The Pittsburgh Pirates remaining relatively quiet this offseason would not have been a deviation from the norm, as we see in this week in Pittsburgh Pirates history.
As the holiday season rapidly approaches, the Pittsburgh Pirates tend to wait until the last minute to hand their devoted fans a present. In the weeks leading up to the holidays and the end of December, the Pirates haven’t even yet handed out. While there are not any games to talk about, there are plenty of trades and free agent signings that have played at least a small role on either perpetuating the system of mediocrity or the resurgence in the last half decade.
Without further ado, here’s peak at Pittsburgh Pirates History for 12-12 through 12-18.
Ok maybe we are cheating a bit, but on December 20, 2002, the Pirates completed a trade with the Montreal Expos which sent Chris Young and Jon Searles north of the border in exchange for Matt Herges. The deal is ironic considering the Pirates had been linked to Young rumors over the last couple years.
Young went on to have a relatively successful career, consistently posting a sub-4.00 ERA most years. Meanwhile, Herges failed to make the roster out of spring training and was subsequently released. He experienced a series of ups and downs before his major league career finally ended after 2009. Still, it’s hard to believe Young for an offseason of Herges was a fair trade.
Neal Huntington cannot be held responsible for the Chris Young trade, but he can be held responsible for dealing another player the Pirates would quickly want back. On December 13, 2011, the Pirates dealt Jose Veras to the Brewers in exchange for Casey McGehee. Pedro Alvarez had yet to develop his throwing woes at third, and the Pirates had plenty of perceived depth in the bullpen. Veras still had two great years left in him, and McGehee provided solid defense, despite being a disaster at the plate.
Lastly, the Pirates had a great day on December 13, 2013, when they signed both Edinson Volquez and Clint Barmes to one year deals. Unlike now with tons of young, talented middle infield depth, the Pirates were lacking a veteran infield bench presence. Enter Clint Barmes for another solid year with the Pirates. While Barmes managed minimal production, he quickly became a fan favorite and taught Jordy Mercer some of the keys to being a successful shortstop at the major league level. Volquez proved to be the team’s best pitcher down the stretch, right up until the 2014 Wild Card game.
Until next week, that’s a wrap for this week in Pittsburgh Pirates’ history. Tune in next Sunday for another look at the week ahead from years behind us.
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