PITTSBURGH — The Pirates decided to take on the baggage that comes with Lastings Milledge because General Manager Neal Huntington feels the enigmatic 24-year-old outfielder can be part of a “championship equation.”

There is little doubt Milledge has the physical tools to be a star player in the big leagues with his power and speed.

However, his maturity has been questioned since he broke into the major leagues with the New York Mets in 2006 and through the last two seasons with the Nationals, who traded Milledge and reliever Joel Hanrahan to the Pirates on Thursday for Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett.

However, Milledge says he has grown up and will prove that now that he is with his third organization since being the Mets’ first-round draft pick in 2003 from Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton, Fla.

“I’ve soaked up a lot of stuff, been through a lot of things,” Milledge told the Bradenton Herald’s John Lembo. “If I ever go back to a big market, I know how to play. I know what it takes to be successful. I know how to handle myself when I'm going through failures. If people boo me, I’ve been through all that. It’s only a plus.”

Milledge will be playing for a small-market team in the Pirates, though he will have to earn the promotion. Milledge is with Bradenton in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League as he gets back into playing shape after missing nearly two months with a broken finger.

He is expected to join Class AAA Indianapolis next weekend, but Huntington has given Milledge no timetable for when he would receive a major-league promotion.

“All Neal said is I control my own destiny,” Milledge said. “So whenever I’m ready, whenever I’m feeling good, whenever I’m putting up good numbers, I’ll be there. I’ve just got to work. I just got my swing back after missing some time and I feel good now.”

Milledge has a supporter in Nationals manager Manny Acta.

“I’m a big believer in him,” Acta said. “I think it’s going to happen for him. It’s just tough it didn't happen here.”

No hard feelings: Veteran infielder-outfielder Eric Hinske, who was traded to the New York Yankees for two minor-leaguers on Thursday, was supposed to play a more significant role with the Pirates after signing a one-year,

$1.5-million contract as a free agent in January.

Hinske had just 126 plate appearances in 54 games as Andy LaRoche quickly solidified his spot as the regular third baseman and Delwyn Young, acquired April 15 from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade, emerged as the backup to right fielder Brandon Moss.

Hinske said he had no hard feelings about his stay with the Pirates and appreciated Huntington trading him to a contender.

“He’s one of those general managers who will actually come around and talk to you about how you’re doing and where you’re at,” Hinske said.

“He was real honest with me and said he would do all he could. It was a hard situation, but he was real professional about it and so was I. There are no hard feelings either way.”

Hinske is also thrilled to be joining one of the most storied franchises in sports.

“To be able to play for the Yankees is pretty cool,” said Hinske, who returns to the American League East, where he played on pennant-winning teams with Boston and Tampa Bay the last two seasons. “It’s a ton of pressure, but to me, the AL East is the place to be. I've missed the intensity, the pressure of every game. It's quite a thrill."

Minnesota also had interest in Hinske and almost worked out a trade that would have sent reliever Luis Ayala to the Pirates.

CITIZEN BAY: Former Pirates and current Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay, the pride of Trail, British Columbia, is now an American citizen. He was one of 360 people naturalized Thursday in a ceremony at Boston's Faneuil Hall.

"It's a pretty proud day for me," said Bay, whose lives in Seattle in the offseason and whose wife and daughters are American citizens. "I'm definitely proud to be an American."

Becoming a citizen was certainly something better than celebrate than his performance Wednesday in a victory at Baltimore in which he struck out a career-high five times. That was one away from the Red Sox's record of six set by Cecil Cooper in 1974.

"I strike out a lot," Bay said. "Every time you open up the paper and have the box scores from the day before, every time you see one of those five-strikeout games, I feel the guy's pain. This one's for myself."

BAD DEBUT: Though the trade of infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa to St. Louis last weekend was acknowledgement that the Indians have given up hope of contending this year, they were thrilled to get rookie right-handed reliever Chris Perez in the deal. There was some thought coming into spring training that Perez could have emerged as the Cardinals' closer.

However, Perez's first outing with the Indians was a nightmare Monday night against the Chicago White Sox. He hit the first two batters, then walked the third to load the bases before throwing a run-scoring wild pitch. He followed that by failing to cover first base on what would have been a double-play ball.

He wound up lasting just two-thids of an inning and needed 27 pitches to get those two outs as he allowed four runs.

"Obviously, it wasn't the best first impression," said Perez, who apparently is the master of the understatement.