Pittsburgh Pirates Trade Target Profile: Pat Neshek

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen will likely improve in 2017, but should they look to outside sources to boost that improvement?

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen unit that began the 2016 season looked much different from the group that ended it.

After a horrendous start to the season, the bullpen rebounded rather nicely to finish fifth in the National League in ERA (3.57), third in Left On Base percentage (75.6 percent) and fourth in hard hit percentage (29.2 percent). Other important reliever peripherals such as WHIP (1.35, ranked tenth), HR/9 (1.02, good for ninth) and Line Drive Rate (21.9 percent, 13th in the 15 team NL) did not fare so well, showing that the relief corps still has room for improvement.

A Left. Then Another Left. And Then Another Left.

The Pittsburgh Pirates should have a unique relief unit in 2017. Tony Watson, Felipe Rivero and Antonio Bastardo give the club three legitimate left-handed options late in games. Having three left handers gives manager Clint Hurdle a different looking bullpen than many other clubs simply do not have.

What about the right-handers?

RHP Neftali Feliz, instrumental in holding the bullpen above water for most of the season, is not likely to return, having successfully rebuilt his value. Juan Nicasio revived his season after re-joining the bullpen, and the Pittsburgh Pirates will need to come to a decision on whether or not that warrants a salary arbitration tender. Pirates stalwart Jared Hughes finds himself in a similar situation after a rocky 2016. Rookie A.J. Schugel surprised many last season. Fellow newcomer Trevor Williams showed flashes of breaking into the majors as a reliable relief arm, but some feel that he should be kept at Triple-A Indianapolis as starting pitching depth.

With the questions surrounding the club’s right handed relief options, it is entirely possible and plausible that general manager Neal Huntington will look to the market for right handed relief pitching help.

Enter Pat Neshek.

Everything Must Go for the Astros

Multiple outlets have reported that Neshek could be available for trade, and that talks would have to fly fast.

Some players with club options available in trade, per sources: #Dodgers’ Ruiz ($4.5M); #Astros’ Neshek ($6.5M); #Marlins’ Rodney ($4.5M).

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 31, 2016

With teams having just five days from the end of the World Series to decide on players with options, players such as Neshek suddenly become available in a hurry. The Houston Astros are reported to be down on the veteran, as his 47 innings pitched last year suggest. Before we get into why that was, let’s take a look at Neshek’s career to date.

 

 

Neshek has surely had some fantastic years, and Pittsburgh Pirates fans may remember 2014 in particular. That year represented his lone All-Star season while pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, though many of his other campaigns could have warranted such a designation. Simply put, Neshek is a quality, proven right-handed bullpen arm when healthy. Since 2013, he has been just that.

The Astros, however, shied away from using him against left-handed bats, hence the relatively small amount of innings pitched last season. Left handed hitters do get to Neshek more than their righty counterparts, but the splits are not outrageously disproportionate throughout his career.

[table id=204 /]

With that being said, 2016 was somewhat of a different story.

[table id=205 /]

Do these splits – substantial but not woefully out of touch – reduce Neshek to a specialist role? It is hard to see the value in that, as Neshek put up solid numbers overall in 2016. Regardless of the perception vs reality argument, teams looking to inquire on Neshek can use this argument to have the Astros pick up part of the tab on Neshek’s $6.5 million salary.

What It Might Take

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Astros could line up as very suitable dance partners. The Astros are stocked with young position player talent, and their focus will be on starting pitching with Doug Fister testing the free agent waters. The Houston pipeline is a varied bunch, with a smattering of pitching and both outfield and infield prospects. With their prime motivation being to perhaps get “something” for Neshek while he is still under their control, the Astros could be perfectly fine with a lower-level prospect, or a mid-tier prospect if they pick up a larger chunk of Neshek’s $6.5 million dollar option.

If the Pirates were to welcome Neshek in, it would be expected that his arrival could spell the end of Hughes’ or Nicasio’s time in Pittsburgh. Though the current MLB trends continue towards teams building strong relief units, the Pirates would likely balk at paying both Neshek and Nicasio/Hughes a combined $10 million dollars.

Still, it is hard not to think of Neshek as an upgrade, one that the Pirates could give considerable thought to. As the club saw in 2016, skimping on the bullpen – and quality pitching in general – can put a team behind the eight-ball rather quickly.

[irp posts=”10742″ name=”Pittsburgh Pirates Potential Trade Targets: Ian Kinsler”]

Featured Photo Credit – Scott U – Flickr Creative Commons