Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 2:48pm

PIRATES LAND VETERAN 1B MORNEAU

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired first baseman Justin Morneau from the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Alex Presley and a player to be named later.

What does it give the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are clearly going for it this year, as Morneau adds to what they already acquired previously in right-fielder {P Marlon Byrd}. Suddenly, Pittsburgh's offense looks a lot better than it did two weeks ago. Morneau should immediately step into the first-base job and play every day, which will likely relegate {P Garrett Jones} and {P Gaby Sanchez} to bench roles.

What does it give the Minnesota Twins
Presley is a mediocre outfielder who should get a lot of playing time in September for the Twins, who have nothing to play for this season. Moving Morneau may allow catcher {P Joe Mauer} to play first base more regularly--perhaps as early as September--and on a full-time basis in 2014. Another option at first base may be {P Miguel Sano}, whose bat is big-league ready but his defense at third base may be an issue.

Fantasy impact
Morneau moves directly into the fire of a pennant chase, but the move to the National League may limit his short-term effectiveness. Presley gets a fantasy spike because of the chance to see a lot of playing time in Minnesota down the stretch. However, perhaps the biggest winner here is Mauer if he winds up moving from catcher to first base permanently (partly due to his recent concussion issues).