Pittsburgh Pirates trades set franchise back for foreseeable future
It may take quite some time for the Pittsburgh Pirates to contend once more. If that is the case, they can point to two trades as the reason why.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were seemingly at a crossroads heading into the 2018 season. Former first overall pick and top prospect Gerrit Cole had seemingly hit a wall in his progression with the Pirates, seemingly in desperate need of a change of scenery. Likewise, the ever budget conscious organization was facing an increase in his salary, one they did not want to pay.
On January 13, the inevitable happened. Cole was traded, sent to the defending World Series champion Houston Astros, for a package of prospects. The hope was that the Pirates would find pieces for their future core, particularly with Colin Moran and Michael Feliz.
Then the 2018 season happened. The Pirates were the surprising winners of the Chris Archer Sweepstakes, landing the Rays nominal ace. In exchange, they sent Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow to Tampa Bay, two former top prospects who had not lived up to their potential. In addition, Shane Baz was sent over to the Rays as a player to be named later.
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Both trades turned out to be a disaster. Cole emerged as an ace once again in Houston, while the foursome acquired by Pittsburgh failed to live up to their potential. Likewise, Archer has been mediocre at best with the Pirates, posting an ERA+ of 85 in his 33 appearances in Pittsburgh.
Just over a year ago, there was cautious optimism surrounding the Pirates. They were a surprising four games over .500 in 2018, with some considering them a dark horse playoff contender. Instead, the Pirates bottomed out in 2019, posting a 69-93 record, leading to a complete cleaning out of the dugout and front office.
Now, the Pirates find themselves in the worst possible place for any team to be. They do have three top 100 prospects in Mitch Keller, Ke’Bryan Hays, and Oneil Cruz, but Keller is the only one of those who has a chance to be a real impact player. The major league roster has some talent, but not nearly enough. The Pirates are facing a long rebuild, without an end in sight.
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Sometimes, one move can doom a franchise for years to come. With the Pittsburgh Pirates, two ill-fated trades in 2018 have set a course for disaster.