Shadow of boss looms over trades
The Pirates know how to lose games. They have had 24 losing seasons in the past 28 years. They went 25-48 after the All-Star break in 2019 to finish 69-93, worst record in the National League Central. They were 1941 in the virus-shortened 2020 season, worst record in baseball. They will finish with the worst record this season, probably in 2022 and maybe in 2023.
The Pirates also know how to tear down a team. They released Trevor Williams in November. They traded Josh Bell to Washington for prospects on Christmas Eve. They traded Joe Musgrove to San Diego in a three-team deal for more prospects on Monday. More trades are likely involving players who are starting to make decent money, at least by the franchise’s miserly standards.
That is the best way for the Pirates to go.
The only way, actually. Part of me wants to believe the Pirates have a decent
chance to be good again if they continue to flood the minor league system with prospects. I have faith that Ben Cherington knows what he’s doing. I admire his track record as a general manager.
But a bigger part of me believes Pirates success will never happen. I have zero faith in Bob Nutting spending money when it comes time to add a player or two to push the team over the top. I believe he is the worst owner in baseball, maybe in all of sports.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, Nutting’s cheapness will trump Cherington’s best work.
I still can’t believe Cherington took the Pirates job when he had to have other options.
Cherington deserves a lot of credit for trying to make the best of a rotten situation.
Some fans don’t like that he traded Bell, who once was the face of the franchise. I loved that Bell had the power to hit the ball into the Allegheny River. During the 2019 season, he gave us a first half that ranks with just about any in baseball history.
Other fans hate to see Musgrove go. I loved his want-to, the way he would pitch inside to an opposing hitter to protect a teammate or how he would barrel into second base to break up a double play. Clint Hurdle once called him the second-best athlete on the team after Starling Marte.
You remember Marte, right? He was another player who was traded away because he was making too much money for Nutting’s liking. But I digress.
You have to look at the Bell and Musgrove trades the same way the Pirates’ longago general manager Branch Rickey looked at trading Hall of Fame-bound slugger Ralph Kiner to the Chicago Cubs:
“We finished last with you,” Rickey told Kiner. “We can finish last without you.”
The players Cherington
brought in will determine how successful the Bell and Musgrove trades will be. He picked up pitcher Eddy Yean, 19, in the Bell deal and center fielder Hudson Head, 19, catcher Endy Rodriguez, 20, and pitcher Omar Cruz, 21, in the Musgrove deal. All are considered legitimate prospects by the people who get paid to make such evaluations. So is Dominican Republic outfielder Shalin Polanco, 16, who was signed last week by Cherington during the international signing period. The team also will add the No. 1 overall pick in the July amateur draft and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft if it finishes with the worst record again in the 2021 season.
None of the prospects will be on the Pirates roster anytime soon. Are you willing to be patient?
Not all of the prospects will become stars or even make it to the big leagues. That’s just baseball.
But if a few of the prospects make it big and join star-to-be Ke’Bryan Hayes, ace-to-be Mitch Keller and perhaps Bryan Reynolds at PNC Park? Going to the ballgames could be fun again, at least for a season or two.
That’s the catch.
The prospects better get to Pittsburgh sooner rather than later.
Cherington will be trading Hayes and Keller before you know it.
To keep the boss happy.