While the deal was finalized until today, the Pirates and the Red Sox agreed to a six-player deal that would send Joel Hanrahan and a player to be named to Boston for Jerry Sands and three other Red Sox prospects a few days ago. Today, the other names were released as the deal was complete. Along with Hanrahan, the Pirates shipped out infield prospect Brock Holt in the deal and received Mark Melancon, Stolmy Pimentel and Ivan DeJesus Jr. along with Sands.
For the Pirates, Hanrahan was set to to make over $7 million, which in their eyes and many others, was too much to pay for a closer in his final year of eligibility. As a small market team, that would register as 10 percent of their total payroll. Hanrahan, who appeared in back-to-back All-Star games for the Pirates, recorded 76 saves in the past two years for the Pirates.
Holt, who Ken Rosenthal regarded as probably the best prospect in the entire deal, posted a .292/.329/.354 line in 24 games with the Pirates last season.
In return, Sands is the ‘prize’ for the Pirates as he was the Dodgers minor league player of the year in 2010 hitting .301 with 35 home runs and 93 RBIs. In 2012, Sands hit 26 home runs and 107 RBIs at Triple-A Albuquerque.
Melancon is a career 10-7 with 21 saves and a 4.07 ERA in time spent with New York, Boston and Miami. Pimental, who automatically goes up to the top of the list in Pittsburgh names, recorded a 6-7 record with a 4.59 ERA in Double-A Portland a season ago. Pimental was named the Red Sox No. 10 pitching prospect prior to 2012.
DeJesus Jr. and Holt are similar players. Both can hit, but don’t have the glove to play shortstop at the big league level. DeJesus hit .295 in 60 games with Triple-A Albuquerque a season ago. As a guy who has cleared waivers from the Red Sox prior to the Rule 5 draft, DeJesus carriers the lowest value of all the players acquired.
To free up room for DeJesus on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated Chad Beck for assignment.
With Melancon and Sands as the main pieces in the trade, another move could be coming soon for the Pirates. Melancon will audition for the setup role for Grilli in the eighth inning. If he regains his form, it would ideal for the Pirates who have four years of control over him at a far lesser rate than Hanrahan.
For Sands, he finds himself in the middle of a dicey situation. First base is currently occupied by Garrett Jones, Matt Hague, Gaby Sanchez and Clint Robinson (with Alex Dickerson in the future). In the outfield, where it’ll make more sense to put Sands, you have Starling Marte, Travis Snider, Alex Presley and Jose Tabata all competing at the big league level.
The move that would make the most sense for the Pirates is to try to trade Jones. Jones stock is high after a solid 2012 and with American League teams inquiring about him earlier in the offseason, a move would free up playing time for Sands and others.
While it’s hard to judge a trade this early with multiple pieces, the return seems fair. That is, at least from a value stance.
Photo Credits: AP PHOTO/GENE J. PUSKAR
