Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates trade South African 2B Ngoepe, add Meadows to 40-man

PITTSBURGH (AP) — History-making Pirates second baseman Gift Ngoepe is on the move.

Pittsburgh traded Ngoepe to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. The 27-year-old Ngoepe became the first African-born player in baseball history to reach the major leagues when he debuted on April 26 in a loss to the Chicago Cubs. Ngoepe, who is from South Africa, hit .222 in 28 games for the Pirates while spending the majority of the season at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Pittsburgh also added three players to the 40-man roster, including outfielder Austin Meadows. Considered the top prospect in the organization going into 2017, Meadows hit .250 with four home runs and 36 RBIs for Indianapolis while battling injury.

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