Two Guys Talkin’ Trades Buccos in the OF

7-9-23 – By Justin Verno & Corey Shrader – @JV_PITT and @CoreyShrader on Twitter

Justin Verno- When Corey and I started writing the last piece the Bucs were in 1st place. They were also smack dab in the Wild Card race. Since then, Corey? The wheels have fallen off the wagon and the horse got sick.

Corey Shrader- Things can change rapidly in the NL Central and the Wild Card race, that’s for sure. It is worth mentioning that with how the division is shaping up, another multi-week hot streak could really get them back into a good place.

JV- It’s really early in this trade season but the rumors have been flowing, and that includes some involving our Pittsburgh pirates. 

Corey, it’s not often we hear three rumors on the Bucs this early in the trade season. I get the feeling we could see a lot of rumors this time around.

CS- One reason for this is that it seems the direction could go either way. The team is kind of in limbo. They could sell or buy depending on the opportunities that are presented to them. Something we mentioned in the last piece will also dictate this. The overall buyer/seller landscape is not incredibly clear this year. At least not yet.

JV- Another question I’ve found myself asking is: how will this draft impact what the Bucs do at the deadline? Corey, normally this thought wouldn’t even cross my mind. It’s a non factor in 99% of the drafts, but is it this draft? I’d say it does matter. 

CS- On this we agree. The fact that Pittsburgh stands to select arguably one of the most polished bats and arms in this draft might influence some other personnel decisions. Historically speaking, Pittsburgh does not rocket prospects up the ranks. Henry Davis moved quickly though – I believe he would have moved even faster had he not had some bad injury luck too. But Skenes, Langford, Crews all have the potential to move and move fast. 

We aren’t here to discuss the draft or draft philosophy, but I have to mention that I hope this is not something being considered by the front office. You select the best player & not for need. Doing it the other way around almost always is a mistake. But I digress.

JV- While the draft could very well impact the Bucs Trade Deadline plans, it doesn’t change ours. The team needs are still there and still need addressed. Today’s need?  Upgrading CF. 

CS- Yes. Shall we get to the matter at hand then?

Small Ball Buy

JV- A lot to consider with a small ball buy here, Corey. If the Bucs do draft Crews, I think a rental is something to look for. If they go Skenes? A longer term CF is the play. I know there are a lot of Jack Suwinski believers out there, but I can’t apologize for identifying this as a need, and a glaring one at that. For one Jack just isn’t a CF glove, and that’s as good a reason as any to upgrade. And despite his OPS and solid .231/.361/.571 split he still isn’t a CF.

The Team-The Angels

Anyone down for a three team deal?

Pirates get-

Jo Adell– ETA:Debuted

Adell was once the “next great thing,” but after making his debut at 21 he has struggled to find himself in the majors. Slashing .215/.261/.362 in his time in Anaheim. Not the buy I typically look for entering the window, but he’s ripped AAA pitching this year(.276/.368/.579 with 21 HR) and it could be time to bet on a pedigree. 

Angels get-

Brent Sutter-SV $2M

Brent is having a nice Fountain of Youth type season and there’s always a market for a LHRP.

Rockies get-

Kyle Nicolas–SP ETA:2024-FV 40+($3M)

Acquired in the Jacob Stallings deal, but the Bucs have a lot of pitching through the system.

Po-Yu Chen–SP ETA:2025- FV 40($1M)

Chen still has a bright future, but did I mention the Bucs have a lot of pitching in the system?

A small buy with big potential. Part of me wonders if the Angels are ready to move on from Adell, and I have to wonder if that’s why he’s stuck in AAA.

CS- For my “small” move, we are going to go to the Great Northwest:

Pirates get: Taylor Trammell, OF   

Mariners get: Tahnaj Thomas, P

The Mariners have quite a bit of OF depth, between Taylor Trammell and Cade Marlowe, they have some wiggle room to move one. Trammell is likely the “lower” regarded option between the two, but has long graded out as a good defensive CF and is blessed with great speed. 

While Trammell has not had much success in the majors, he also has had a difficult time cracking the lineup and getting an extended look. He runs well, is known for defensive prowess, and still has some upside to tap into with the bat. He is likely not a long term option at CF, but could be a useful 4th OF, defensive and/or speed bench piece.

With Tahnaj Thomas, it would be more about Seattle believing that they can resuscitate his career. If there is an organization out there that might be able to do so, it is Seattle. Seattle is a cutting edge pitching dev organization and they might very well be able to squeeze the most out of a still raw prospect like Thomas.

Middle of the Road

The team-The Marlins

JV-This wasn’t easy but here goes.

Pirates get-

Xavier Edwards-CF/2B ETA:Debuted – FV 45($6M)

Another former top prospect that slid from grace. Xavier is in the middle of a terrific season in AAA and even had a stint in the Show. While Xavier will never have the prodigious power that Suwinski has shown, he does have the very thing that Jack lacks. He hits. He gets on base. He has a glove. He projects as a prototypical leadoff hitter. And while he won’t hit many HR, he does find the gaps.

Marlins get-

Thomas Harrington-SP-ETA:2026–FV 45($4M)

I’ve used Harrington already in these and I have a feeling we could see his name come up in trade talks. He’s moved quickly and looks like a kid who gets to the MLB faster than the ETA. He also looks like a guy who could grab a spot on the top lists, making this an extremely hard trade to swallow.

Travis Swaggerty–CF-ETA;debuted-FV 40($2M)

If the Marlins are to move their young CF, let’s give them a back up option. Things just never got off the ground for Swaggs in the Bucs system, so a new org may be just what the doctor ordered. 

CS – 

Pirates get: Jud Fabian, OF

Orioles get: Bubba Chandler, P

I am prepared for this to not be popular. But I can live with it. At draft time in 2022, I was very much on the Jud Fabian hype train. When the Pirates passed on him with both picks 36 & 44, I was quite disappointed. Granted, selecting Harrington at 36 is a pick that I was absolutely happy with and he has looked good. The selection of Hunter Barco at 44 was perplexing then, and still now with some high quality bats still available (Tyler Locklear, Ivan Melendez, & Fabian all). Of course we have no real idea what Barco is yet. Until he recovers from TJ surgery and begins rehabbing it is unknown & hard to judge. Nonetheless, the Bucs might want to take a look at acquiring Fabian now.

Fabian is really tooled up. Terrific defensive CF, plus power, plus contact quality. He does have some hit tool questions and in the lower minors he has shown some growth on that front. Should his hit tool continue to progress in the upper minors, look out. For me, he is bordering on being an “elite” prospect even though various lists have not got there yet. 

Fan favorite Bubba Chandler would be my proposed return to the O’s  here. I really think Bubba has a shot to be a good pitcher. His transition to A+ has not been much to write home about just yet, but his strikeout stuff is still evident. With Baltimore being very hitting prospect heavy at the moment, Chandler might just be the type of arm they would leap at adding to the system.

Go Big or Go Home

JV- OK, stay with me here. My CF upgrade isn’t for a CF. My plan isn’t ideal, BUT it would work. The first part of the plan slides one Bryan Reynolds back to CF from LH. Hey, relax. Take a deep breath, it’s going to be ok. 

The team- The Padres

Pirates get-

Juan Soto-OF–SV $60M

Soto will likely make over $30M next year. This is impossible, right? Yeah, probably, but let’s have fun with it anyway.  Moving on from his contract could be attractive for the Pads and adding some talent is a must for their system.

Padres get-

Jack Suwinski–OF–Sv hard to gage

A lot of fans are gonna be mad at me here, as I seem to be trying to give Suwinski away, right? And I am. Jack’s power is undeniable, no doubt about it. But his splits are bad and it’s time the Pirates decided he just isn’t an everyday guy. But there’s more: his K rate is climbing as pitchers learn to pitch to him and he’s streaky. Too streaky. Being a streaky player isn’t the worst thing, but his peaks don’t last long enough, his valleys are way too deep and he lacks any consistency in between. 

Sending Jack Suwinski back to the team that gave him up in a trade to begin with isn’t the norm. But it works here. The Pads would need an OF and the Bucs would need to clear a spot on the 25 man roster. They are familiar with him and his power could help them stay afloat. Why not?

Termarr Johnson–2B–ETA:2027–FV 55($46M)

Has become a common name in these threads, and it is what it is. TJ will be an attractive trade piece for the Buccos. Remember, ya gotta give to get. 

Quinn Priester–SP–ETA:2023– FV 50 ($21M)

This won’t be popular among the Bucs fan base, because the Bucs need pitching and they need it soon. In the end it’s viable the Pads insist on Jared Jones or Anthony Solometo. And if they do, the Bucs should entertain it. I hate giving up either, particularly Jones, who I can see debuting this year. 

Another reason I can see the Pads liking Priester? He’s a guy that is close and could allow the Pads to sell Ian Snell for other needs at the trade deadline. 

CS – Going to go for a splash on this one:

Pirates get: Luis Robert Jr, OF

White Sox get: Termarr Johnson, MI

                          Jared Jones, P

                         Liover Peguero, MI/OF

Let’s go big. After last week, this kind of feels like I am picking on the White Sox, but they aren’t good and their farm system is also kind of thin with talent. Naturally they are assumed to be sellers.

Luis Robert Jr is the kind of player I’d empty the farm for. A tremendous talent that has flashed his skills on and off in his career, but had yet to put it all together in a single season until 2023. Robert is putting up a great season on the strength of a .374 wOBA, 141 wRC+, & a top 10 OAA. This type of output for a 25 year old is worth shipping out assets for.

The White Sox could be tempted with arguably the crown jewel of the system, Termarr Johnson as the centerpiece for a deal. The highly lauded youngster is putting up good production in A ball despite the surface stats being slightly not what was expected from his pre-draft profile. Round this trade package out with two much more major league ready pieces in Peguero & Jared Jones and there might be enough to make something like this happen.

Put a bow on it

JV- I love the idea of adding Robert, Corey. I had toyed with it myself and in the end went with Soto, who I think is a guy that could be on the move so in the end I went in that direction.

What I liked about adding Soto is it works if the Bucs take Dylan Crews or Paul Skenes.

-Take Skenes and you need a CF upgrade who can play the position and hit with more consistency while the org finds a longer term answer. Shalin Polanco? Probably not that soon, but you get the point.

-Take Crews(or even Langford) and you don’t have to rush them. You have Soto manning LF until one forces their way onto the 25 man. 

How fun would it be if they nabbed Soto and extended him? A fella can dream, can’t he?

CS- I am incredibly excited for the draft – as we have mentioned, it could have ramifications for other personnel decisions. Selecting the best player, or who you believe to be the best player, is usually the best way to go regardless of MLB personnel. Selecting any of Dylan Crews, Wyatt Langford, Max Clark, Walker Jenkins, or Paul Skenes will put a premium talent into the system. It is reasonable to believe that a college player will be contributing to the major league team a good two seasons sooner than a prep player barring a sonic boom like Jackson Holliday is currently experiencing. 

The Bucs should look to leverage their farm system into adding to this team either way. I think we have some fun ideas here. Only time & the big club’s performance leading into the deadline will tell.