Pirates Trade Adam LaRoche to the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh to ReceivPittsburgh will Receive Argenis Diaz and Hunter Strickland

For all my readers who love baseball, the Pirates have traded first baseman Adam LaRoche to the Red Sox. According to Boston radio station WEEI, Pittsburgh will receive Double-A shortstop Argenis Diaz and Class A right-hander Hunter Strickland.

Pittsburgh was known to be seeking a suitor for LaRoche, who is earning $7.05 million this season and will be a first-time free agent next season.

Diaz, who was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela in 2003, is hitting .253 with 24 RBIs in 76 Double-A games this season. Diaz, 22, split last season between Class A and Double-A.

Strickland, an 18th-round pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, is 5-4 with a 3.35 ERA in 18 appearances (12 starts) at the low Class A level. He has 51 strikeouts and 13 walks in 83 1/3 innings.

LaRoche has hit .247 with a team-high 12 homers and 40 RBIs this season. In Boston, he'll be reunited with former Pittsburgh teammate Jason Bay, who was dealt there at this time last season. Source: MLB.com

There you have it. It depends on which side of the fence you are on to be happy or sad.