The Pirates have claimed outfielder Xavier Paul from the Dodgers. Paul, 26, hit .325 AVG / .384 OBP / .579 SLG in 228 at-bats at Class AAA Albuquerque last year, although that's one of the best hitters' environments in the minor leagues. He also hit .231/.277/.314 in 121 at bats with the Dodgers.
↵The Pirates will have to drop a player from both the 25-man and 40-man rosters to make way for Paul, and since they have a full complement of outfielders, they'll probably drop one. John Bowker, who like Paul is left-handed, seems like the best bet to go. Bowker is pretty similar to Paul in terms of overall value, but maybe the hope is that Paul will provide a bit more defense than Bowker does. In any case, Paul will stick on the roster for a while, but he's unlikely to see much playing time. I'm more impressed with Bowker's minor-league track record than with Paul's, but Bowker has done little to show he can hit in the majors.
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