By Matt Snyder Derrek Lee spent parts of seven seasons in the NL Central, and now he's headed back. Lee has been traded to the Pirates for a minor league first baseman, Aaron Baker, the Orioles announced Saturday night.
Lee, 35, is hitting .248 with 12 home runs, 41 RBI and a .715 OPS. He will absolutely benefit from a trade back to the NL Central from the AL East, though, and qualifies as an upgrade over Lyle Overbay at first base. Lee hit .306 with 35 homers and 111 RBI in 2009, his last full season with the Cubs. Lee has a career .297/.370/.470 line at PNC Park, with 20 doubles, eight homers and 52 RBI in just 67 games.
Baker, 23, is hitting .285/.353/.474 with 15 homers and 72 RBI for High-A Bradenton.
This is a cheap, solid move for the Pirates to solidify the middle of their batting order. It doesn't mean much for the future, either, as Lee's a free agent after this season.
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