Wheelin’ and dealin’.
Neal Huntington turned over the 40-man roster he inherited from Dave Littlefield with no change in results at PNC Park. While the Pirates remain a last-place team, their minor league affiliates are stocked with legitimate prospects. There is hope for the future, allegedly.
Huntington’s work has the Pirates positioned well for a turnaround circa 2012 or so, but his evaluation of players in certain trades seems inaccurate in hindsight. Huntington is known for selling high on his own assets, and buying low on prospects out of favor with their current clubs. Unfortunately, along with his celebrated wins at the exchange came these four losses.
Room for improvement
John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny for Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio and Josh Harrison: It made sense for the Pirates to move Grabow at the 2009 trade deadline, as he was set to be a free agent after the season. He served in an important bullpen role, but in no way was he irreplaceable. The head-scratcher came when Huntington also threw in Gorzelanny at minimum value.
The 2010 Bucs need starting pitching in the worst way, and Gorzelanny has put up a 118 ERA+ in Chicago, going 7-7 with 110 strikeouts in 119 innings. Meanwhile, Hart and Ascanio are rotting on the disabled list. Harrison is a catalyst for the Altoona Curve’s offense, but he hasn’t hit for much power, and his speed isn’t a plus tool. An empty .300 average might fit at second base, but he’s played more at third—he probably projects as a utility guy at the MLB level, if he makes it there. Not bad, just not worth a 27-year-old lefty who was once pitcher of the year for your organization.
Jose Bautista for Robinzon Diaz: When Huntington shipped out Bautista, the move appeared to be motivated by a factor other than on-field performance. He wasn’t going to be a 40-homer masher in Pittsburgh, but Bautista wasn’t a complete dud, and he had some value as a multi-position bench player. The Orioles, Rays, Royals and Mets all gave up on Bautista’s talent, too, but Huntington had the last shot at the late bloomer prior to his blossoming into a four-win outfielder and third baseman in 2010.
Diaz was worth taking a look at, but ultimately didn’t hit in Indianapolis, didn’t hit in Pittsburgh, and didn’t hit in Toledo in 2010 after the Tigers signed him off the scrap heap. Right now, he’d be behind Chris Snyder, Ryan Doumit, Erik Kratz, Jason Jaramillo, and even Jeff Clement on the list of players I’d rather see behind home plate. In an extremely unfair comparison to an alternate reality, Bautista’s .258/.370/.600 line would fit fantastically into a lackluster Pirates batting order, no matter the defensive position.
Salomon Torres for Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts: Torres pitched just one season for the Brewers, going 7-5 with 28 saves and a 3.49 ERA in 80 innings in 2008. Salas and Roberts were out of the Pirates organization after one season each, and neither had any upside at the time of acquisition. Huntington’s hand may have been forced by Torres’ relations with the organization, but given the premium that’s placed on pitchers with ninth-inning experience, it’s a shame Sully didn’t fetch more.
Adam LaRoche for Argenis Diaz and Hunter Strickland: LaRoche was never the cleanup bat Pirates fans expected when Littlefield sent Mike Gonzalez to Atlanta, but he also wasn’t appreciated for the contributions he did make. Garrett Jones has been worth half a win for the Pirates in 2010 and Clement can’t stay healthy long enough to prove himself as more than a Quad-A type, and so first base is still up in the air for the short and long term.
I wonder if Andy LaRoche’s performance might’ve been steadied by having his big brother in the clubhouse on a daily basis. I know the 2010 lineup—and 2011’s—would’ve been more palatable with the elder LaRoche’s veteran presence. At a minimum, a trade return could’ve been improved. Strickland’s 5.53 ERA in 57 innings this year buries him on the prospect depth chart, and Diaz doesn’t seem likely to get a fair shake at a starting job.
If Huntington were to commit to a Diaz/Pedro Ciriaco platoon for 2011 in an attempt to unearth a poor man’s Omar Vizquel at shortstop, my opinion on this trade could change. As it stands, it was LaRoche for two bit parts at best, and that’s a waste.
Notable exclusions
Freddy Sanchez for Tim Alderson: Alderson’s work for the Pirates has been horrific, but Sanchez was a broken player when he was dealt and isn’t earning his salary in San Francisco. Neil Walker might not have broken out if Sanchez’s services had been retained, and acquiring Alderson was a move with positive expected value. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Jason Bay for Andy LaRoche, Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen and Bryan Morris: The jury is still out. Bay did well in Boston, but is showing in New York that he’s an injury risk. The Pirates can’t afford to have a franchise player who won’t stay on the field, and so it was best to part ways. LaRoche and Moss may still pan out (though in all likelihood, that would in other uniforms). If Morris develops into a No. 3 starter, he alone makes the trade worthwhile.
Jesse Chavez for Akinori Iwamura: You get what you give. “Iwamura” must be Japanese for disaster, but Chavez’s career ERA in MLB is 5.11. He’s shown no improvement in 2010, posting a FIP of 4.98 this year, compared to 4.85 in 2009 and 4.53 in 2008. A sideways move isn’t necessarily a bad one.