Did the Pirates make an even trade with the Yankees, or are they dumping payroll for the richest team in MLB?

Question

The AP report says the Yankees gave up a "top outfield prospect", but it turns out he's batting .248 in Double-A, so he might be promising but he's a long way from proving himself. They also gave up a relief pitcher who was a bust in NY, and they gave up two Double-A pitchers. The AP writer gushed about the two established major leaguers Pittsburgh is giving up, implying they would be big stars if they played for a good team. The writer included a half-hearted claim by Pirates management that this was a good move for Pittsburgh, but it looks to me like the Pirates are tearing down their team to save money. Getting two highly-regarded starters for a bust and three prospects at Double-A sounds like a steal to me. Am I missing something, or is this the usual pattern of small-market teams giving away talent to big-market teams because they can't compete on payroll?

Answer 1

I think there just dumping payroll. They are doing it to save payroll and have a good younger franchise in the future. Coming from a cards fan they have no chance at winning the division so they might as well start rebuilding and plan for the future. The pirates front office has been horrible since moving into PNC.

Answer 2

Every trade with the Yankees is a salary dump.  Sometimes the Yanks have to give up somebody good (Soriano for A-Rod for instance), but the money always comes to New York.

Answer 3

The Bucs did not trade these two guys because of their salaries (which are very affordable). They were not going to make the playoffs with these two, nor will they make them now. The Pirates did it simply for the future. They got 3 pitchers which they desperately need to stock their farm teams, since they have very few pitching prospects in their whole system. They also got a 20-year old OF prospect, who was rated as the 3rd best prospect in the Yankees' entire system. Ohlendorf may even be able to help the Pirates now, since their starting pitching is injury riddled and inconsistent. Only time will tell if this deal helps both teams.

Answer 4

Trades liek these are little news for small-marlet team fans.

A Yankees "top outfield prospect" is a questionable term, because the way the Yanks work the off-season, them signing big name players sometimes results in them giving up their 1st round pick. The real prospects that perform are usually traded for big name stars. Then there's this guy. He technically is a top prosprect, but his quality of work doesn't quite match up with other teams' top prospects.

I doubt Nady will be a star just because he's going to a big media market. Before he went to Pittsburgh, He played with the Mets and Padres, large media markets.

In conclusion, this is a common pattern for small market teams. it's the ones who handle it well that succeed.

Answer 5

sounds about right

look at the A's for example

their starting rotation without trading away their good players:

Dan Haren

Rich Harden

Barry Zito

Joe Blanton

Justin Duchscherer

their rotation now:

Justin Duchscherer

Dana Eveland

Greg Smith

Sean Gallagher

Lenny Dinardo

they also traded away nick swisher to the white socks

Answer 6

I have alot of friends who are Pirates fans and they jokingly say the Pirates are the best minor league team in the majors. I read that the management of the Pirates is looking to building a winning team down the road. I have never understood the Pirates ownership mentality. They have a city who is absolutely nuts about their sports teams, ie. Steelers and Penguins, built an absolutely beautiful state of the art baseball stadium: PNC Park. Yet fail year after year to even get above 500 let alone make the playoffs. I sincerely hope for their fans that this will be a turning point for them. Only time will tell.

As far as the inability to compete, I really don't see this as a factor. If the Pirates dedicated themselves to a winning team they would fill PNC park. Consider this, there is a waiting list 10 years long for season tickets for the Steelers, now that is dedication to sports from a city.

Answer 7

I doubt this deal was because of payroll on the pirates part. I think it was due to the fact they werent going to make the playoffs and they were looking to get some arms that they need. This will deff help out the yankees in the short term and possibly for awhile, they will prob sign Nady to a long term deal and possibly do away with Damon when his contract runs out. The lefty they will use and abuse like all bull pen guys and prob trade him next year for some scrub like they did with betimit for proctor to the dodgers.

Answer 8

Jose Tabata has been a top prospect for the Yankees for years...and was a catcher...so give him some time to learn his position.  The pitchers are far younger than Marte who is 33 years old and making over 2 million dollars a year.  Since the Pirates aren't going anywhere this year and probably not for the next year or two...he is expendable.

Nady on the other hand will be turning 30 in November and has been a huge prospect in the past, but remember he played for the Padres, then the Mets and now the Pirates and makes over 3 million per season.  The Pirates have a ton of outfield depth in the organization so they felt they could dump his salary and bring up a top prospect.

Yes it seems to me as a Yankees fan that they didn't give up much at all...I'll admit it.  But the age of the players and their salaries just don't make sense for Pittsburgh right now, and believe me, these players have been shopped around for weeks at this point...so the Yankees offer must have been the best on the table and they are probably going to pick up a nice part of the salary.

Answer 9

the pirates have been doing the same thing for awhile now..wait about two or three years when all of these plyers are developed pirates will be great..they traded oliver perz last yr for great prospects...in a couple of yrs its not gonna be cubs brewers cards in the NL central..itll be pirates reds cards...n occasionly the astros