The Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves with an abundance of left handed relief options. They are likely to explore trade options with other teams in need of LHP help.
Yesterday’s signing of Daniel Hudson was another indication that the Pittsburgh Pirates are committed to re-establishing their relief pitching as a strength.
An unexpected byproduct of this approach is the current inclusion of four left-handed options in the bullpen as it stands today. Tony Watson, Antionio Bastardo, Felipe Rivero and Wade LeBlanc comprise the southpaw squad, but it is very likely that one or more will be traded before spring training begins.
The team has already been rumored to be looking to deal one or both of Bastardo and Watson, reportedly willing to eat some of the money owed to Bastardo in any potential deal. With many teams in need of left-handed relief options, the Pittsburgh Pirates could have their pick of trade partners to choose from.
Enter the Miami Marlins
Right Handed Heavy Fish
When looking at the Miami Marlins as potential trade partners, the first thing that is noticed is that the Marlins have a dearth of experienced left-handed relief options after losing their top left-handed relief option in Mike Dunn to the Rockies.
They do have two left handed relievers listed on their 40-man roster – Hunter Cervenka and Elvis Araujo – but neither are guaranteed roster spots for 2017. Araujo split time between Triple-A and the majors last year, and Cervenka did little to impress with a 4.65 FIP/1.72 WHIP. Both are also heavily walk prone. Cervenka and Araaujo walk 4.8 and 5.2 hitters per nine for their careers, respectively.
Indeed, the Marlins’ bullpen makeup is right-hander heavy, but balance may not be a concern for the Marlins, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”Joe Frisaro, MLB.com” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]It’s not by design. It happens to reflect the free-agent market, and which players fit. So rather than basing a need on a pitcher’s throwing arm, Miami has gone with the player who makes the most sense at the time.[/perfectpullquote]Keeping that in mind, it would be hard to imagine that the Marlins would pass up the chance to add an established left-handed relief option should a team come a calling with one to offer. If the Pittsburgh Pirates wanted to look over the Marlins’ wares, what would they find?
Baseball Trade vs. Prospect Haul
Could the Marlins and Pirates pull off a true “baseball trade”? It may be possible, should the players coming back to the Pirates be limited to bullpen pieces. Realistically, there are no position players or starting pitchers that could come over to Pittsburgh without getting other pieces involved.
First baseman Justin Bour is an intriguing, but unlikely, option. The first baseman put up a 1.2 WAR season in 2016 despite missing months with an ankle injury. He is pre-arb, carries a 10.6 percent career walk rate and is a solid fielder. The Marlins would be loathe to give him up for a left handed reliever on a one-year contract without significant prospects going back to Miami in return.
Based off of Frisaro’s report, the Marlins might also be reluctant to give up any of that right-handed relief pitching it has assembled. A.J. Ramos and David Phelps are accomplished big-league relievers. Kyle Barraclough and Dustin McGowan are also strong talents, and Barraclough shows well in particular with 14 strikeouts per nine.
When considering their roster as a whole, it becomes clear that any trade between the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates would likely involve prospects coming the Pirates’ way.
Ok. Prospects Then?
If we look at the Marlins’ cupboards, they are surprisingly lacking in a few areas. Their top two starting pitching prospects are still 2-3 years away from the majors, and their third overall SP prospect – Jarlin Garcia – struggled to a 4.99 ERA in Double-A while striking out just 6.4 batters per nine. After that tier, their top 30 list is littered with the usual assortment of bullpen arms, mid-rotation starters and multi – positional infielders. There are a few names in their system that might warrant a solid return for Bastardo.
RHP Austin Brice – ranked ninth in the Marlins organization – has a solid fastball/breaking ball combo that could set him up well for a middle relief role in the majors. His main issue has come from an inability to develop repeat-ability in his delivery, something that could be an easy fix given the right circumstances. He made 15 appearances for the Marlins last season, posting an ugly 7.07 ERA but a 4.50 FIP, suggesting potential.
RHP Jake Esch is the tenth-ranked Marlins prospect. A right-handed pitcher who was converted from shortstop, Esch projects as a back end starter with a 60-rated fastball. His secondary pitches are coming along, and could be a sneaky candidate for a rotation or bullpen spot in 2018 and onward.
Infielders J.T. Riddle and Austin Nola are perhaps mirror images of each other. Both are listed as able to play the exact same positions – shortstop, second base and third base. Both reached the Triple-A level in 2016. Both have athleticism that can play across the infield, but both also have ceilings of solid contact hitters and defenders.
None of these names listed are “exciting” options, and that is why it might make sense for the Pittsburgh Pirates to explore a trade with the Marlins for Bastardo, but not for Watson. Despite his struggles at times, Watson has still done enough in his career to this point to warrant a significant return from a team planning on contending in 2017.
Image Credit – Daniel Decker Photography
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