The MLB non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone and now we get to see whether or not the trades were worth it or not. We also get to assess if the team did enough to help themselves. The Pirates brought in a haul of players. They brought Aramis Ramirez, Joe Blanton, Joakim Soria, Michael Morse, and J.A Happ all to Pittsburgh. True that there were five trades, but the bigger question is: Was it good enough?
In this case, the Pirates did a good job of patching up holes by bringing in a high quantity of players. However, the overall body of work of the trades leaves something to be desired. Ramirez is a good patch up option at third base while Morse will work out on the bench and Soria is great for the bullpen. The other 2 trades of Blanton and Happ did not seem like high quality that will help or be improvements in any way. The in-house options the Pirates possess could've had the same amount of impact, if not more.
It seemed like a bit of a stretch to go out there in desperation to get Blanton and Happ. It almost seems like they made those trades just to say they made more trades. It seems like they traded for the names instead of the players, and now they are stuck with the players. If the trades that are made aren't going to be improvements, then the trades might as well not be made.
The winners at the deadline isn't the team that makes the most trades; it's the team that makes the best trades. Take the Mets and Blue Jays for example. Each team made impactful trades that will help them immensely, not just a bit. The guys they got have made an instant impact, and the feel in the clubhouse has changed. It can't be overlooked how high-quality trades can change the clubhouse's attitude towards the season in addition to the star player the team received. The Pirates did not trade for that high-impact player that drastically changes the feel of the clubhouse.
For those saying that I cannot compare the Pirates moves on the Mets and Blue Jays because of the records of the teams, well, I can. It doesn't matter what the teams' records are, a high-impact trade helps. Also, the Pirates clubhouse could've really used a boost from the front office in their chase of the Cardinals. A big trade would've really given the team a huge confidence boost they need to catch the Cardinals. The guys the Pirates got don't provide an instant buzz in the clubhouse that gets them ignited, and that's what the Pirates need most to win the division.