Pirates claim Thompson off waivers

Making his first player-related move since stepping in as the team's new general manager, Neal Huntington announced on Monday the Pirates claimed outfielder Kevin Thompson off waivers from the Athletics.

"I think Kevin is a young kid with a lot of pop in his bat who will bring great depth to our Minor League system," Huntington said via phone on Monday. "We talked about acquiring talent, and this is our first step in doing that."

Thompson, who finished the 2007 season with Oakland, had played his entire professional career in the Yankees organization. After being drafted in the 31st round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Thompson spent the better part of seven seasons climbing through the Minors before joining the Yankees for two stints last season.

This past year, Thompson again played the majority of the season in Triple-A, though he did appear in 13 games for New York.

The Athletics claimed Thompson off waivers on Sept. 7, after the Yankees designated him for assignment, and the 28-year-old right-handed-hitting outfielder finished the season by appearing in nine games for Oakland.

"During our blanket coverage of other teams, Kevin caught our eye," Huntington said. "When we saw him available on waivers, it was not a hard decision to claim him."

Thompson has a .215 batting average in 65 Major League at-bats, with one home run, nine RBIs and two stolen bases. He also has struck out 22 times.

Thompson, a Junior College All-American in both 1999 and 2000 at Grayson Community College in Texas, has played all three outfield spots in the Majors.

"Kevin will be given every opportunity to make our club out of Spring Training," Huntington said. "But if he doesn't, he'll be a great addition to our Triple-A team."

The Pirates placed Thompson on the 40-man roster, and in a corresponding move, they designated utilityman Matt Kata for assignment.

"It's difficult because Matt represents a lot of what the Pirates are all about," Huntington said. "But as we look at our 2008 roster, we probably need a corner infielder a little more defensively oriented and with a little more pop on his bat.

"We hope to have Matt back and give him a chance to make our team out of Spring Training, but we weren't ready to commit to that just yet."