The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired third baseman Aramis Ramirez and cash considerations from the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon.

The Pirates have been searching for a middle-of-the-order bat with the struggles of Pedro Alvarez, who has been the big bat in the middle of the Pirates’ order for years prior. A third baseman became a necessity after Josh Harrison tore the UCL in his left thumb, and he is going to be on the disabled list for the next four weeks or so.

THIS JUST IN: Pirates acquire Aramis Ramirez & cash considerations from Brewers for minor league pitcher. pic.twitter.com/Zo5FJkiD5A

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This season, Ramirez is hitting .247 with a .295 OBP, 11 home runs and 42 RBIs for the last-place Brewers. Although the batting average is down, the Pirates didn’t trade for him for his ability to get on base. They wanted him for his ability to drive in runs. With Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco hitting in front of him, Ramirez should have a number of RBI opportunities.

To complete the deal, the Pirates sent minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios to the Brewers. Barrios is a reliever who most recently pitched for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. In 22 games with the Indians this season, Barrios has a 4.60 ERA in 13 appearances, but his career minor league stats are much better, as he has a lifetime 3.12 ERA with an 81/44 strikeout to walk ratio in 84 appearances. He’s only 23 years old, which means he has time to get things figured out.

This was a great low-risk move by Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, and it could have potentially high rewards. With the Pirates having their sights set on a division title, a trade for a bat had to be made. The fact that Huntington was able to complete a deal, without giving up one of his top prospects, makes this trade a win-win for the Pirates.

Jason Fletcher is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.