Pirates claim Jake Elmore

The Pirates on Friday claimed Jake Elmore off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds, completing a busy week for the 27-year-old utility player.

The Reds, who claimed Elmore off waivers from the Oakland Athletics in August, sent him outright off the 40-man roster Monday. They re-signed him Wednesday, then lost him on waivers Friday. 

Elmore has played every position on the diamond, but mostly second base and shortstop. He played in the majors for parts of three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros and Reds, receiving 12 plate appearances with Cincinnati in 2014. The Pirates are his sixth organization.

In 315 plate appearances at Class AAA in 2014, split between Sacramento in the Pacific Coast League in the A’s organization and Louisville in the International League with the Reds, Elmore hit .281 with a .376 on-base percentage but only a .345 slugging percentage. He walked more than he struck out, but did not hit a home run. 

The Diamondbacks drafted Elmore out of Arizona State in the 34th round in 2008.