Pittsburgh Pirates: Mark Melancon as potential trade chip

After a brutal June, the Pittsburgh Pirates might be thinking more seriously about selling at the trade deadline. If they do, closer Mark Melancon could be put on the market.

The Pittsburgh Pirates surely didn’t expect to be in their current position at this point in the season. They have had an absolutely dreadful month of June, losing 18 of 27 contests to drop their record to 38-41. The NL Central is a lost cause, with the Bucs a distant 14 games behind the Chicago Cubs, and their deficit in the Wild Card hunt has also grown.

Naturally, some are wondering if it would be wise for the Pirates to throw in the towel on 2016 and sell at the trade deadline in preparation for next year. Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review thinks one player in particular is a good candidate to be moved: closer Mark Melancon.

This season’s trade market figures to be rife with appealing relief pitchers, but Melancon would instantly move toward the head of the pack if made available. The 31-year-old has been as effective and reliable a ninth-inning man as you could hope to find over the past few years. In 2015 he led Major League Baseball with 51 saves, blowing only two opportunities all season.

Since joining the Pirates in 2013, Melancon has posted a stellar 1.81 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 5.54 K/BB ratio while racking up a total of 122 saves. This season has been more of the same, as he is working a 1.48 ERA over 31 innings while holding down 22 of 23 save opportunities. Among the league’s contenders, he certainly wouldn’t lack for suitors. The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo already pegs the Red Sox, Giants, Mets and Astros as possibilities.

But would it really be a good idea for Pittsburgh to shop its closer? There are several compelling reasons to do so, the first of which is Melancon’s status as an impending free agent. He’ll presumably demand a multi-year deal for good money this winter. It would be a surprise for the typically frugal Pirates (20th-ranked payroll in baseball) to pay up for a 31-year-old reliever, even one as skilled as Melancon. If there is a legitimate chance he will be leaving anyway, it makes sense to get something for him now.

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Though the Pirates are still a very manageable 3.5 games off the pace in the race for the NL’s second Wild Card berth, there is cause to believe their standing could get worse before it gets better. As Rossi points out, the Bucs have a four-game series with the Cardinals and a three-game set with the Cubs right before the All-Star break. They have not fared well against their divisional foes this season. The second half kicks off with three games against the Nationals. So the Pirates’ situation may not have improved much by the time the trade deadline rolls around.

Moving proactively could benefit them here, especially with a variety of notable relievers expected to be on the market. The New York Yankees hold the biggest cards in Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, but they too appear to be waffling on whether to buy or sell. The Pirates have a chance to beat them to the punch by dangling Melancon early.

And while a shutdown closer is always a great weapon for any team to have, the Pirates’ ultimate fate this season probably won’t hinge on one. They still have plenty of time to re-assert themselves in the playoff picture, but it will take improvement from their roster as a whole, including the middling offense (13th in MLB in runs scored) and disappointing rotation (21st in ERA).

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The Pirates will be an interesting team to watch as we get closer to the deadline, and Melancon is just one enticing piece that could be in play. The next couple weeks will likely be crucial in determining what course the club decides to chart.

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