Pittsburgh Pirates remain static on day two of Winter Meetings

Pittsburgh Pirates remain static on day two of MLB Winter Meetings

Day two of the 2015 MLB Winter Meetings saw the Pittsburgh Pirates roster remain static, while threats both new and old made considerable gains.

The day began with some leftover sentiment regarding the proposed Mitch Moreland trade. Those talks seem to have died down, though many were reporting that Jeff Banister, former Pirates bench coach, had great interest in Elias Diaz. Regardless, those talks appear to be dead.

Throughout the day, numerous smaller tidbits came to light.  Let’s now run through a full slate of those in bullet point fashion.

The Pirates have expressed interest in free agent pitcher Kyle Kendrick. This as per Bill Brink of the Post-Gazette:

Pirates have expressed interest in free-agent righty Kyle Kendrick, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

— Bill Brink (@Bill_Brink2) December 8, 2015

The thought of Kendrick in a Pirates uniform has proven to be a non-starter for fans. It’s hard to find fault with that, as Kendrick is a career 4.63-ERA pitcher without much strikeout ability. It does not appear that talks went beyond initial interest.

There were a few other minor items of note. The Pirates were one of the teams interested in Jeff Francoeur. Teams were starting to nibble at the Pirates about Neil Walker, and the Nationals (!) inquired about Mark Melancon.

As we head into day three, a story that is quickly gaining steam is the team’s interest in Mike Napoli. As per Fox Sports, the team inquired about the slugger late last night.

Napoli is a nine-year veteran coming off of a down year that saw him post just a .734 OPS last year. He may come at a value due to last year’s batting line, but it is worth noting that he swung a much better bat after being traded to the Rangers mid-season. Napoli’s complete career stats are below.

A play for Napoli would be strictly for an everyday role, as he too is a right-handed bat like Michael Morse.

With the team remaining still on day two, the focus now turns to the club’s rivals and how they improved.

Many insiders feel that the market for position players was waiting for Ben Zobrist to sign his deal. Zobrist did just that yesterday, agreeing to a four-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, who then dealt away Starlin Castro to the Yankees.

The Arizona Diamondbacks made another splash yesterday, acquiring coveted starter Shelby Miller from the Braves. Atlanta brass were known to have attached a hefty price tag to Miller, and the D-Backs delivered by sending Ender Inciarte and prospects Aaron Blair and Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 MLB entry draft.

These moves have to be concerning for the Pittsburgh Pirates. While Zobrist’s contributions to the Cubs may be less meaningful towards the tail end of his contract, he provides an immediate boost, perhaps in an addition-by-subtraction scenario. The Cubs have a reputation for striking out more than most teams, and Zobrist’s career 17.1 percent strikeout rate can only help their lineup.

In Arizona’s case, this deal, coupled with the Zack Greinke acquisition, may push the Diamondbacks to contend for at least an NL Wild Card slot. The NL West may cannibalize itself, but it would not be surprising to see two playoff team come from that division.

With the New York Mets retaining their excellent starting pitching, and the Washington Nationals in line to improve from last year, the competition for a National League playoff spot in 2016 has gotten significantly stronger over the past two days, while the Pirates have been on the sidelines.

Of course, moves made at the Winter Meetings never guarantee success. For proof, just ask the San Diego Padres .

While the old axiom of “that’s why you play the games” remains true, these moves by potential National League playoff teams may force an increase in aggressiveness by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ front office.

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