Trade Deadline Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates
By Aaron Somers
Jun 25, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton (50) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Who could be moved:
1. Jared Hughes/Jeanmar Gomez/Stolmy Pimental
Pittsburgh has seen some good results from their bullpen this season, with the exception of Jason Grilli who has already been shipped out of town. Short of a total collapse in the coming weeks it would be unlikely for the team to deal more than one from the mix, but bullpen arms are always at a premium at the trade deadline. Any one of the three could potentially appeal to an opposing organization and could bring the Bucs back a solid, though not spectacular, return.
2. Charlie Morton
While his nine losses are troubling, Morton has generally pitched well this season. His 1.226 WHIP and 7.5 K/9 both are career bests and he holds a 3.41 ERA in just over 100 innings on the year. Morton’s biggest challenge has been run support, as he lost his first six decisions while the team was outscored by just 12 runs. The Pirates could hold onto him to help anchor down a spot in the rotation, but it could also be a prime opportunity to move him given his recent performance. Morton’s contract calls for his salary to jump to $8 Million in each of the next two seasons, with a team option for 2017 at $9.5 Million.
Signed at just $5 Million for the season, Volquez hasn’t quite been the success story that the Pirates were likely hoping for but his production has been relatively reasonable. His 1.225 WHIP is solid, but his strikeout rate has taken a big dip to just 5.7 K/9. He’s affordable enough, however, that he could be an option for a team looking at making a playoff run in need of one more starter to help eat innings. Moving him would likely signal the Pirates admitting that their season is going nowhere, but it’s not out of the question.