Royals Deal Vin Mazzaro, Clint Robinson to Pittsburgh for two minor leaguers

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Pirates are announcing they have acquired pitcher Vin Mazzaro and first baseman Clint Robinson from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor league pitchers Luis Rico and Luis Santos.

Rico is a right-handed pitcher from Venezuela who turns 19 tomorrow (Happy Birthday Luis!). He has pitched a total of 49 1/3 professional innings in two seasons. He spent last year in the Dominican Summer League with a 7.06 ERA and 21 walks in 23 innings. I'd say he's pretty raw. He stands 6'1'' and 180 so there is a frame there that can fill out as he matures.

Luis Santos is a 21-year old Dominican right-handed pitcher who posted a 2.44 ERA with 74 strikeouts and 20 walks in 62 2/3 innings in the Dominican Summer League. Both pitchers were signed in April of 2011 by the Pirates and will be assigned by the Royals to Surprise, Arizona.

Vin Mazzaro, 26, was acquired by the Royals from Oakland in the David DeJesus trade and posted a 6.72 ERA in 20 games with the Royals, including this infamous game in which he was left out to dry to give up fourteen runs in less than three innings of relief work.

Clint Robinson, 27, was a 25th round pick by the Royals in 2007 out of Troy University. The Jefferson City, Missouri product was a minor league power hitter who could draw walks, smashing 29 home runs in 2010 with a 1.035 OPS in AA Northwest Arkansas. After a stellar 2011 season in Omaha which earned him four plate appearances in the big leagues, Robinson regressed last year to post a .292./393/.452 line in AAA.

Both Robinson and Mazzaro had been designated for assignment last week by the Royals to make room on the 40 man roster. To make room on the Pittsburgh roster for the two, the Pirates designated for assignment former Royals infielder Yamaico Navarro.