Clint Hurdle proved last night why the Pirates need another reliever

     The Pirates scored a dramatic win in Minneapolis last night over the Twins. It was a game that tore Pirates fans down and brought them back up. What was lost in all the drawn was the way Hurdle managed the bullpen down the stretch in that game.

     Morton did not end up making it through 6 innings. He allowed 3 runs over 5 2/3 innings. This left the rest up to the bullpen. In the 6th, Hurdle went to Jared Hughes to get the last out in the 6th, which is no surprise. What might've been a bigger surprise was leaving him out there to pitch the 7th. This left Hughes to do clean up duty in the 6th and his 7th inning duty. Also, in the 8th, Watson was put in when the Pirates were up 4, which is something that we have only seen Hurdle do a handful of times because of giving the big bullpen guys as much as possible. His bullpen managing got even crazier. After Watson coughed up the lead, instead of going to the other righties in the pen, he decided to go to Melancon, in the 8th on the road. He also left in Melancon to close it out after the Pirates reclaimed the lead. He had Melancon do cleanup duty and pitch the next inning, just like Hughes.

     I think this means something. This could mean that Hurdle lacks trust in Guerra and Caminero, mainly. This especially made sense when Hurdle went to Watson up 4 knowing the Twins hit lefties very well. If Hurdle really had a sense of trust in the other guys, he wouldn't have had to go to Watson. Plus, Hurdle going to his closer after Watson coughed up the lead doesn't make it seem any better. It was pretty clear last night that Hurdle only has major trust in 3 guys in the bullpen. That's not going to work. I think Hurdle basically proved that this bullpen needs help. Now, we will see if Huntington goes outside the organization to get the help the team needs or if he just sticks with these cheap guys that he hopes gets fixed in the middle of a pennant race.

The Pirates should trade for a starting pitcher

     The strongest part of the Pirates this season has been their pitching, with a lot of great work coming from the starters which is highlighted by the three-headed monster of Cole-Burnett-Liriano. Those guys have been more than anybody could've asked for. But what about after that? Early in the season the Pirates had to go with Worley because of Morton's injury, and Jeff Locke. Since, Worley has moved to the bullpen while Morton is back, which we thought would be a huge shot in the arm. However, Morton, after a good start, has struggled recently which started with the debacle in D.C. Jeff Locke, on the other hand, has been better recently but very inconsistent all year. There needs to be another starter. 

     The inconsistencies of Locke and Morton have been well documented. They'll look good one night and bad the next. This sometimes even happens to them from inning to inning. I feel it's really difficult to continue to contend with that. People will say "but they're the 4-5 starters". Yes, you're right, but that doesn't mean a change shouldn't be made. It's okay to have one inconsistent starter, but two is hard to overcome. 

     The other problem plaguing the Pirates is lack of depth. It seemed they had all they needed when the year started, even with Morton on the shelf. Kingham was healthy, Taillon was working his way back, Sadler wasn't hurt, Richard was still around etc. That has all gone away. The best of the depth now is Worley, Liz, and Angel Sanchez, which is not good at all. These guys are good, but I don't want them starting big games in September. 

     There are a few issues, however. I don't see the Pirates moving Locke or Morton out of the rotation, honestly. It's hard with Morton because of that contract he got. Locke would be more likely to be bumped even though he's been better than Morton. It's baseball business. If they get a starter, Locke will be bumped, and I don't even see that happening. 

     There is one thing that goes into the Pirates favor, and that is that the pitching trade market seems to be a buyer's market. That is something that the Pirates can and should capitalize on. I'm not saying they will, but they should. It wouldn't take much to get a solid back end starter like Haren, Kennedy, or any other guy like that. They'd solidify the rotation while adding depth by pushing Locke or Morton out. 

     In conclusion, I'm not sure they'll get another starter, but it's definitely something that needs to be considered. After the big three at the top of the rotation, I'm not sure. When Morton and Locke are at their best, they give the Pirates ace type performances. The problem is that we don't see that too much. One more starter certainly wouldn't hurt. 

Should the Pirates trade Pedro Alvarez?

     As we all know, a report came out yesterday that the Pirates "really want to get rid of Alvarez". Whether it is true or not is a different story. In any case, it does bring up an interesting debate. Should the Pirates trade Alvarez?

     The answer really depends on the situation. If they do indeed decide to, they better have a pretty good replacement. The most important thing about replacing a player is to have the replacement first. The pure fact that Huntington is reportedly "offering him to everybody" tells me that he is having at least some talks internally and externally about a replacement because we all should know that Ishikawa is not it.

     The other thing is that the replacement has to be better than Alvarez. Currently, there is only one player on the trade market that is an improvement over him, and that is Adam Lind of the Brewers. Other than that, it's pretty thin with nobody better than Alvarez overall. Now, this could change if the Indians and Rangers change their minds on Brandon Moss and Mitch Moreland, and they seem firm at holding onto them. Right now, they don't seem to be on the block. With a market so thin, I don't see them finding a good replacement.

     In the right deal, yes, Alvarez could conceivably get dealt. However, I don't see that happening, either. With the lack of good replacements and really little interest from teams to want Alvarez, it would probably be better to hold onto him. He can do good things in his role, if he's used the right way. Although, it wouldn't be a bad thing to get a solid platoon partner for him because Rodriguez and Hart haven't done it well. With a solid platoon partner, the first base position could end up being a very productive position in the Pirates offense.

Pirates acquire Aramis Ramirez

     Just a little bit ago, Neal Huntington pulled off the second trade of what will be a busy trade deadline season. Huntington was able to acquire Aramis Ramirez and cash from the Brewers in exchange for Yhonathan Barrios, a AAA pitching prospect. And yes, it's THAT Aramis Ramirez.

     I really like this trade for the Pirates. Ramirez has been super hot at the plate in July and will fill a big joke at third base while also being able to help spark the offense. The overall numbers for Ramirez are not staggering, but still great considering he had such a slow start. Not to mention the great story it is that Ramirez will start and end his career with the Pirates. Also the ironic fact that the Pirates traded Ramirez away 12 years ago TODAY. I think that is some pretty cool stuff.

     I think Huntington made this trade with the rest of the year in mind. I don't see Ramirez as a bench player when Harrison gets back. It just won't happen. He is likely to stick in the lineup for the rest of the year. Also, for people asking, he can't play first base.

The trade market will be at its best next week

     As we already know, the MLB non-waiver trade deadline is in a little over a week now. There has yet to be any trades yet which is starting to catch the surprise of people all around. Normally by this time there is at least one trade done, even with the addition of the second wildcard. However, this year is different, and I think it'll pay off to wait until next week to make any sort of trade.

     There are still at least a few teams that have yet to make it clear what they are doing at the deadline with the main culprits being the Tigers, Red Sox, Rangers, Indians, and Mariners. Once those are clear, the trade market will finally be set with GMs knowing what the positions are of each team. That will make it easier to negotiate because it'll be totally clear what is out there. If some of these teams decide to sell, it could make the market more neutral which means prices go down.

     In the modern age of baseball, there are many more of what we call "mini sales" instead of fire sales. Some teams are still doing fire sales, but a lot of teams that are on the fringe will trade their impending free agents even if they still have a sliver of a chance. This can be seen best with the Tigers this year. Even though they may contend, they may still trade impending free agents Yoenis Cespedes, David Price, Alfredo Simon, and others. This is a strategy used so teams can balance out winning now and later. What this does is create more sellers in the trade market. This means the market is more neutral. There isn't just 6 or 7 sellers doing fire sales hoarding all the potential trade pieces. Instead, there are 12-15 sellers with about 10 of them doing mini sales where they sell off 3-4 players.

     In conclusion, I think the remaining teams left to make their stance will by Sunday. After that, we will know exactly what the market is like. By that time, it could turn into a neutral or buyer's market or stay as a seller's market. I think right now, the GMs that are buyers are okay with waiting an extra 3-5 days until it's all clear in hopes that prices go down.

   

Pirates trade targets: Ben Zobrist, Clint Barmes, Cliff Pennington

     It was reported yesterday that the Pirates are connected to three infielders, all on the left side of the infield. Those three being Ben Zobrist, Clint Barmes, and Cliff Pennington. With the injuries of Harrison and Mercer, it makes sense that the Pirates are considering all their options. But, can any of these guys fit well enough to help? Let's take a look.

Ben Zobrist: I'm going to start with what seems to be the most unlikely of the three to happen. Zobrist is a high profile name in the market this year with many teams looking at him as an option. It's no surprise the Pirates are in on him. They were in on him last year. Enough so that there was even a false report that he was dealt to the Pirates. Anyway, I just don't see it happening. I wish I could say I think it would, but it isn't what Huntington does. Neal Huntington hasn't gotten a high profile player in July in his first four tries as a buyer. The biggest July deal he's ever made was for Wandy Rodriguez in 2012(don't count the Byrd and Morneau August trades). There's been little proof to think Huntington will go after a big name player to help out even if he needs to which I think he does.

Clint Barmes: Of course we know plenty about Barmes. He was a Pirate from 2012-2014. He might not have been able to help out much with the bat, but he is a proven clubhouse leader that plays stellar defense. Now, can he help out? I think so but only as a patch up option because of injuries. Barmes wouldn't provide much of an impact that the team needs to help them catch the Cardinals. If Barmes is the guy that the Pirates get to patch up, that means they would need to get an impactful bat at another position.

Cliff Pennington: Pennington, much like Barmes, is just a patch up option that wouldn't provide much to the team other than filling in for injuries. Pennington has fallen out of favor for a lackluster Diamondbacks team which I think is all we need to know. He's not worth it, in my opinion.

     In conclusion, I think Zobrist would kill two birds with one stone(hope one of those birds is a Cardinal). He'd be an impact bat while also filling in for injuries and patching up holes on the team, very similarly to Harrison last year. If not, Huntington would need to make two trades. It'd be much easier just to trade for one. I'm still not confident Huntington will help this team as much as he has to. I hope I'm wrong. We'll see.

Pirates can improve as a team, even before making trades

     It has been evident all year that the Pirates have had a lack of fundamental baseball. Time and time again, it has cost the team runs and sometimes, eventually wins in the long run. Pirates have been able to overcome some of the mistakes with occasional clutch hits and good pitching. This has been masking the problem a little bit. These are things that you cannot blame on lack of depth or lack of another big hitter or two in the lineup. This goes back to the fundementals and coaching.

     Defensive woes are one thing that has been evident. While there has been some really good plays, and the Pirates leading the league in double plays turned, there have been many mistakes. Whether that be letting balls that shouldn't get by, get by, or dropping or bobbling a ball that should be an easy play or stuff like that, it's something that has been a problem. The players most prone to this have been Walker and Alvarez. Most of the mistakes can be blamed on lack of fundementals. The coaching has to get these things straightened out.

     Another problem is lack of manufacturing runs. Clint Hurdle has seemed to really changed his approach this year. In situations where he used to bunt guys, he'll let them swing away. I believe this is contributing to problems in the offense. They are going for big innings, which are few and far between, instead of going for a run here and there. You aren't going to cash in big every inning. That's why it's important to get men over and get them in when the opportunity arises. Of course, it depends on the situation. Bottom of the order, you should be trying for just 1 or 2. Top of order, yeah sure, go for the throat. Not every situation warrants to go for a big inning, especially with this team struggling with runners in scoring position. It's much easier to score 1 or 2 here and there in a game than try to score 5 or 6 in one inning and sit on it. Hurdle needs a change in philosophy.

     The biggest issue that peeks it's ugly head in just about every game is the bad base running. It's seems day by day the Pirates figure out a new way to mess up on the bases. This has also cost the Pirates runs here and there. This can be contributed to both players and coaches mistakes. You'd think that a team would be better on the bases. Every team has their blunders, but the Pirates do it more than anyone else. The base coaches must do better in game and everyone has to work extra hard in base running drills to get better. If not, it'll just get worse.

     If the Pirates just got better at fundementals, they'd be better. The offense wouldn't be like amazing, but it wouldn't look quite as bad. The pitching would look even better, too. This again proves that if a team can do that small things right, they can do great things. It's hard to mask lack of good fundementals for too long. Therefore, something needs to be changed soon.

Alen Hanson is not the solution at third base for the Pirates

     It was reported yesterday that the Pirates were moving Alen Hanson to third base in AAA in light of the news that Jordy Mercer is going to miss six weeks. Combined with the fact that Harrison is out already, it makes sense. However, I don't think Hanson is the guy that'll solve the problem. 

     First, I don't like the idea of sending a rookie out there learning a new position on the fly in a pennant race. It's a highly difficult thing to do, especially for a young player. There's no doubt he's big league ready; I just don't think he's ready for the role the Pirates want to place him in. It's hard enough coming into the league as a rookie to help out in a playoff chase i.e Polanco last year. It's even more difficult to do that while learning a new position. I just think that would put way too much pressure on him. 

     Alen Hanson is talented and will get his chance to be good in the big leagues. I don't think this is the right opportunity, though. He should be more focused on mastering the second base position, which he just got moved to because of his problems at shortstop. Now, he's got to learn third base when he wasn't even fully settled into playing second. Neal Huntington is playing a dangerous game right now with the development of one of his best prospects. 

     I am not a huge fan of this idea that the team is doing. It would be much better to get a guy that can play third or shortstop in the trade market and work with that. It's much better than messing with a great prospect that has a bright future. It's better for Huntington to dig into his deep prospect pool to trade for a proven player. 

Pirates trade target: Justin Upton

     Ah yes, here we are again. Back in the same position we were in 2012 with the Pirates again being interested in Justin Upton, who now plays for the Padres. The big difference is that he is a free agent after the season, unlike it 2012 where he would've been controlled for three and a half years.

     Justin Upton will be one of the best bats on the market as he has been very productive, especially considering his home games are in Petco Park. He has 15 homers and 49 RBIs overall which would put him first in homers and third in RBIs on the Pirates. That would mean a big production upgrade.

     There are a few problems, however. The one is that he's only hitting .252 on the season which is a drop off. Although, his OBP is still pretty good. The other issue is that he would cost a lot, even for a rental. Considering that, the Pirates don't need an OF THAT badly. The more pressing need is 1B. It doesn't look like the 1B market is that great. This could force Huntington's hand into acquiring a player at a different position. As I said in previous posts, what message would that send Polanco, though? I think Upton would help if you look at the stats, but some of the other reasons make me a bit skeptical.

This weekend's series in Milwaukee proves this roster needs help

     Pirates just got swept in Miller Park which is an all too familiar sight. However, I thought our fortunes were changing there. Evidently not as proven this weekend. Maybe we'll never play well there. Who knows? But alas. There is something that this weekend did prove, however.

     It proved, hopefully to the front office, that this roster needs help. The team with the current roster makeup, isn't good enough to continue their first half pace.

     You won't win many games with Decker, Ishikawa, and Rodriguez all in there. Granted, Rodriguez did have to come in due to injury, and Decker hit a triple. Still, it's difficult to have a bench consisted of the guys they do. Need to get deeper there.

     There are a few spots in the field the Pirates could and should upgrade. With Harrison down and Mercer looking like he may need the DL after what looked to be a gruesome injury today. Kang can only fill in one of those spots, and the Pirates don't have anymore great infield depth that could fill in for a lengthy time. Rodriguez isn't the guy that can fill in. They need better than that. Also, Hurdle and Huntington don't seen too confident in Alvarez anymore which may mean something. I wouldn't be surprised if they upgraded there, and I think they should.

     The bullpen also proved it needs help. Even Hughes had some problems this weekend. Another bullpen arm to bridge to the big guys Watson and Melancon. That would make all the difference, I believe. Starting pitching proved something to me this weekend, of course outside of Worley's spot start. Morton pitched well but fell apart late. Not bad, though. Locke was outstanding and has been for the last month or so. An upgrade there would bd nice but not as necessary as the other problems. With pitching depth a problem, maybe a deal for a starter wouldn't be bad, especially since the starting pitching market is deep.

     Anyway you slice it, this team needs some help. The current roster can't get it done. It's a quality roster but just not quite good enough, especially with regression setting in for some guys. Huntington has just under two weeks to make it happen, and he can't until August. If he waits or does nothing, there could be some problems.
   

Neal Huntington has to make a trade in July. He has no choice

     The trade deadline is in less than two weeks which means the teams in contention will bolster their roster in hopes of a playoff run. The Pirates are right in the thick of things, owning the third best record in all of baseball. However, I don't think this current roster make up can continue to do what they are doing. The law of regression comes into play. A lot of players have outdone their career numbers. This leads me to believe that at least a little regression could happen which could be disastrous.

     We've already seen some regression on this team, especially in the bullpen. Caminero, Bastardo, Guerra, and Worley have been less than ideal lately. This team is playing with fire in the bullpen with 4/7 of the bullpen being guys that are regressing. There needs to be another arm in there to bridge the gap from the starters to Watson and Melancon. It's hard to keep going hoping some of these guys continue to be effective.

     There are also some offensive players due to regress which would make the offense when worse. These players mainly being Kang and Cervelli. Can't afford to lose anymore offense. Getting Harrison back will be a shot in the arm, but he won't be back until September. Plus, his bat doesn't make as huge of an impact as it did last season. Getting a proven hitter that isn't due to have a huge regression would really solidify this lineup around McCutchen and Marte.

     Another reason we need a deal made is that the other teams we're in contention with will make trades. I imagine the Cardinals will want to sure up some spots because of injuries. Cubs have been in search of big name starting pitching and bullpen help. The Mets have been rumored to be looking at an impact bat. Giants might sure up their pitching. Knowing this, Huntington can't be a sitting duck and see all these other teams make trades while he doesn't. Huntington has not done great as a buyer in the first four go arounds. Let's summarize:

2011: Acquired Derek Lee and Ryan Ludwick
2012: Acquired Wandy Rodriguez, Travis Snider, Gaby Sanchez, Chad Qualls
2013: Acquired Marlon Byrd, John Buck, Justin Morneau(all in August)
2014: None

     As can be seen, the only really successful one was in 2013, but I honestly think that those reinforcements came too late. If they had made the trades sooner, they might've won the division. Who knows? If they had made a deal last year, they might've won the division. This year, Huntington can't afford to wait or do nothing. The Cardinals, even in their current state with the injuries, will be tough to catch. Pirates need to make trades for good players to help catch up.

     I'm not trying to be a downer, I'm just saying what I think. The Pirates are doing something really special this year, and I love it. However, even one or two more good players added onto the team could put them into another level. Between regression and other teams probably making trades, Huntington has his hands tied. He has to make a trade, and I think he will.

What players would be the best fits for Pirates as trade deadline looms

     As the trade deadline approaches, GMs will be scrambling to help their clubs any way they can. Whether if it's trading to help them contend now, contend later, or a balance. The Pirates sit in the balance category, as a lot of teams do. However, I do think Huntington will make a trade that'll help within the next two weeks. He's proven he can trusted. That being said, which players would be the best fit to help this team continue to be one of the best teams in the league.

     The Pirates have been linked and even spoken to the Phillies about a couple players, specifically outfielders Ben Revere and Jeff Francouer. I like Ben Revere, and he would fix the leadoff spot problems. I like the idea at first glance, but after thinking about it, it wouldn't work. It would send the wrong message to Polanco. Francouer, however, would be good. He's having his best season in quite sometime, and he can platoon greatly with Polanco. 

     Staying in the NL East, Pirates reportedly scouted Dan Haren of the Marlins at least once. Haren's inability to pitch as hard as he used to scares me. He is having a good year and could help at a cheap rate, though. 

     Pirates scouted Buchholz, but now he's on the DL. I didn't think that would've gone anywhere anyways. 

     Pirates also checked out some A's players. Speculation would say Kazmir, Clippard, Zobrist, and possibly Reddick. Pirates didn't get a great look at Kazmir that day because he was hurt in the 3rd. He didn't need a DL trip, however. That injury history keeps me skeptical about him. Now, Clippard would look great in the bullpen pitching late in games with Watson and Melancon. Did somebody say 6 inning baseball games? Next, I love Zobrist and always have. He plays everywhere in the field. This is the second straight year the Bucs have been connected to him. He can patch up any problem that would come up, like Harrison did last year. Now as for Reddick, I like him, but again, what message does that send Polanco?

     Pirates have reportedly checked in on Diamondbacks pitchers Addison Reed and Jeremy Hellickson. This makes sense since the Pirates would like to get rotation depth and another bullpen arm. Reed has been nasty in the past but not as great this season. Not exactly the player I'd bring in during a pennant race. Remember when they brought in Axford last year? Hellickson is the same way. Has shown signs of being good but not so much this year. 

     Those are the main players the team has been connected to. There are always players that we never hear about that teams are interested in.

     Other players that would make sense: Harang, Ruf, Prado, Baker, Rosario, K. Johnson, C. Johnson, Benoit, Kennedy, Moss, Santana, DeJesus, Parra, Lind, Segura, A. Ramirez, Leake 

-Jared Lankes 

Note: If you have any other suggestions on available players that would fit Pirates or go over something I may have missed, tweet me it @JaredLankes or email jrodjl5@gmail.com and I'll answer as soon as possible.

Where will the Pirates improve at the deadline offensively

     It's no surprise that the Pirates are looking to upgrade the offense. The offense shows up in bunches it seems. It's frustrating to deal with an offense that inconsistent. That being said, the Pirates do need to make a trade to upgrade.

     We must start with the weakest hitting spots in the lineup. There are three that stand out, and those would be RF, SS, and 1B. 

     First off, in RF, Polanco hasn't been able to build on his success from last year. However, he has shown signs of life the last 10-12 games or so that could make the Pirates confident to stick with him instead of sending him back to AAA. Getting a platoon right fielder to hit lefties wouldn't be the worst thing to help Polanco just focus on hitting against righties for now. Take it one step at a time. 

     SS has been an obvious offensive problem for the last handful of years. It has been that way since Jack Wilson departed. Mercer is solid defensively, though, and I can take his lack of offense for that mostly great defense. Most teams have a guy like that. Plus, Kang can fill in some at SS once Harrison gets back.

     1B is another place where there could be an upgrade made. Also, I think this is the most replaceable spot in the lineup. If a deal is made to help, it could be to replace Alvarez. Huntington isn't scared to replace Alvarez. He's done it twice. In 2011 when he demoted him and last year of course when Harrison replaced him. I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen again.

     The bench has been another problem. Making a move to replace a current starter would send them to the bench which would help. Also, Harrison getting back in September will push Kang back to the bench. That would make an instant improvement. Ishikawa has had some good ABs since coming back, and Decker just got called back up which should help. So, the bench is slowly improving.

     No matter what happens, Huntington has to dig into his countless amounts of talent in the minor leagues to help the major league team. They can't afford not to with how good the Cardinals are, especially since the Cardinals will probably make a trade or two as well. Pirates can't afford to get too far behind. It hurt them last year in missing out on a division title and losing the crapshoot that is the wildcard game.