With Draft Complete, Pirates Will Turn Attention to Trade Deadline
Led by first-rounder Derek Curiel, an outfielder from LSU, the Pirates made 21 picks in the MLB Draft over the weekend.
For the last several weeks, the draft has been the primary focus of the Pirates’ front office. While Pittsburgh will be working to finalize agreements with as many picks as possible over the next few weeks, the completion of the draft allows the Pirates to turn their full attention to the trade deadline.
“Usually, and there’s a good chance, really, that nothing picks up until after the draft,” general Ben Cherington previously mentioned on his 93.7 The Fan radio show.
The Pirates already made one notable trade that needed to be finalized before the start of the first round. Pittsburgh sent its compensation pick (34th overall) and left-handed pitching prospect Jaden Woods to the White Sox for infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert.
The move addresses two shorter-term needs with Gonzalez helping fill in for the injured Konnor Griffin at shortstop and Eisert essentially filling the role left open by Evan Sisk’s injury. Both players, though, are controlled beyond this season and could help the Pirates in the future.
The 34th pick generated a lot of interest around the league, but the Pirates decided to go with the White Sox offer.
“Ultimately, it felt like of all the scenarios we were looking at, that was the one that brought the most value for us and made the most sense,” said Cherington. “There were a couple others that made it past the bar, too, but the White Sox was the one that was the clear choice in the end.”
While the acquisitions of Gonzalez and Eisert made sense, the Pirates will continue to look to add to the roster between now and the Aug. 3 deadline, and what an important one it is.
Pittsburgh completed a sweep of the National Central-leading Brewers at PNC Park over the weekend and is two games behind the Marlins for the third wild card spot with a 50-47 record.
It hasn’t happened a lot lately, but the Pirates are in position to buy at this year’s deadline. With Griffin out until at least early September, adding an infielder was a logical move. But the biggest need for the Pirates is still bullpen help, even after adding Eisert in the same deal.
Pittsburgh’s relievers this season rank 23rd in MLB and 12th in the National League with a 4.48 ERA. Outside of Carmen Mlodzinski, who has been used in a bulk role after shifting back to the bullpen, the Pirates don’t really have another reliever they can have full faith in.
The bullpen currently consists of three left-handers — Eisert, Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto, and four right-handers — Mlodzinski, Isaac Mattson, Yohan Ramírez and Dennis Santana. (Rookie right-hander Antwone Kelly was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis after Sunday’s game).
As the Pirates look to improve their bullpen, they will face competition. Every contending team is looking for relief pitching this time of year. But with less than three weeks to go until the deadline, Cherington will be aggressively looking for ways to improve the bullpen.
The Pirates are tied for the major league lead with 515 runs scored so far this season. Their starting rotation is headlined by a pair of All-Stars in Paul Skenes and Braxton Ashcraft. By shoring up the bullpen, the Pirates will be poised to make a push for their first postseason appearance since 2015.
The trade market is expected to heat up with the draft in the rearview mirror. The clock is ticking, and the Pirates have moves to make.
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They have to stick to their Formula.Yes look for quality additions-But donot damage the Teams Chemistry or the Farm system.