Pirates Q&A: Whole Lot of Trade Talk
Welcome back to another edition of our Pittsburgh Pirates Q&A. Let’s get to your questions.
Why trade Keller instead of waiting? – Derf Esurk
A case could be made for both sides. The case against? Keller has been an extremely effective starting pitcher this season despite a 3-10 record that is more a reflection on the team than his performance. His 3.48 ERA is the 16th-best in the National League.
He’s also under team control through 2028 at a pretty affordable rate. Plus, Keller is extremely durable. He leads MLB in starts this season and has totaled at least 31 appearances in each of the last three seasons.
But for all these reasons, Keller will be a key target for multiple contenders around the league. There will be and already is interest in Keller. The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs are two of the teams who have contacted the Pirates.
Trading Keller now would maximize his value, as he would be on a team’s roster for an extra pennant race as opposed to if the Pirates waited until the offseason to make a move.
Historically, Keller has slipped in the second half. Trading him before that potentially happens again would only benefit the Pirates. And getting his salary off the books — even though the contract is very reasonable — would help the Pirates improve the offense.
Which Pirate player traded will bring back the best value, regardless of position? – Namyal
Tying this into the previous question, it’s Keller that would bring the best return because Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz won’t be going anywhere.
It’s realistic for the Pirates to expect an established big-league bat or a top 100 prospect who is getting close to reaching the majors as the headliner in any deal. I’m not so sure anyone else the Pirates will trade would net that kind of value, unless multiple players are packaged together.
It’s rare to see a player with three and a half years of control dealt at the deadline. Because of that, Keller is not only the Pirates’ top trade chip, but he’s probably the most attractive starting pitcher who could be had at the deadline.
Why not trade Hayes and Bednar for a good MLB bat. Then Keller and IKF for another good bat. Then get a third good bat for any combo of; Santana, Heaney, Falter, Bart, Suwinski, Gorski, Caleb Furgeson, Tommy Pham? Why not? That’s my question! – George Getlak
Packaging players together can sometimes be tricky because you have to understand another team will only do that if they have multiple holes on their roster. But your line of thinking isn’t out of the question by any means.
It’s entirely possible that the Pirates do include multiple players in a deal to upgrade the offense. Whether they use that exact method or not though doesn’t change the fact that the Pirates will be looking to add reinforcements to their lineup or will be ready to contribute by 2026 at the latest.
Ben Cherington doesn’t usually explicitly state what the Pirates’ plans are, but he has bluntly said on multiple occasions that they need to improve the offense. Whether that comes by packaging players together, trading someone like Keller, or even shipping out prospects, the Pirates are on the prowl for bats.
Ben Cherington doesn’t usually explicitly state what the Pirates’ plans are, but he has bluntly said on multiple occasions that they need to improve the offense. Whether that comes by packaging players together, trading someone like Keller, or even shipping out prospects, the Pirates are on the prowl for bats. – Tim Dixon
I’ll never tell a fan to care or not care. The Pirates have done themselves no favors of late, especially in this nightmare season.
There have been countless off-the-field debacles that could have easily been avoided with a little proactiveness or logical thinking. But the organization has lacked those traits.
On the field, the season was doomed from the beginning. People asked me if I was surprised that Cherington and Shelton were returning for a sixth season after five-consecutive losing ones. I said I would be if it was any organization other than the Pirates.
The problems obviously stem from the top down. Bob Nutting can’t get out of his own way and refuses to open up his wallet, even if it meant wasting another precious year of having a superstar starting pitcher at an affordable rate.
Why care? That’s all up to the individual fan. But the players still want to win and are trying hard. A lot of fans remember what winning baseball looks like in Pittsburgh, and others are dreaming of getting to see it for the first time.
The underdog story is always fun to root for too. But it would help if the organization made it look like they care even a fraction as much as the fanbase.
More about:PBN+