The Pittsburgh Swap Market

July 21, 2008   ·   Paul Raymond   ·   Jump to comments

Every playoff contender in baseball seems to be calling the Pittsburgh Pirates, looking for an upgrade for their playoff push. The Pirates have numerous players that interest those contenders, in this article we’re going to talk about five of those guys. Those that have been drawing the most interest are Xavier Nady, Jason Bay, Jack Wilson, John Grabow and Damaso Marte.

Jason Bay – Bay is having a pretty solid season batting .280 with 19 homers and 54 rbis. Interestingly enough, the Pirates are not receiving as many phone calls about the outfielder as you would expect. The reason being is most likely the price tag. He has continually put up the big power numbers for the Bucs the last few years, and the team views him as a player they need on the roster if they will ever compete. Another reason for the high price, well the New York Yankees. Whenever the Yankees keep calling you about to player you have to raise the bar and get as most as you can, its just the baseball way.

Xavier Nady – Nady is finally starting to play up to his talent, and I say finally as the guy is approaching 30. After seven seasons in the majors, Xavier is finally starting to show that he can be an every day player. His numbers so far .323 (career high), with 12 homers (career high is only 20) and 56 rbis (career high is 72). So as you see, he should put up career highs across the board this year and doing that makes you a valuable sought after commodity. Every playoff contender has been calling for this guy, the Yankees, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and the surprising Tampa Bay Rays. The price tag is slightly lower then Bay, but still substantial, which would leave those Rays in the lead as they obviously have the deepest minor league system.

Jack Wilson – Not as many teams have a need for a short stop but it hasn’t stopped them from calling the Pirates for this guy. The only known team that needs help there is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Another team that may come calling is the Detroit Tigers as they are joining the list of teams who have said why did we get Edgar Renteria. Trading Wilson thou would leave a gaping hole at the position for the Pirates, but for the right group of prospects anything is possible.

John Grabow – Grabow? Clubs are calling about him? Yes, they are. The reason is the price on Damaso Marte is just way to high. He is a lefty and there are plenty of teams that are in need of a solid lefty-specialist. Thats something he really isn’t thou, Grabow is a specialist against all hitters, as all hitters are only sporting a .227 average against. He’s the one I most expected to get traded, as he can probably be moved for just one decent prospect, not even a top one.

Damaso Marte – Outside of Bay, the highest price tag is on Damaso Marte. This is no surprise as he has around 12 teams interested in his services. Most teams view him as a lefty-specialist as lefties have a .198 career average against him. The Pirates look at him otherwise thou. The Bucs see him as a legitimate set-up man, who can close when needed. During Matt Capps recent stint on the disabled list, Marte has gone 3 for 3 in save opportunities. With the Pirates considering him a true set-up man, the price tag goes way up, as high as two solid prospects.

It’s pretty remarkable to have so many players on a last place team drawing this much interest. You have to wonder when a team has this many solid players, how are in they last place? are they a team on the rise? should they really trade all of this away? Well the Pirates are in a unique situation. They’ve been rebuilding for years and finally have a decent stash of players at the major league level. If they keep all their players they could easily make a run at the .500 mark, something they haven’t done since 1992. It’s still a stretch thou as they are 10 games under .500 at this point.

The Pirates do realize this team is getting better and they are still a few pieces away from making a legitimate run in the National League Central. Which is why they are only dealing players for the right price, THEIR PRICE. If they make any deals before the deadline, they are going to make sure it’s a deal where they are clearly a winner.

Pirates fans you have a glimmer of hope, your team is getting closer to being competitive, just look at the Rays cause when it happens its going to happen fast. So enjoy the ride!

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