Bay, Marte, and the Pirates

by fugimaster24 on Jul 11, 2008 3:25 AM EDT Comment 4 comments

Hi there Pinstripe Ally,

I'm a Pirate fan, dropping my head in to see your comments on the game tonight (Raise the Jolly Roger! 2 of 3!). I was interested to see one commenter inquire about the Bucs dealing Jason Bay for starting pitching, so I figured I'd put in my opinions and knowledge out the, not only on that notion, but other possibilities of trades between our two clubs.

The Pirates have the most productive outfield in the National League, with Bay in left, All-Star Nate McLouth in center, and Xavier Nady in right. Nate is under contract, and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. However, the other two are tradeable pieces, and a good offer with SP at the deadline could really help both of us. Our outfielders have time left on their deals, and would not simply be rent-a-players that could end up being a waste of prospects if the Yanks miss the playoffs. It would be a deal that doesn't risk the long term for the short term, yet could help significantly in the short term anyway, which is what I assume the Yanks will be looking for. Of the two, I'd expect Nady to be the one more likely to move. Bay has been the established star in Pittsburgh for years, and if we decide to keep one of them, it will probably be Bay. That said, no one is untouchable, and if the Yankees give us a good offer for Bay, he could move.

The Bucs can also offer bullpen help, which the Bombers could use as well. Damaso Marte is a left handed specialist, currently serving as the Bucco closer as Matt Capps sits on the shelf. After a rough start in the first two games in Atlanta, where he gave up 2 ER and 4 ER respectively, Marte has given up only 9 since in 41 appearances, and only 6 since April 22. Last year, he dominated lefties, yielding only a .094 batting average against. He, along with John Grabow, have been the anchors of our otherwise erratic middle relief corps. Both will also be available at the deadline.

So. The Bucs and Yanks matchup well as trading partners. We can offer the outfielders, and the bullpen help to get to Rivera. A possible package deal could be huge for both teams. The Yanks could receive A) An outfielder to replace Abreu next season, and help with the injury riddle OF this season B) A middle relief guy, or C) both. My questions are, what can the Yankees offer the Pirates? How many major league ready SPs can we hope to get in a deal like this? Would the Yankees even make a deal at the deadline without the CC contract set in stone?

I hope my information helps you guys get to know us a little better as we move closer to July 31st, and I hope I can gather some information from you as well. Good luck with the rest of your season, and hopefully we'll see your team again without having to wait 48 more years.

*The Rays have been rumored to be in the Nady sweepstakes. The Yanks might be interested in keeping him out of the competitions hands

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Thanks for stopping by

I don’t think the Yanks and Bucs matchup as well as you hope.

Yes, we need a right handed bat, but left field is the one outfield position where we’re overloaded.

Nady has been league average (career high OPS+ 107) every year of his career but this year. Never pay for a career year.

Bay has been an elite hitter every year but last year (OPS > .900 4 of the last 5 years). I don’t think he has the arm to play right field.

With Matsui and Damon under contract for next season, we already have two left fielders, so either Damon or Bay would have to play center. Not a bad idea, in my estimation, but would the FO go for it? And how many more runs will score on Johnny Damon’s noodle arm?

As for MLB ready pitching, if we had any, we’d be using it. Hughes and Kennedy are on the MLB DL, along with our ace CMWang. Alan Horne, our next best starting prospect has had an injury plagued season (following a breakout season that included a 30.1 inning bump in his IP; no I don’t think that’s the source of these injuries, but when the story gets written in the offseason, remember the facts) and is currently on the AAA DL with a torn bicep.

The next best AAA guys are Dan McCutchen (who started the year in Trenton and has moved quickly through the minors, but seems unlikely to see significant MLB time this year) and 25-year old Mexican Leaguer Alfredo Aceves (who still seems to have a lot to prove at the AAA level).

If you want mediocre relievers with upside, or if you want some talented A and AA pitchers, we could swing a deal. But I just don’t see it happening.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Jul 11, 2008 9:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Pirates

should use some of their ML trade chips to acquire prospects to rebuild the farm system. i’m not too familiar with what they have going on at Double-A Altoona, but i know their Triple-A team here in Indy is atrocious.

They are almost completely void of any talented prospects, except for maybe Andrew McCutcheon (1st RD ‘05) and possibly Steve Pearce (eventually). they just DFAed Bryan Bullington, the #1 pick of the ‘02 Draft (taken ahead of Kazmir and Hamels among others), and other starters that have had success like Van Benschoten and Gorzelanny have been lit up in the bigs this year.

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Jul 11, 2008 10:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs