PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks made a trade Thursday afternoon, sending utility man Josh VanMeter to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Junior 'Listher' Sosa.
VanMeter was acquired in 2020 in the trade that sent pitcher Archie Bradley to the Cincinnati Reds. He played all over the field for Arizona, playing first, second, and third base, along with playing games in both right and left field.
The 27-year-old played in 124 games for Arizona where he hit .210/.296/.352 with 19 doubles, 2 triples, and 7 home runs. He also had 41 RBI. One of his most memorable moments in a D-Backs uniform is the final play of the 2021 season when VanMeter hit a walk-off home run to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4.
VanMeter was designated for assignment by the D-Backs on March 27.
The 20-year-old Sosa, who has not pitched in the majors for Pittsburgh, went 3-1 with a 4.31 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 11 games with two Rookie FCL Pirates teams last year. He did not pitch in 2020 due to the minor league season being canceled by the pandemic.
In 2019, Sosa was 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 11 starts with the Rookie DSL Pirates.
He was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent in 2018.
The Diamondbacks will open their 2022 season on April 7th when they host their NL West rivals, the San Diego Padres at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m.