Twins acquire left-handed pitcher Kris Johnson from Pirates
Send Right-Handed Pitcher Duke Welker Back to Pittsburgh
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - The Minnesota Twins announced that they have acquired left-handed pitcher Kris Johnson from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-handed pitcher Duke Welker.
Johnson, 29, went 0-2, 6.10 ERA (10.1 IP, 7 ER) in four games (1 start) for the Pirates last season. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder went 10-4, 2.39 ERA (135.2 IP, 36 ER) with 43 walks and 94 strikeouts in 26 games (21 starts) for Triple-A Indianapolis. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the first round (40th overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Wichita State University.
Welker, 27, was officially acquired by the Twins on October 5 as the player to be named later in the Justin Morneau/Alex Presley trade with Pittsburgh August 31. Welker went 3-4, with a 3.57 ERA (63.0 IP, 25 ER), nine saves, 31 walks and 65 strikeouts in 48 appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis last season. The 6-foot-7, 240-pounder also appeared in two games for the Pirates last season, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings.