Michaels was designated for assignment Tuesday after hitting .207 with no home runs and nine RBIs in 21 games this season. He was expected to be in uniform when the Pirates host Atlanta in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.
"We had a chance to get an established major league player, albeit one that is struggling a little bit this year," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "But he's a guy who brings a veteran presence to the clubhouse and can legitimately play left and right field."
Michaels is a career .277 hitter with 37 homers and 203 RBIs in 632 games. The 32-year-old was in his third season with Cleveland after being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1998 and making his debut with them in 2001.
Huntington was a special assistant to Indians general manager Mark Shapiro last season. Also, Pirates manager John Russell and bench coach Gary Varsho were formerly coaches in the Phillies organization when Michaels played there.
"He brings a lot of experience to the table," Huntington said.
Pittsburgh agreed to pay a prorated share of $600,000, meaning the Pirates will cover just $468,852 of Michaels' $2.15 million salary, with Cleveland paying the rest.
To make room on the roster, Pittsburgh optioned outfielder Nyjer Morgan to Triple-A Indianapolis after its 5-4 win over San Francisco on Thursday. Morgan batted .161 in 22 games for the Pirates this season.
Huntington said the 26-year-old Morgan will get a chance to play every day in Indianapolis.
"I'm the type of guy that the more I'm out there, the better I'm going to get," Morgan said. "I just look at it as a positive, definitely not a negative."
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