Lee deal a good move for NH

 Pirates general manager Neal Huntington recognized the need the Pirates have for middle-of-the-order power hitter and a defensive first baseman and has tried to do something about it.

The Pirates late Saturday night acquired veteran first baseman Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles for Class A hitter Aaron Baker. The team also shipped an undisclosed amount of cash to the Bucs to pick up part of the $2.6 million owed to Lee through the end of the 2011 season.

This idea of getting a first baseman is a no-brainer for the Bucs. First base is traditionally one of the spots in the order power can be counted on from, but through 102 games, the Pirates first base position has yielded just eight home runs and a .228 batting average in 2011. Lee's numbers aren't fantastic, sporting a .246 batting average and 12 HRs. However he has hit .258 with 8 HRs since June 4 and could bring solid veteran leadership to a clubhouse void of it.

I have to say Lee's first comments are a little questionable.These are from the Baltimore Sun:

How do I feel about (the trade)? It’s the business of baseball,” said Lee, who hit .246 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs in 85 games for the Orioles.“I knew coming into the year there was a pretty good chance I wasn’t going to finish it here,” Lee said. “So, I understood all of it.” 
“Yeah the (Pirates) are playing good. They turned it around so good for them. I’m still playing baseball, so that’s always a good thing,”


Maybe we shouldn't expect more after losing a doubleheader to the Yankees. Not sure if Lee is making the trip to Philadelphia for today's game but he didn't play the nightcap of the doubleheader so maybe a little help as the Pirates try not to fall 4 1/2 out in the NL Central. Lee is a free agent after the season although it is unclear if the Pirates will receive draft compensation for him if he leaves after the season.

As far as Baker, the first baseman was drafted in 2009 and isn't considered a top prospect. He hit 36 HRs in 289 games combined through the Bucs' Single-A teams. With a career .344 on-base percentage, he was a solid bat but certainly not a major piece to part with to improve the Major League roster.

Overall a shot in the arm for the Pirates' offense. With Alvarez's HR on Saturday night, Lee's arrival and still in talks for another OF possibility, NH has stayed the course as far as the future of the team while still making an effort to improve the big league roster in this surprising season.

Strong indications point to Lyle Overbay's release following Lee's activation, a sad end to a season where the Pirates invested 11% of their payroll in a player who simply wasn't cutting it. Overbay has really done very little to help on the field in the team's rise from the ashes, although it would be foolish to discount his veteran presence in the locker room to a group of young players.

WB2PB Trade Deadline Evaluation: Jason Kubel

Over the next nine days, we will take a look at one player who is in the rumor mill to join the Pirates leading up to the trade deadline. Today's installment is Minnesota Twins outfielder Jason Kubel

The batting order with the addition of Kubel: 

1. Presley/Tabata/Paul, LF;  2.. Walker, 2B;  4. McCutchen, CF;  4. Kubel, RF; 5. Alvarez, 3B; 6. Doumit, C; 7. Jones/Pearce, 1B; 8. Cedeno, SS; 9. pitcher.

Strengths

• Kubel has 4 20+ HR seasons in his career, although his power numbers are a little down this season. He missed nearly two months with a sprained foot which certainly explains his down offensive numbers. His bat this season would be a welcome addition as he is hitting over .300 for the Twins in 227 at-bats.
• Kubel comes from a team with success, as the Twins have reached the postseason the last two years. Kubel struggled in the playoffs (2-for-29 in his career) but was a starter on back-to-back division title winners.

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Weaknesses

• Kubel is an OK outfielder but does not have great range and weakens the defense. He would start in RF so the trickly PNC Park left field would not be an issue but the team defense would be reduced with Kubel playing every day.

The Twins are a perfect fit to trade with the Pirates at this point, as they have both an outfielder to trade and a extra pitcher they have little room for in Kevin Slowey. Reports are the Pirates would like to add an extra arm to take a little pressure off their starting pitcher, which has carried this team to where it is in the standings and may start to feel the effects of that as the season goes on. Minnesota is also in discussions to acquire Washington closer Drew Storen and would have to give up young centerfielder Denard Span, which may take Kubel off the market.

The Twins sit six games out of first place in the AL central but they are also in fourth place. The team is still deciding whether it's a buyer or a seller and may try to be both. Kubel has less that $2 million remaining on his 2011 contract and is a free agent after the season. So the rental shouldn't cost the Pirates much, although the team would receive a compensation draft pick if he did so the Pirates would likely have to give up a low-to-mid tier prospect to acquire him.

Just the type of bat could use to get hot for a few months and begin to solve their severe offensive issues.


Likely chance of acquisition:35 percent

In Neal we trust? A breakdown of deadline deals

So it's July 28 at 1:00 p.m. and officially 75 hours until the Major League Baseball trade deadline. The Pittsburgh Pirates have scored 1 run in their last 27 innings, hit 2 home runs in their last 10 games and are facing two more games against the National League's second-best team before a three-game  road series against the league's best, where they will face two of the last three National League Cy Young award winners.

You don't think you're the only one who thinks this team needs some help, do you?

Reported first by ESPN's Jayson Stark more than a week ago and followed up by the Trib-Review's Dejan Kovacevic on Wednesday that Carlos Beltran was willing to go to any of the seven contenders in the National League.  The problem with that was, there was eight at the time. So despite the hype of ESPN and hanging in the NL Central with the Brewers and Cardinals, the most elite hitter on the market didn't want to play in Pittsburgh. And word is the Pirates were willing to pick up all of the $6 million remaining on the contract.

So everything being said about the Pirates needing to make a big splash and add Beltran apparently general manager Neal Huntington agreed with. He tried to reward his team and the fans with the hitter his team so desperately needs. He did everything in his power. And fans have to trust in that.

With hours ticking away, the names are still coming out of the woodwork. White Sox bats like Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko are being discussed. Konerko is incredibly unrealistic but would you rather NH's hand still be in play or would you rather have settled like the Indians' apparently have for Cubs' outfielder Kosuke Fukodome. Houston's Hunter Pence, Oakland's Josh Willingham, San Diego's Ryan Ludwick and Quentin's names are all still in talks between the many teams looking for help.

And the hardest part for Pirates fans is to sit and wait. But it's likely the best scenario. In trade deadline deals, NH is 4-3-2. And since he's made nine trades in three years, it would seem unlikely that the Pirates will do nothing. Here's a breakdown of those July trades.

• His trade of Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to the Yankees brought back four players. Those four are only the starting left fielder (Jose Tabata), two starters (Jeff Karstens and Ross Ohlendorf) and a strong bullpen arm (Daniel McCutchen) on the current team. And where would this organization be without that deal. Enormous win for NH

• The Jason Bay trade is leaning toward the loss column because the top prospect in the deal (Bryan Morris) is now a bullpen arm in Double-A three years later. It's almost unfair to call it a loss, since the Pirates were in no position to pay Bay. When everyone in baseball knows that, it's hard to get any return none the less four players, one of which Andy LaRoche, was one of the top hitting prospects in the Dodgers organization. But none have worked out. I can sympathize, but it's still a loss.

• The trade of Jack Wilson and his bad contract to Seattle with Ian Snell garnered starting shortstop Ronny Cedeno, Clement and prospects. One of those prospects, Aaron Pribanic, is a starter at Double-A. I have to give this one a win simply because without any future shortstop in sight, Cedeno has held down the job well for a lot cheaper than anyone could expect. Wilson was a fan favorite but way overpaid. A win.

• Adam LaRoche being sent to Boston for Argenis Diaz and Hunter Strickland could be a draw. But I'd say it's a win considering NH saved over $2 million in the deal

• Freddy Sanchez to the Giants for prospect Tim Alderson is considered a loss. I'd argue that Sanchez has just 700 at-bats in almost two full seasons in San Francisco for almost $12 million that could tip the scales NH's way but Alderson is still up in the air. At 22 years old, he's pitching well out of Altoona's bullpen so he could turn this into a win eventually with his play and the money saved but right now it has to be a tie because Sanchez would be blocking Neil Walker at this point. So tie...for now.

• Trading John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny to the Cubs for Jose Ascenio, Kevin Hart and Josh Harrison is another deal thought as a loss but I'm not so sure. Grabow has posted a 5.27 ERA in his time with Chicago for $7.5 million while Gorzelanny was 11-11 with a 4.43 ERA in 30 starts before being traded for prospects before the 2011 season started. Hart has been terrible and then injured, but Ascenio was a bust in the bullpen. But Josh Harrison has contributed this season when called upon and currently can be a utility infielder backing up both 2B and 3B to a .263 batting avg. Gorzelanny's average pitching and ability to get the Cubs three players still makes this a loss but it's closer than it appears.
  

• At the 2010 trade deadline, NH was busy with three deals. The first, sending Octavio Dotel for James McDonald is clearly a win. McDonald has pitched outstanding while Dotel was traded within days. Hitting prospect Andrew Lambo came from L.A. in this deal as well, and he's still trying to figure it out in Double A, but McDonald has already won this deal for NH.

•  D.J. Carrasco, Ryan Church and Bobby Crosby were sent to Arizona for Chris Snyder, Pedro Ciriaco and cash. Snyder's injury takes this away from being a win. The three sent to Arizona weren't doing much before the trade and haven't since and NH got to see if Ciriaco was an answer at SS. That being said, the Pirates have paid a lot of money for Snyder. So a draw.

• The same day, the Bucs shipped lefty Javier Lopez to San Francisco for John Bower and Joe Martinez. Martinez is gone and Bowker hasn't been considered an option to help with all the injuries in the outfield while Lopez has been a lights out southpaw out of the Giants' bullpen, with a 1.84 ERA in 77 appearances so far. Lopez appeared in nine playoff games as the Giants won the World Series. Big win for S.F.

It should be an exciting three days. but expect something to happen. Or this Pirates team may just be for a very long end to the 2011 season.

WB2PB Trade Deadline Evaluation: B.J. Upton

 Over the next nine days, we will take a look at one player who is in the rumor mill to join the Pirates leading up to the trade deadline. Today's installment is Tampa Bay Rays outfielder B.J. Upton

The batting order with the addition of Upton: 

1. Presley/Tabata/Paul, LF;  2. Upton, RF; 3. Walker, 2B;  4. McCutchen, CF;  5. Alvarez, 3B; 6. Doumit, C; 7. Overbay/Pearce, 1B; 8. Cedeno, SS; 9. pitcher.

Strengths

• Upton has incredible potential. He can hit for power, run on the bases and has excellent range in the outfield because of that speed.
• Has playoff experience from the Rays' playoff runs in 2008 and 2010
• Would fill a need for a right-handed bat with some pop, sporting 11 HRs against RHP this year
• Pirates would have him for all of 2012 as he is not eligible for free agency until 2013. Poor start to 2011 make it likely his arbitration price should be around $5 million.
• Hits very well away from the Rays' home field, posting a .278 batting average on the road this year and .262 for his career.

Weaknesses

• Upton's power numbers are up but his batting average and on-base percentage are down this year.
• Not known as a team guy with Tampa Bay. He has worn on his welcome in Tampa and the Pirates are not looking to acquire anyone who will mess with their team chemistry.

The great thing about Upton is that he's a great physical baseball player. And the bad thing about him is that he knows that. Upton, who should have been drafted, developed and be on the Pirates roster today as the No. 1 pick in the 2002 MLB draft, just might be the hitter the Pirates need on the field. Again, Upton doesn't solve the problem of 1st base but that appears to be a difficult nut to crack as there are a few teams (S.F., Ariz) who could use one as well and the most likely candidate for trade (Carlos Pena) appears to be the only one being talked about on the trade market.

It's also hard to say where Upton would bat. I put him second but I'd really like to return McCutchen to the top spot, move whomever the leftfielder is to the No. 2 spot and bat Upton cleanup. Upton hits .275 lifetime at the cleanup spot and he surely would be looking to up his numbers for his next contract. Plenty of incentive Not sure this will be one the Pirates pull the trigger on. Not sure if they are going to pull a trigger at all.

Likely chance of acquisition: 15 percent