Wilson, Snell dealt to Seattle

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have dealt shortstop Jack Wilson and right-handed pitcher Ian Snell to the Seattle Mariners for shortstop Ronny Cedeno, first baseman Jeff Clement, and right-handed pitching prospects Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock, the Pirates announced Wednesday.

M's Add Wilson ... and Payroll

The Mariners got a great defensive shortstop by acquiring Jack Wilson, but they also apparently will be stuck with his hefty contract in 2010, writes Keith Law. Blog

The team said Cedeno will report directly to the Pirates, while Clement is headed to Triple-A Indianapolis and Pribanic, Lorin and Adcock are being assigned to Class A teams.

Clement, Seattle's first-round pick and the third overall selection in the 2005 draft, was hitting .288 with 33 doubles, 14 home runs, 68 RBIs and 65 runs scored at Triple-A Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League.

"Our scouts have consistently projected Clement to be an everyday major league contributor with the power to hit 20-plus home runs," Pirates GM Neal Huntington said.

Wilson, who was the Pirates' longest-tenured player, is hitting .267 with four home runs and 31 RBIs.

The Mariners made the trade for Wilson perhaps thinking about making the team better for 2010, as well as 2009. The shortstop has a contractual option for next season, for $8.4 million, and it may be that the Mariners will choose to exercise that option -- something that the Pirates were not going to do.

"This was an opportunity for us to acquire a veteran shortstop, a former All-Star player, with leadership qualities and above-average defensive skills," Mariners general manager Jack Zdurienick said. "As we move forward over the next few years it is nice to know that we have solidified the shortstop position."

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The Mariners also think Snell can restart his stalled career. The 27-year-old Snell had a 0.96 ERA in six starts with Triple-A Indianapolis, after starting the season 2-8 with a 5.36 ERA in 15 starts for Pittsburgh.

Zdurienick called Snell "a talented pitcher with major league experience who now has an opportunity restart his career after a very successful reassignment in Indianapolis."

Seattle had acquired Cedeno in the offseason from the Chicago Cubs. He struggled after the Mariners gave him their shortstop job this month by trading Yuniesky Betancourt to Kansas City. Cedeno is hitless in his last 26 at-bats and is batting .167 in 59 games. The 26-year-old's contract ends after this season.

ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney contributed to this report.

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