Winter Meetings: Possible Trades for the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in an interesting spot. After cleaning house in the front office this offseason, fans hope that the organization will turn around from a 69–93 record in 2019. Some might argue that Ben Cherington, the Pirates new GM, should move the team into a rebuilding stage while others want the Buccos to spend big this winter. Going into the Winter Meetings, the Pirates have only made a few minor transactions to this point. So far, 40-man roster additions and number changes have been the highlight of the young offseason. Division rivals like the Reds, Cubs, and Brewers are shaking up the hot stove to this point. To spice up the offseason, Winter Meetings, and 2020 season, here are some possible trades the Pirates could make in San Diego this week:
Starling Marte Heads to the West Coast
Padres Receive:
OF Starling Marte
INF/OF Kevin Kramer (#9 Pirates Prospect)
Pirates Receive:
C Luis Campusano (#5 Padres Prospect)
LHP Joey Cantillo (#15 Padres Prospect)
OF/1B Wil Myers
It may be a lot to ask for a guy like Wil Myers and two prospects in a stacked farm system, but this deal would help both teams. After acquiring Trent Grisham from the Brewers and Tommy Pham from the Rays, the Padres have decided to shop Wil Myers this offseason. Myers is signed through 2022 with a team option for 2023 and is going into the tail end, more expensive portion of his contract. From 2020–2022, Myers will make $20 million a season, which is a bit expensive but do-able for the Pirates. Not only does Myers bring a plus bat to the table, he can play all three outfield positions plus first base.
Luis Campusano is a great hitting catcher with flashes of top-notch defensive talent. At the big league level, the Padres look like they will roll with a combination of Austin Hedges, Francisco Mejia, and Luis Torrens. Mejia, traded for last season in the Brad Hand deal, had a .265/.316/.438 slash-line in 2019. Known as a defense-first catcher, Mejia looks like the future behind the plate for the Padres, leaving multiple prospects, like Campusano, in the dust.
Jose Cantillo was a mid-round draft pick in 2017 that quickly flew up the Padres prospect rankings after a big season in Low-A. Cantillo posted a 1.93 ERA in 19 starts for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Presumably, Cantillo would spend either most or all of 2020 in High-A. The 19-year-old could be a nice left-handed piece is the Pirates system.
For Marte and Kramer, they could prove useful in San Diego. Marte, of course, filling the Padres’ need for a center fielder. If Marte was acquired, the Padres would have Tommy Pham in left, Marte in center and a mixture of Trent Grisham and Josh Naylor in right. One of the Padres needs coming into the offseason was a left-handed bat in the outfield and off the bench. After trading for Trent Grisham, they filled the need for a lefty in the outfield. Kramer could be there guy off the bench. He has not gotten much of a chance at the big league level, but has done well at AAA. Last season he learned to play the outfield, which the Padres can utilize, but not on a regular basis. The 25-year-old does not seem to have a chance in Pittsburgh. At third base, awaiting the arrival of Ke’Bryan Hayes, Colin Moran gives the team a plus bat with solid to below average defense. In the middle infield, Kevin Newman and Adam Frazier are coming off of nice seasons while Cole Tucker is awaiting a chance to start.
James McCann comes to Pittsburgh
White Sox Receive:
RHP Luis Escobar (#14 Pirates Prospect)
OF Lolo Sanchez (#15 Pirates Prospect)
RHP Clay Holmes
Pirates Receive:
C James McCann
RHP Alec Hansen (#27 White Sox Prospect)
After non-tendering Elias Diaz, the top need this offseason is a catcher. Multiple candidates such as Jason Castro, Russell Martin, and Austin Romine have been mentioned through free agency. If the Pirates decide to trade for a catcher, James McCann has to be at the top of their list. Coming off an All-Star season in 2019, the White Sox signed top free agent Yasmani Grandal to a four-year deal. The surprising move pushes a team needing a catcher to trade for McCann. The 29-year-old McCann hit .273 last season with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs. The bat-first catcher would be a nice pickup until the Pirates figure out the catching position.
Alec Hansen is an interesting piece of the White Sox farm system. The 25-year-old former 2nd round pick has had a tough couple of seasons. In 2018, Hansen posted a 6.31 ERA in 14 starts between Single-A and Double-A. During the 2019 season, Hansen transitioned into a reliever posting a 4.64 ERA in 39 games between the two levels. Even though Hansen is no longer a highly regarded prospect, he could be an interesting non-roster invitee for the Pirates in 2020. After not being added to the 40-man roster, he is eligible for the Rule-5 draft if a team wants to take a chance. Assuming he is not drafted, Hansen could be decent pitching depth.
Luis Escobar was removed from the Pirates’ 40-man roster when it came time to add prospects such as Ke’Bryan Hayes and Will Craig. Escobar flew up the Pirates system last season, starting in Class-A Bradenton and completely skipping Double-A Altoona. Splitting time as a reliever and starter in AAA, Escobar posted a 4.09 ERA in 34 games, five of them being starts. He made appearances in four games in the bigs last season posting a 7.94 ERA in 5 2/3 innings. Since Escobar was removed from the 40-man roster, he does not seem to be in the immediate plans for 2020. Since he is only 23, the White Sox could utilize him as depth, possibly transitioning him to a reliever strictly.
Lolo Sanchez put up impressive numbers in 2017, playing in the Gulf Coast League. In 2018, however, Sanchez struggled to not only get on base, but make contact with the baseball. He recorded a career worst 72 strikeouts during the 2018 season. In 61 games with the Low-A Greensboro Grasshoppers, Sanchez put up a .301/.377/.451 slash-line. After a promotion to Bradenton, Sanchez struggled, only getting 32 hits in 163 at-bats. A change of development strategies could help the 20-year-old. The Pirates have proven outfielders such as Jared Oliva and Travis Swaggerty coming through the system quickly, which would leave no room for Sanchez.
Clay Holmes is a bit of a different story. Like Hansen, he has struggled to put up expected numbers. Both have made appearances on their team’s top 30 prospects list. The 26-year-old has struggled to get big league hitters out. Holmes jumped between AAA, AA, and the majors in 2019. Maybe a change of scenery for Holmes will help. The White Sox are in need of bullpen depth so why not take a chance on Clay Holmes?
About the Writer:
Ryan Miller is a high school senior seeking a career within the sports field. The New Jersey born 17-year-old was influenced by his father to become a Pittsburgh sports fan. On Twitter, he posts about roster transactions, play-by-play reactions, and interesting takes on different sports topics. Ryan also does a sports podcast with Josh Ruga (@JoshuaRuga on Twitter) about the Pittsburgh Pirates called Pirates Corner (@Pirates_Corner on Twitter). You can find him on Twitter @RyanFromPC.
