In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
One month ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates seemed destined to be sellers at the Trade Deadline. The team was mired in a long losing streak and fan apathy was at an all-time high. The Pittsburgh Pirates have won a lot of games lately, but I don’t think anyone expected them to win the MLB Trade Deadline.
The Pirates added Keone Kela from the Texas Rangers to improve the bullpen. I said yesterday, this would help both the bullpen and the starting rotation by way of shortening games. Honestly, I expected the team to add a decent starting pitcher but not much else. It’s safe to say the Pittsburgh Pirates shocked the world when they added Rays ace, Chris Archer.
Black & yellow, black & yellow!!!! @Pirates
— Chris Archer (@ChrisArcher22) July 31, 2018
Chris Archer is one of the game’s best pitchers and he is now a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have previously been linked to big name pitchers at the trade deadline, only to come up short. That did not happen this season as the Pirates dipped into their prospect pool to add the top starting pitcher available. The Rays will receive Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow, and a Player to be Named Later.
During their playoff years, the Pirates were consistently accused of being too conservative at the Deadline and overvaluing their prospects. It’s safe to say that Neal Huntington and management have altered their approach. Management clearly sees an opportunity this season and they are certainly going for it. However, both trades help the Pirates both this year and through the 2021 season.
The Pirates did exactly what they should have done this deadline. They added players that not only benefit them in the short term, but also the next few seasons. The Pirates still have a long way to go to earn a return trip to the playoffs, but regardless, Neal Huntington did an outstanding job this trade deadline.
I do not think that Neal Huntington was the on the hot seat this season, but I am confident that his seat was at least a bit toasty. The team was coming off back-to-back sub-.500 seasons and during the team’s poor streak, there were whispers that the team did not do enough to improve in the off-season.
Whether the team makes the postseason or not, Neal Huntington has done a truly fantastic job in improving this team. I don’t think anyone can deny the team is better now than it was 24 hours ago.
The Pirates still have to play the games, but as of August 1st, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the race. It’s hard to complain about that too much. Management has given this team some impressive reinforcements, which is a true sign of confidence. Neal Huntington said it best during last night’s broadcast: “We hope these moves show this group that we believe in them.”
That quote says it all. It doesn’t matter what the fans or the media think, but it damn sure matters what the players in that clubhouse think.
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