Pirates make right decision in moving Melancon
There was so much smoke surrounding a Mark Melancon trade in the past 24 hours that it was inevitable the Pirates were going to trade Melancon than lose him for nothing this off-season as the team had no plans to make a qualifying offer.
The Pirates this afternoon struck a deal with the Washington Nationals that sends Melancon and cash to the Nationals with the Pirates receiving reliever Felipe Rivero and pitching prospect Taylor Hearn.
From the Pirates end they are going to sell this that they have arms to replace Melancon in Tony Watson and Neftali Feliz and it was important to get something in return for Melancon with him set to walk as a free agent.
For a team that’s three games out of the second wildcard and having no shot of catching the Cubs for the division, the greater value was trading Melancon.
So the Nationals get the elite closer they wanted, kept the elite prospects they wanted, and got cash back in the deal.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 30, 2016
The question now is whether the Pirates got enough for Melancon. The return is certainly not an Aroldis Chapman type return the Pirates were rumored to be seeking this morning but when you breakdown the deal, it’s easy to see why the Pirates like the deal.
In Rivero, the Pirates get a hard throwing lefty who will slide into a middle relief role. Rivero, 25, has a 4.53 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 53/15 K/BB ratio over 49 2/3 innings. The Pirates love hard throwing lefties, especially one’s with high strikeout ability.
Rivero is also a Pirates’ type acquisition in that he’s under team control through the 2021 season. Immediate reactions in Pirates circles [hide] is the team see’s some late inning potential in Rivero. Despite the 4.53 ERA, it’s easy to see why the Pirates like Rivero.
One source texted “amazing stuff” when asked about Rivero.
Where there’s going to be many complaints with this deal was the Pirates not getting a top-10 prospect or even a top-20 prospect for Melancon.
Taylor Hearn, 21, is a hard throwing southpaw in Low-A ball. He was the Washington Nationals 5th round pick in 2015 and was actually drafted by the Pirates in 2012 but not signed.
MLB.com had Hearn rated as the Nationals 27th ranked prospect.
This season Hearn has pitched in a combined 29 innings, allowing 27 hits, 14 runs, with a 39/13 K/BB ratio.
Like Rivero, Hearn can bring the heat, topping out at 99-100.
MLB’s Scouting Report on Hearn:
[Hearn was drafted on three separate occasions before he finally signed with the Nationals for $275,000 as a fifth-round pick in 2015. The Oklahoma Baptist product drew raves from scouts during his pro debut in the New York-Penn League, and he continued to impress in the fall instructional league. Promoted to Class A Hagerstown for his first full season, Hearn fired five scoreless innings in his Suns debut but left his subsequent start after he suffered a broken foot while covering first base. The injury cost the left-hander most of the first half, though he was able to make a healthy return to the mound in late June. Hearn showcased a dynamic fastball during instructs, sitting at 95-98 mph and bumping 99 in short bursts out of the bullpen. The 6-foot-5 left-hander usually operates in the low to mid-90s as a starter, with significant late movement and downhill plane that generates a lot of whiffs as well as countless broken bats. Hearn’s power slider is raw but shows the makings of becoming an out pitch that can miss bats on both sides of the plate. He also has a changeup, though it lags well behind his two main offerings and will need to be developed thoroughly for him to remain a starter. The Nationals will continue to develop him in that role, knowing that he could still jump on the fast track to the big leagues with a move to the bullpen.]
Photo: David Hague [/hide]
The Yankees return for Miller is what the Pirates should have aimed for.
I agree.
Miller and Chapman are both left handed relievers with devastating stuff.
Melancon is a crafty right handed reliever that happened to save games.
There’s a world of difference between the former and latter. There’s no way the Pirates were going to get a Chapman/Miller return for a RHP who barely touches 92 MPH. Bucco fans vastly overrated Melancon’s value on the trade market.
Nez, there is a world of difference between them, rhere is no overvaluing, other than maybe you over valuing 100 MPH pitchers. Not taking anything away from chapman/miller, but if I am not mistaken the most important stat for closers is saves and melancon has more of those than anyone the last 3 years.. Bucs should not have made the deal with out at least 1 top 10 prospect in the mix.
I think what a lot of people are missing is that the Pirates love hard throwing lefties so in their eyes they got a great return for Melancon by getting 2 hard throwing lefties with upside. It’s like a guy who likes petite blond women with small breasts and big buts, he’ll find an average looking woman that fits that criteria more attractive than the hottest brunette with large breast and a small butt even though many/most find the latter more attractive.
This site gets funnier by the day, saying fuckface is considered exceptable while but.t is considered foul and worthy of being edited…lol
#fuckfacefraud2016!
I like petite brunettes with small breasts and big butts.
I would imagine my preferences are pretty obvious.
Nice to see the Niese trade continue to pay off.
Now THAT was a bad trade from the start.
NPL liked it. All he did was knock Walker. He might not admit it now, but he was a big fan of it when it happened. Then again, he likes every move they make.
Trolling But Jealous
Interesting read from the Sporting News. They argue this could be disastrous for the Nationals if Rivero’s poor 7 game stretch was just a bad run.
They are in the wild card hunt and make a trade that makes their team worse. How anyone supports these clowns is beyond me.
So keep a player who will walk to maybe get a Wild Card spot instead of a possible decent return with a recent All-Star taking over? Seems logical. Now you can argue if they return is good enough, but it’s not hard to understand why they’d do it.
So when you’re in the hunt for a wild card, you should trade your best reliever for a couple bums? Seems logical. God forbid you keep a guy that will help you in a playoff race. It’s called, and bear with me, trying to win! I understand how as a Pirate fan, you can’t grasp the concept. If you did, you wouldn’t root for them.
I’ll take reputable baseball writers’ words that it was a smart move over a known Pirate hater.
And taking a reliever’s ERA at face value and making a judgment is pretty dumb. Then again you also have tried to defend Braun’s integrity.
Yeah, ERA’s don’t matter much. And honest question…Do you think this trade makes them better? If you do, I’m afraid I’ve got some baaaaad news. If you don’t, then you’re admitting it’s basically them throwing in the towel. Teams who are trying to win don’t trade their top players. Perpetual rebuild. Hey, at least they have fireworks.
Better now? No. But at the same time given the way the year is going I don’t have a problem them taking a hit now for four years of a possible good reliever. Keeping Melancon wasn’t going to bring them a deep playoff run. I’d honestly rather them just try to re-group and get ready for what could be a big year next year than trying to make what is becoming an improbably playoff run and hindering themselves for next year.
And for the record, no way in shit I trade him if this was last year. If they’re a WS contender I don’t do it, but they’re a fringe playoff team.
Moving him wasn’t a horrible move. What they got though…I don’t know. I think you’re in a position of strength. You take someone over the coals or you don’t move him at all. Those were your options. They did neither.
I won’t argue that on the return. I think Rivero will be a good setup man, but not worth Melancon. And the guy in the minors is just a wait and see, I guess.
Little in return for much given up, but they never would ahve signed him next year at $10 Million plus.
The cash back is another solid kick to the nuts. We paid them for sub standard return. Ta daaaaaaaaaaa
Spin it any way you want. Pirates are a miserable, doomed organization.
Agreed. Nutting heard controllable through 2021, he jizzed in his pants!
Just like he did when his team traded FA-to-be Hanrahan for Melancon.
Not defending the below current market trade, but your reasoning is misguided.
Interesting stat: In 13 starts since a disastrous June 13 outing where he gave up five runs, Rivero’s ERA has been 0.93.
Im guessing you mean 13 appearances, but still, thats a very good stretch. In fact, take out that poor 7 game stretch in which he gave up 13 runs in 5.1 innings, and his ERA is 2.45 in 44.1 innings. Tony Watson has a 2.6 ERA in 44 innings.
Yes lol
#ReliefERAsDontMatter
Somewhere John Steigerwald is writing an article about the Stan Belinda trade in 93 that netted Jon Lieber.
Maybe they’ll flip Hearns for Matt Moore lol
#FatLivesMatter