7-29-24 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on X
I spent considerable time on here over the past month or so trying to illustrate just how weird this deadline could be.
It’s been classified as a “seller’s market” and it’s become pretty clear, on the pitching side, it very much so is. Relievers are raking in nice packages, starters have too but none of the “big” starters have moved yet, so we’ll have to see how crazy that gets.
The Pirates have very specific needs, centerfield being the headline, but the available centerfielders are at best weird fits.
I still think they’ll do something, I never thought it’d be something huge, I just don’t really see huge out there. I’d also say, if you think this team needs 4-5 players at the deadline, calmly look yourself in the mirror and say, “I don’t think they’re ready to go for it”, because if you truly think they need all that, believe me, you don’t believe they’re really ready.
Lets do this!
1. The Players Deserve Help
I had this exact thought in the top of the 9th inning yesterday. A visibly still hurting Rowdy Tellez was asked to take an at bat and hopefully run into one to tie the game.
It was a desperate move, by a desperate coach already playing without 3 of his better pieces.
What really struck me though was Rowdy and I’ll start right here, regardless of what he’s done on the field, man did we as a collective fan base misjudge what this guy is all about.
He clearly wasn’t right, wincing after just about ever swing he fought pitch after pitch off until he finally got one he could damage and blasted it off the wall, which provided barely enough time for him to jog to second and get the ultimate tying run in scoring position to start the inning.
Jared Triolo has had a largely terrible year, but all of Derek Shelton’s moves to tie the game up caused Jared to have to play the outfield for the first time in the bigs. All he did is make a huge diving catch to keep the game tied and forced extra innings.
Mitch Keller pitched his ass off to keep this non-existent lineup within striking distance for yet another no-decision.
Even Yasmani Grandal moved over to 1B to finish the game and got tested defensively a couple times.
Point is, the players they do have are fighters, it sure would be great to see this club add in something if only to thank this crop for never quitting, by way of proving management hasn’t either.
2. They Better Make a Big Deal or…
Or what? You won’t watch or bitch online? Fine by me, and just about everyone else too by the way.
Listen, there were two deals out there that both fit the needs of this team and would have at the very least cost enough to have someone consider them bigger deals. Jazz Chisholm and Luis Robert Jr.
On the hitting side, that’s the list. There are starting pitchers out there, but that’s not the Pirates pain point is it?
Jazz has been moved, Robert is increasingly unlikely to be moved.
They still have options, but I’m of the belief there simply aren’t and weren’t any big splash type deals on the table, at least not for bats.
Some of you probably don’t want to hear this, you’d rather just continue to say things like “well that’s his job!” or “he waited too long” but I’d counter with, this landscape and the names being floated about have barely changed since May. Sure, we had a few team waiting to see where they’d wind up first, but the names that were on their “if” list, meaning if they fell out of contention hasn’t changed for the most part.
Relief pitchers are bringing back more than position players and I find that a bit surprising if only because of supply and demand. In reality, it’s more likely the hitters available simply aren’t complete/good/real help, however you want to put it.
This isn’t to excuse Cherington, he still needs to get something done, I just don’t think there was ever a good “all in” candidate.
If the Pirates have a real shot this year, it’ll be on the arms. They’ll pitch their way into opportunity and the pitching is what makes them a dangerous out should they reach the playoffs too.
Augment this lineup, do it wisely with what’s available and let’s see what this year can be. If you decided he needed to pull off a big deal or be fired, well, you should have fired him last year cause this year didn’t present any opportunity for your dream ultimatum scenario.
Also, he’ll be here AT LEAST through 2027. You could also just go away til after that I suppose. lol
3. The Side of the Deadline Fans Don’t See
You know how it’s not usually a surprise to fans when a guy is made available?
Like we just discussed that this current crop for the most part was identified as plausible back in May. The way MLB operates, team control is scripted to the point where you can go through rosters and just with common sense point out who may or may not be available.
There are surprises of course, but for the most part, if you’re going to be on the block, you know you’re going to be on the block.
That comes with a ton of pressure and for some a sense of instability that they can’t snap out of.
Excel, and should your team not follow suit, you might just be playing yourself out of town. Muddle along and you might play yourself right off the roster or into a trade where you aren’t seen as true help.
Other guys know they’re going to be available, and further, they know they’re going to be seen as the savior when they are dealt. That carries with it a type or pressure very few players truly experience.
Some players know they’re mercenaries, and they don’t spend a hot second considering anything but doing their job, the colors on the jersey hardly matter.
It’s not a fan’s job to see these players as human, in fact, if you decided to put weight into this aspect, you’d probably never move anyone. As you get to know their families, and hear about the stories of wives signing their kids up for school, not knowing if they’re going to have to yank them out and move on a moment’s notice or maybe they’ll stay but now they’re not going to have their husband there for the homestand because he’s finishing the season in another city. You have no idea where you’ll live next year, you’re just fairly sure it won’t be where you’ve called home.
Again, you can’t think of stuff like this, or you’d never propose a trade, never suggest firing someone into the sun, never.
I was lucky enough to run into Josh Harrison and his wife in town one year when he came back with Detroit for a series. I had chatted with him off and on while he was here so when I saw him (already surrounded by Bucs fans) in the cultural district, I waited my turn, said hi, and that is was good to see him. I asked something along the lines of have you gotten settled in, and he said “nah, not til I retire now”.
Man that struck me.
He knew right then and there for the rest of his career, he’d never feel truly settled again.
I can’t imagine how that feels.
I’m sorry if this one bored you, it’s part of doing this that I don’t often discuss, because honestly the players never would if they knew a camera or mic was live.
I probably miss Chad Kuhl’s wife Amanda more than I miss him. lol
The families always remind me these are human beings. Sounds so obvious to write that or read it, but when you’re living it every day, you have to suppress it. It’s part of the story, just not part of the baseball story.
4. Bucs Trade Quinn Priester
The Pirates have shipped Quinn Priester in exchange for the Boston Red Sox number 6 ranked prospect Nick Yorke a 2B/OF.
He was drafted in 2020 10 spots later than Nick Gonzales, widely regarded as the best West Coast high school bat and he’s largely held up. At 22 years old he’s in AAA and his average, OBP and OPS have been more than passable year over year. Power rating is there, but it hasn’t shown up in games as much as you’d like.
Quinn is still a project, but a fairly good bet to be an MLB quality arm.
Here’s my friend Ed from Boston, I trust him on just about everything Red Sox.
It’s hard to look at the Pirates pitching landscape and envision Quinn cracking this rotation barring catastrophe, so even if Yorke stays in AAA, this is a good move to trade from strength (pitching) for offense. Next year, he’ll line right up in the competition for playing time and he’s shown some ability to play the outfield so this doesn’t have to be a direct competition between Nick’s.
If it helps this year, I’d be a bit surprised, but Yorke is a classic case of ready to shine with no place to do it, and at 22 years old, he’s got time to figure it out yet.
His original scouting grades look like this…
So, the pedigree is there, I just don’t think the power has shown up fully yet, and at 22 in AAA, that makes some sense, he’s never even been average age for his level yet.
Certainly did some work here balancing the scales of prospectdom with swapping these two, may need to do more like this ultimately.
Part of the reason the Sox are willing here is that he’ll require Rule 5 protection next year, but it’s just as likely he’ll be on the MLB squad in some capacity before that arises.
They’re assigning him to AAA for now, but I’d imagine he’ll be here before too long, like I said, they’ll have to add him to the 40-man to protect him, and that almost always causes that late season promotion.
All in all, solid baseball trade for what amounts to two guys close to the Bigs.
Not necessarily help for now, but something I feel a team that’s amassed so much talent on one side of the ball has to do to ensure the pipeline is there to help the entire team. If he does step in and help in 2024, it probably goes from shrewd to brilliant.
5. Meanwhile, There is Still Actual Baseball…
It’s hard sometimes, especially when your team is out West to remind yourself, actual games are still being played, even while all the swirling winds of the Trade Deadline wind around the team and fan base.
Tonight the Pirates head to Houston for 3 and then back home to take on the Diamondbacks again.
Following those 6 they take on San Diego, the Dodgers, San Diego again and on to the Mariners.
A gauntlet doesn’t begin to cover it.
Now, they can pitch with all of them, but their own pitchers will be facing some extremely high powered offenses in this stretch and make no mistake, this stretch will determine whether September matters or not.
Look, baseball on the field is what this is all about, and baseball on the field is what put the club in position to be anything more than sellers this year in the first place.
Don’t eat all your potatoes and leave your meat. Pink Floyd said something similar I think. lol
Bottom line, this is an important stretch of baseball and while it’s not the deadline yet, tomorrow night brings about some normalcy and understanding of what’s around us is US.
Steel City Pirates 
the Priester trade was also about money. Saved about a million on the trade. Pirates also traded a minor league outfielder to cubs for again cash and not another player.
it’s all about money with this owner.
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Quinn doesn’t even make a million. This is literally impossible.
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