right-handed pitcher Duke Welker to the Minnesota Twins. The final portion of the Aug. 31 trade was announced on Saturday. The Pirates sent outfielder Alex Presley and a player to be named later to the Twins for Morneau to give them some extra pop at the plate and a reliable defensive first baseman. The 27-year-old Welker went 3-4, with a 3.57 ERA and nine saves in 48 appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis this season.