Pittsburgh Pirates Wake-Up Call – What is Tony Watson’s Future?

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

The baseball off-season picked up last Friday with the deadline for teams to come to deals with players heading to arbitration. The Pittsburgh Pirates came to terms with all of their arbitration-eligible players except for Tony Watson. Yes, that even includes Scott Boras client Gerrit Cole. Now, there’s a good chance the team and Watson still come to terms in through arbitration, but the team generally likes to avoid going to arbitration, as it can get messy. Does Watson going to arbitration give us any insight into his future?

I don’t think so. The Pirates are going to come to terms with Watson. Now, I think there’s a decent chance they trade Watson before the season begins. They’d then move Felipe Rivero to closer, and A.J. Schugel would move into the bullpen rather than start at Triple-A. The return for Watson wouldn’t be as great as many fans might expect, though. He only has one year left before free agency, and he didn’t make a great transition to closer last season. But the money the Pirates would clear by trading him might be a benefit. Who knows if they choose to spend that freed money, though.

I’m for keeping Watson. I was also for keeping Mark Melancon next season. You don’t need to unload every single player the year before they hit free agency, even if you are a small market team. It’s okay to occasional keep a player through free agency, especially if you think they can help you make a playoff run. I think Watson would be a valuable member of the bullpen this season and the return wouldn’t warrant trading him.

Baseball Talk Around the Web

• There are still many good free agents available on the market. Who are the best ones left? Mike Axisa of CBS Sports gives his all-unsigned free agent team.
• Which teams have the best chance to stop the Cubs next season? Buster Olney of ESPN lists the teams that have the best chance to top them next year.

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