MLB trade deadline day: A look at Pirates' recent moves
Monday marked trade deadline day in Major League Baseball. Teams had until 4 p.m. to decide whether to be buyers or sellers.
The Pirates under general manager Neal Huntington have been both, but here are notable moves made during the past five years.
2016
In third place but well within striking distance of the wild card, the Pirates split their efforts between buying and selling at the deadline, effectively swapping veteran starting pitchers and bullpen arms with other teams while shedding salary.
• RHP Mark Melancon to the Nationals for LHP Felipe Rivero and LHP Taylor Hearn.
Two days before the deadline on July 30, general manager Neal Huntington made a deal that hurt the Pirates at the time but turned out to be brilliant for the future. Rivero has been one of the best bullpen arms in the majors this season (0.67 ERA) and Hearn has 106 strikeouts in 87 1/3 innings for High-A Bradenton. Melancon was the Pirates' closer but a pending free agent.
• LHP Francisco Liriano, OF Harold Ramirez and C Reese McGuire to the Blue Jays for Drew Hutchison.
In another move that was highly criticized at the time and was a dump of Liriano's salary, the Pirates threw in a pair of their top 10 prospects. Oh, the Pirates also got Hutchison.
In 2017, everyone involved in the deal has had, at best, an uninspiring season (Hutchison remains in Triple-A; Ramirez and McGuire in Double-A). The Pirates saved about $16 million.
• OF Tito Polo and LHP Stephen Tarpley (at the time, players to be named) to the Yankees for RHP Ivan Nova.
To replace Liriano in the then-current rotation, the Pirates got Nova from the Yankees in exchange for two lower-level prospects. Nova had a 4.90 ERA for New York, but he was good enough in August and September for the Pirates (5-2, 3.06 ERA) to sign him to a three-year contract over the winter. He remains a veteran, middle-of-the-rotation rock.
• LHP Jon Niese to the Mets for LHP Antonio Bastardo and cash.
It was an exchange of disappointing offseason acquisitions being sent back to their prior team. Bastardo was released after nine dreadful outings in 2017, but he was serviceable down the stretch last season.
2015
En route to a 98-win season while chasing the Cardinals for the division title and holding off the young Cubs for home-field advantage in the wild-card game, the Pirates didn't make a high-profile addition but did engineer a few savvy acquisitions.
• RHP Yhonathan Barrios to the Brewers for 3B Aramis Ramirez.
Eight days before the deadline, Huntington brought back Ramirez for the final 21⁄2 months of his career, filling the void left at third base by Jung Ho Kang's season-ending injury. Barrios hasn't pitched much since because of a shoulder injury.
• Cash to the Royals for RHP Joe Blanton.
It was seemingly an afterthought at the time, but Blanton was a valuable and reliable asset in the Pirates bullpen down the stretch during the pennant race.
• OF Jacoby Jones to the Tigers for RHP Joakim Soria.
In another move to add to the bullpen, Soria was effective over his two-month rental for the Pirates; Jones, now 25, has struggled to stick in the majors in the two years since.
• OF Jose Tabata to the Dodgers for 1B/OF Michael Morse.
Morse was a useful platoon power bat for the Pirates. The move involved each team dumping salary in hopes the change of scenery would serve them well.
• RHP Adrian Sampson to the Mariners for RHP J.A. Happ.
A middling starter (4.64 ERA) for Seattle, Happ was a revelation for the Pirates (7-2, 1.85 ERA) — so good, in fact, he priced himself out of Pittsburgh and into a big contract with the Blue Jays.
2014
The Pirates made no trades at the deadlines, but they did swap relief pitchers with the Angels in June
• Jason Grilli for Ernesto Frieri, who had 11 saves when he arrived in Pittsburgh and 11 when he left after the season.
2013
Waiting until late August when players needed to clear waivers, the Pirates made two trades on the way to their first playoff appearance since 1992:
• RHP Vic Black and INF Dilson Herrera to the Mets for OF Marlon Byrd and C John Buck.
The Pirates boldly (for them) traded Herrera — at the time one of their top prospects. He spent parts of two seasons with the Mets. He's now in AAA with the Reds. Black also was a top prospect, but his career has been sidetracked by arm problems.
Byrd carried a quality bat and he hit .318 with three home runs as a rental player the rest of the season.
• OF Alex Presley and RHP Duke Welker to the Twins for 1B Justin Morneau.
Presley had lost his starting job after Starling Marte was promoted and is now with his fourth team since leaving the Pirates. Welker has made only seven appearances in the majors.
After hitting 17 homers for the Twins, Morneau hit none for the Pirates in September.
2012
Trying to reach the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, the Pirates made four trades at the deadline.
• RHP Colton Cain, outfielder Robbie Grossman and LHP Rudy Owens to the Astros for LHP Wandy Rodriguez.
Rodriguez became part of the starting rotation, recording a 3.72 ERA with the Pirates in '12 and 3.59 in '13 before he was released after six starts in '14. His overall record with the Pirates was 11-10.
At the time of the trade, Grossman was in AA and was the Pirates' eighth-best prospect, according to Baseball America. This season, he is hitting .250 with the Twins with six home runs.
• RHP Brad Lincoln to the Blue Jays for OF Travis Snider.
Lincoln was a top Pirates' prospect for a time, but his ERA that season with the Blue Jays was only 5.65. Snider eventually played well in 2014 and was traded to the Orioles as part of the Steven Brault deal.
• OF Gorkys Hernandez to the Marlins for 1B Gaby Sanchez and RHP Kyle Kamisaka.
Hernandez, now with the Giants, has struggled to maintain a significant role in the majors. Sanchez was a good platoon player for the Pirates in '12 and '13.
• 1B/3B Casey McGehee to the Yankees for RHP Chad Qualls.
McGehee was made expendable by the Sanchez trade, and Qualls struggled in the Pirates bullpen.
