The Pirates Won't Trade for Starlin Castro

The rumors coming out of Chicago today were stating that the Cubs (18-32 so far in 2012) were about to go into "firesale" mode, offering any player on their roster in a deal with the exception of SP Jeff Samardzija.  That got the baseball gossip train moving on the possibility that SS Starlin Castro, the teams 22-year old phenom, could be had in the right deal.

Shortstop hungry teams (The Pirates included) immediately saw the internet light up with fantasy trade offers for Castro.  Speculation all day was about whom the Pirates would have to give up in a potential deal for the superstar shortstop.  Names like Taillon, Cole, Marte, Allie, etc. were thrown around the message boards and social media realms, with the fan base split 50/50 on whether the Bucs should mortgage their future for a chance to obtain a player who could help them win this season and be under control for another four years.

A few hours later, the Cubs were squashing those rumors at every chance.  Bottom line:  Castro is at the "top of the list" of players who are untouchable in Chicago.  Veterans like SP Ryan Dempster, OF Alfonso Soriano, SP Matt Garza, and even young first baseman Bryan LaHair are all available for the right price.  Even with hefty price tags, starting pitchers with the pedigrees of Dempster and Garza will find homes very easily.  Soriano is a different case, with $48 million remaining on his long-term deal and a declining skill set that has rendered him a mediocre player in his twilight years. 

Let's play devil's advocate for a minute and assume the Pirates are buyers and the Cubs are dangling Starlin Castro out there.  What would it take to acquire him?  The Cubs GM is Theo Epstein, not an easy guy to get over on when it comes to player evaluation and value.  The immediate reaction would be that the Pirates would need to offer a deal that is based around either SP prospect Gerrit Cole or Jameson Taillon, two first-round picks that are being counted on to become the aces of the Bucs future pitching staff.  Of course, we would need to throw in OF Starling Marte for good measure and add a third player out of the B-class prospects (Jeff Locke, Robbie Grossman, etc.).  That would make this deal the biggest gamble the Pirates organization ever undertook.  The odds of GM Neil Huntington giving away the best talent he has accumulated in his tenure is slim, and the odds of the Pirates even talking about Cole/Taillon is even slimmer.  Marte is probably going to be in Pittsburgh by July as the Pirates begin to make decisions on the long-term playability of OF Alex Presley, Gorkys Hernandez, and even Jose Tabata - the latter having regressed badly this season. 

Last season at the trade deadline, the Houston Astros were dangling OF Hunter Pence to contenders for a package that would have to include at least one top prospect.  The Pirates inquired, but didn't like what they heard and settled for minor deals that brought 1B Derrek Lee and OF Ryan Ludwick to the Steel City.  The Philadelphia Phillies pulled the trigger on Pence, and ended up getting him for a package of mid-level talent that made GM Ruben Amaro look like a genius.  How nice would Hunter Pence have looked playing right field in the black and gold this season?  He is currently holding the Phillies lineup together while the team waits for All Stars Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to return from injuries.

As much as we all want to the Pirates to be for real in 2012 - and they very well could be - this team is not going to trade away blue-chippers like Gerrit Cole or Starling Marte for ANYBODY.  It just isn't the way small market teams do business.  The Pirates need to take a lesson from the Tampa Bay Rays, who have been World Series contenders for a few years now and have accomplished that through player development and bargain gems they found on waivers or in the mid-season free agent dump.  The Rays are the cream of the crop when talking about small market clubs, and when the Pirates do contend, it will be by following the same format.

The Bucs will make some deals if they are in the race come July 31.  Perhaps they go out and get a big bat or another lights-out bullpen arm.  Regardless of what they do, they won't be trading all of the aforementioned players and the return package will not include Cubs SS Starlin Castro.  Sorry Pirates fans, but that is reality.

Pirates DFA OF Nate McLouth

Nate McLouth's celebrated return to the organization that spawned him to a 2008 All Star Game appearance and a chance at big league glory lasted all of 44 games.  The Pirates - desperate to awaken from a season-long team-wide batting slump - designated McLouth for assignment today.  The Pirates gave McLouth a chance to take his troubles to Indianapolis in an attempt to change his fortunes, but McLouth has decided to part ways with the organization.

This was a tough call for the Bucs, who fully understood the commitment the outfielder felt for the franchise.  After being re-signed in the offseason, McLouth did several interviews where he reiterated his desire to be a Pirate and how he never wanted to play anywhere else.  The Pirates traded McLouth to Atlanta in June 2009 in a deal that netted the Bucs SP Charlie Morton and OF Gorkys Hernandez.  McLouth never seemed to find his way with the Braves, and lasted only three injury filled seasons before the team declined his option last winter.  The deal that sent McLouth to the Braves initially was used to open a roster spot for rookie OF Andrew McCutchen, who has since become of the best players in the game.

The odds are now against McLouth to make it back to the major leagues.  He has seemingly lost his way as a hitter, and will need a team to give him an opportunity to work out his issues.  Why he declined the trip to AAA offered by the Bucs is unknown, since after hitting .140 and going hitless in his final 20 at-bats, the best he will be offered is the same chance with another club. 

We hope that Nate McLouth finds his way.  He is a genuine guy who loved Pittsburgh and always wanted to be here.  While things didn't work out the way we all thought it would, McLouth is still a tough guy to root against.  It will be interesting to see what direction his career heads now, as he has officially hit the low mark of his seven year career.

A Quick Look at Josh Harrison

Josh Harrison is perhaps the most exciting player to watch on the 2012 Pirates, but amazingly enough most fans have no idea how "The J-Hay Kid" ended up in the Steel City.

A quick look at the career of the Pirates do-it-all super-utility player and what his future may hold for the Bucs.