PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday traded pitcher Jose DeLeon to the Chicago White Sox for Bobby Bonilla, and asked waivers on Lee Mazzilli for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.
Mazzilli is the fifth high-paid veteran with a guaranteed contract to be released by Pittsburgh this season. Shortstop Johnny LeMaster and outfielder Sixto Lezcano were released during spring training. First baseman Jason Thompson was traded to Montreal during spring training, but the Pirates are paying part of his salary, and outfielder Steve Kemp was released shortly after the season started.
Mazilli, 31, played in 61 games for Pittsburgh this year and batted .226 with one homer and eight RBI, mostly in a pinch-hitting role. Mazzilli, in his 10th major league season, was a star with the New York Mets in the late 1970s and also played with Texas and the New York Yankees during his career.
'Mazzilli's done a fine job for us here and has given the manager and the coaching staff and me personally 100 percent,' said Pirate General Manager Syd Thirft. 'I feel very confident that he will be signed from the conversations I've had with other clubs.
'We made every effort to trade Mazzilli and were unable to make any kind of trade for him. He has a guaranteed contract through the 1987 season.'
DeLeon, 25, will be assigned to Chicago's AAA farm club in Buffalo of the American Association, while Bonilla, 23, will report to Pittsburgh. The White Sox called up reliever Ray Searage from Buffalo to fill the vacancy left by Bonilla.
Bonilla, a switch-hitter who was drafted by Chicago from the Pirates during last winter's major-league draft, hit .270 left-handed and .269 right-handed in 75 games with the White Sox this season. He had two homers and 26 RBI.
'Bobby Bonilla is almost identical from the left-handed and right-handed side of the plate, which is very unusual,' said Thrift. 'He has maneuverability in that he can play first base and and left field and right field and has played a few games in center field for the White Sox.
'His power is line-drive alley power, which is suitable for this (Three Rivers) stadium.'
DeLeon was 1-3 with an 8.27 ERA in nine games with the Pirates this season before being sent to Hawaii of the Pacific Coast League (AAA) where he was 5-8 with a 2.46 ERA in 15 appearances. The right-hander was 2-19 with Pittsburgh last season, leading the National Leauge in losses.
'I felt as though Jose's attempt to pitch here and returning here each time was like returning to the scene of an accident,' said Thrift. 'He had lost 19 games in 1985 and it preyed on his mind. He felt a lot of pressure every time he lost. Success is important, and I think a new environment will provide that for him.'
