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Potanko: The Jacob Stallings Trade Isn’t as Bad as Fans Think

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Pittsburgh Pirates Jacob Stallings

My old man always used to say “when you get angry, sleep on it.” Well, this is the approach that one has to take when speaking of the rebuilding Pirates. Take, for example, the Jacob Stallings trade. At the height of his value, the Pirates traded the defensive stalwart to Miami for two prospects and a backend of the starting rotation piece.

At first, I was furious; like a lot of Pirate fans, Stallings was my favorite Pirate and probably one of my favorite players in the majors. Taking all of the bias aside, Stallings proved to be a very valuable defensive catcher and came through in the clutch a fair amount of time, but as the first line suggested, I slept on it.

Fast forward to Tuesday, and the Pirates were left with no catchers on the 40-man roster, that is until the Buccos replaced one Gold Glove catcher with a former 2-time winner in Roberto Perez. You look at Perez and his defensive work; you can’t help but be impressed. So with fresh eyes and a rested brain, let’s take a look at the trade again.

Stallings was set to make around $2 million. Perez will make $5 million, so for $3 million in excess salary, the Pirates were able to get four players thanks to the Stallings trade. With a young pitching staff, the Pirates made the right move in getting a World Series experienced catcher with a shiny defensive track record.

Even though there were some questionable moves — or lack thereof — from the Pirates this off-season, the Buccos made a move that makes sense in terms of the Stallings trade. So, if you’re still upset by it, get some rest and do what my old man to me, “sleep on it.”

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