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The Pittsburgh Pirates had a busy day on Tuesday, pulling the trigger on two different trades.

In the first move, Pittsburgh sent veteran Eric Hinske to the New York Yankees in exchange for low-level minor leaguers Casey Erickson and Eric Fryer.

While Erickson and Fryer have limited upside, the Pirates really didn't have any need to keep Hinske on the roster anymore. Thus, it's hard to knock the organization for trying to get some value in return, anything, for the soon-to-be free-agent's services.

Erickson, already 24 years old and still pitching in A-Ball, is certainly not an elite prospect. Plus, he has already transformed into a reliever, limiting his potential value down the road. He has been successful at Charleston in the Carolina League, though, posting a 2.25 ERA and 2.54 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) mark. The 6-foot-3 right-hander, a 10th-round selection out of junior college back in 2006, has produced rates of 7.57 K/9 and 2.66 BB/9 without allowing a home run in 44.1 innings pitched.

Erickson, who was also drafted by the Chicago Cubs out of high school in 2004, can touch 94 MPH on the radar gun, but generally sits in the low-90s with his fastball. He also mixes in an average curve ball and improving change-up. Barring a major breakout or improvement in velocity, though, he profiles as nothing more than a marginal major league reliever; he didn't make the Yankees' organization Top 20 list by any major scouting publication.

Fryer has now been traded twice in the past four months; the Milwaukee Brewers sent him to New York in exchange for left-hander Chase Wright--the guy who gave up four consecutive home runs to the Boston Red Sox--back in spring training. Like Erickson, he is 23 years old and has been playing against much younger competition for the Tampa Yankees in the Florida State League. The Ohio State product has put up a career minor league line of .286/.363/.424 and .787 OPS since being drafted by the Brewers in the 10th round of the 2007 draft. He's limited defensively, however, and unlikely to stick at catcher long term. Once he moves to another position on the diamond, his value will diminish greatly. Making matters worse, he has struggled to produce against more advanced pitching in 2009, batting just .250/.333/.344 with a .320 Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) in 255 plate appearances.

As Kevin Goldstein wrote on his Twitter account, the pair of prospects solely represents bodies to add to the Pittsburgh farm system. While the return is hardly anything to write home about, though, it's clear that Hinske was expendable; a free agent at the end of the season, he was obviously unlikely to be part of the next truly great Pirates team. Thus, the thought processes used--even though the players may never make an impact--were sound, also providing a bit of payroll relief.

On the Yankees' end, Hinske was a nice pickup. The former Rookie of the Year has struggled in his first year with the Pirates, posting a line of .255/.373/.368 with just a single home run. His OPS+ of 103 is above average, but his .333 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) will come down to earth when his luck regresses back to the mean. The biggest surprise with him so far, though, is the sudden power outage. In a comeback performance with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, he came out raking and finished with 20 homers and a solid .347 wOBA in 381 plate appearances. The fly balls haven't found the seats for him in Pittsburgh, though, as his Isolated Power (IsoP) has fallen from .218 to .113.

While Hinske isn't performing at the same level as he did in Tampa Bay, the power totals should improve; ZiPS projects him to hit .237/.333/.407 the rest of the way, with his average dropping and IsoP rising. He's not much of a defender (he has been worth -4.7 fielding runs in his career, according to FanGraphs), but he can play multiple positions, including third base. With Alex Rodriguez expected to require rest every few days, he could be a nice fill-in for New York at the hot corner. Plus, he adds insurance if Rodriguez faces any more injury issues. Essentially taking the roster spot from replacement-level infielder Cody Ransom, he could net the Yanks about a win in the standings; he was worth 2.0 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) for the Rays in '08 when accounting for batting, fielding, replacement and positional factors, with the total sitting at 0.3 in '09. He won't set the world on fire, but, at a relatively cheap price, Brian Cashman and the Yankees were wise to acquire him.

The bigger trade for Pittsburgh, rumored since the weekend, became official later in the afternoon. The Bucs sent reliever Sean Burnett and starting left fielder Nyjer Morgan to the Washington Nationals in exchange for reliever Joel Hanrahan and once-hyped outfield prospect Lastings Milledge.

Although many Pirate veterans were disappointed by another big move (weeks after saying goodbye to Nate McLouth), the thought processes used by Neil Huntington in this player swap were excellent. Milledge, who has seen his stock bottom out completely, will eventually determine the outcome of this deal, but the buy-low mindset used here is exactly the approach the Pirates should be taking to rebuild the ship. Not too long ago, the former first-rounder was considered one of the premier outfield prospects in the game; heck, in high school, Perfect Game USA compared him to Wille Mays*, and he probably would have gone earlier than 12th in the first round if not for off-field issues that forced him to transfer schools his senior year.

*Perfect Game, it's worth pointing out, also raved about his makeup, writing, "We should add, that in the 3 or 4 years we have gotten to know him and watched Lastings play... We have never seen anything other than great character, politeness and a willingness to do what it takes. We think he has championship caliber makeup and will be a Big League star performer!"

Now, which seems more far-fetched?: the Mays comparison or the make-up assessment?

It hasn't worked according to plan for Milledge, however, as he has produced a meager line of .261/.326/.400 and .89 OPS+ in 1,004 plate appearances in the majors. He got his New York career off to an auspicious start when he high-fived fans on the right field line after delivering a big home run shortly after making his debut, an act which rubbed many within the industry the wrong way. Since then, his personal baggage and issues--which boiled over this spring, when Nationals manager Manny Acta became so fed up with him that he sent him packing to Triple-A--have garnered more attention than his performance. As well, he graded out statistically as one of the worst defensive center fielders in the game in '08, compiling a -17.1 UZR in 1,185.2 innings at the position during his first full year playing there at the highest level.

That said, Milledge is still only 24 and tremendously talented; the scouts who loved him in high school weren't wrong to praise his ability. Due to his tremendous tools, many analysts applauded the Nationals for acquiring him in the 2007 offseason, seeing it as a buy-low even then; Jim Bowden, infatuated with troubled but talented outfielders loaded with tools, sent Ryan Church and Brian Schneider to the Mets, causing many people to rip Omar Minaya for giving up on Milledge too soon. With his struggles in his debut in the nation's capital (0.1 WAR total, a tick above replacement-level) and demotion to the minors in April, though, his value is even lower this time around.

Sure, Milledge may never pan out. Perhaps he's a legitimate cancer with personal issues that will prevent him from ever harnessing his talent and seeing it translate into results. For a team like the Pirates, though, he was more than a risk worth taking. He's under team control at an affordable rate until 2013, potentially giving the club a cost-efficient asset who could emerge as a solid regular if he can put his problems behind him.

Hanrahan has posted an alarming 7.71 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched, which may make the casual Pittsburgh fan a bit weary. He has missed bats to the tune of 9.64 K/9 rate, though, while producing a 3.56 FIP, an excellent predictor of ERA going forward. The 6-foot-4 right-hander has struggled with command (3.86 BB/9), but has fallen victim to some bad luck and was unfortunate to pitch in front of an embarrassingly terrible Nationals defensive unit; the Nats rank 29th in the majors with a putrid .681 Defensive Efficiency Rating. As a result of both factors beyond his control, his BABIP is a ridiculously high .451, 100-plus points greater than his .347 career mark. ZiPS has his ERA at 3.80 the rest of the way, so if he continues to miss bats, he'll be a capable addition to the bullpen for Pittsburgh.

Hanrahan, also under team control until 2013, throws hard. His average fastball velocity for his career is 93.8 MPH, coming at 95.2 in '08 and 93.9 in '09. He primarily relies on the heater (66.1% of his pitches) but also mixes in a mid-80s slider and mediocre change-up. With his velocity, the 27-year-old should be able to keep putting up healthy strikeout rates.

The Pirates did have to give up two decent (but expendable) pieces to pull off the move.

Burnett, a 26-year-old southpaw, has been an effective bullpen arm in Pittsburgh, posting a 3.06 ERA and 134 ERA+ in 32.1 innings pitched. His peripherals are less than stellar, though, as he pitches to his defense and doesn't miss a lot of bats (6.40 K/9). He has also had command problems at times (4.18 BB/9) and been assisted by an unsustainable .218 BABIP and 78.2 strand rate. Given the disparity in ERA, it's surprising that he actually has a higher FIP (4.50) than Hanrahan, who also has better stuff. The former first-rounder (2000) gets by with a four-pitch arsenal that includes a high-80s fastball, high-70s slider and low-80s change-piece.

Morgan is an easy player to root for. A former hockey player, he won over the local media with his personality and quickly became a fan favorite in the Steel City. Like Hinske, however, he was never going to factor on a contender in Pittsburgh and objectively isn't really anything special. He is what he is offensively: a speedy player who can hit for a nice batting average and draw some walks. He has almost no power (.090 career IsoP, .376 career slugging), though, and, despite his wheels, is an inefficient base stealer; he has been thrown out 18 times in 52 total chances. Entering Tuesday, Morgan is hitting .277/.351/.356 with a 93 OPS+ and .315 wOBA. Most encouraging, he has improved his walk rate (9.4%) while working better at-bats. Still, the Juan-Pierre Junior nickname is merited and does a nice job of distinguishing his upside as a hitter; ZiPS has him producing a .307 wOBA from this point on.

Most of Morgan's value, however, comes from his excellent outfield defense. Indeed, he has been one of the best left field defenders in baseball so far, producing a 12.4 UZR and 23.6 UZR/150; he leads the majors in UZR. Largely due to the runs that he has shaved off with his glove, he has been worth 1.9 WAR. Considering the nightmare mix of fielders--being generous there--the Nats have run out, from Adam Dunn to Josh Willingham, he'll be a major upgrade for Washington on this front, perhaps helping them stay out of the cellar in defensive efficiency. He doesn't become arbitration-eligible until 2011, so he'll provide some nice value for his new club if he continues to play stellar defense. For that reason, Mike Rizzo deserves some credit.

Overall, the Pirates had a productive day as Huntington continues to build for the future. Unlike his predecessor Dave Littlefield, whose sole priority was seemingly to keep his job (moral hazard 101), he has done what he thought was right for the long-term health of the franchise, regardless of the short-term backlash and consequences among the media and fan base. For a team that is going on its 17th losing season and wandered aimlessly for decades, that kind of vision is paramount.

Milledge is a nice gamble, and, even if he doesn't emerge as an impact player, the cost of two expendable and replaceable pieces in Burnett and Morgan won't do any serious damage. Hinske wasn't exactly a building block, either. Although he didn't fetch much in return, the idea of adding depth and saving money was solid.

For the Yankees, Hinske could provide a nice boost down the stretch, as well as insurance for A-Rod; call him GEICO. If he regains the power stroke, the Yanks could be looking at 1.0-WAR-level production in return for two minor leaguers whose departure will hardly make a dent to their farm system depth.

Washington upgrades its defense, an absolute necessity for that outfield, and rids itself of one of Bowden's toolsy outfielder reclamation projects. Still, Pittsburgh was the winner from a process perspective.

Tyler Hissey is the editor of Around the Majors and host of Minor League Notebook Weekly. To reach him, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.