Aki traded to Pittsburgh

The Tampa Bay Rays have confirmed Tuesday that they traded 2B Akinori Iwamura to Pittsburgh for right-hander relief pitcher Jesse Chavez.

Rays beat writer Marc Topkin of the St. Pete Times, who is covering the World Series, first reported the trade talk Tuesday, saying Aki was going to an "unexpected team." Topkin later reported the impending Pittsburgh trade and said to expect "an official announcement tonight."

Chavez went 1-4 with a 4.01 ERA in 73 appearances this year. The 26 year old led the Pirates and all major league rookies with 73 appearances last season. He went 1-4 with a 4.01 ERA (67.1-IP, 30-ER) and held left-handed batters to a .228 avg. (29-for-127). He compiled a 3.19 ERA (36.2-IP, 13-ER) prior to the All-Star break. Chavez was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 42nd round of the 2002 June Draft out of Riverside (Calif.) Community College, and signed the following May. He was traded to Pittsburgh on July 31, 2006 in exchange for right-handed pitcher Kip Wells.

The Rays' infield depth - particularly at second base with Ben Zobrist and Sean Rodriguez as viable options - seems to have made Iwamura expendable.

The Rays held a $4.8 million option on Iwamura for 2010, with a $550,000 buyout if he was not traded before the conclusion of the World Series.

Iwamura, 30, hit .290 (67-for-231) with one home run, 22 RBI and nine stolen bases in 69 games for the Rays this season, his third in the major leagues. He missed more than three months (May 25-Aug 28) after suffering partial tears of his left ACL and meniscus, which required surgery.

Iwamura was the Rays starting second baseman the last two years (2008-09) after playing third base during his rookie season of 2007. In three years with Tampa Bay he hit .281 with 14 homers, 104 RBI, 29 stolen bases and a .354 on-base pct. He originally signed with the Rays as a free agent on December 15, 2006 after starring for the Japanese Central League's Yakult Swallows for more than eight years.