On July 23, 2003, the Pittsburgh Pirates made perhaps one of their worst trades in franchise history. A promising, then 23-year-old third baseman named Aramis Ramirez was traded to the Chicago Cubs, while the Pirates received what amounted to a bag of sunflower seeds in return.
Exactly 12 years to the day later, Ramirez returned to Pittsburgh in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league relief pitcher Yhonathan Barrios and cash considerations. Ramirez now joins Plaxico Burress and Alexei Kovalev as former notable Pittsburgh athletes that would return to the Steel City years after leaving.
But acquiring Ramirez is great for the Pirates beyond just a small feeling of redemption from that horrendous 2003 trade.
First off, keep in mind that Josh Harrison will eventually return to the lineup, possibly in a few weeks. Therefore, the Pirates really only need a full-time starting third baseman until he returns, and not one for the rest of the year.
Ramirez does just that.
The Pirates undoubtedly needed help on the left side of the infield. Jung Ho Kang has been a great addition that can play both third base and shortstop while Harrison and Jordy Mercer are out injured, but Kang can only reside at one position at a time. The position he is not at would be occupied by one of Pedro Florimon, Sean Rodriguez or Brent Morel, all of whom are drawing the ire of Pirate fans when they are in the starting lineup.
Ramirez gives the Pirates an instant upgrade on offense. On the surface, his .247 average and .725 OPS is not overly impressive. But he is having a hot July, with a slash line of .352/.422/.500 and over his career is typically a better second half hitter. His 11 home runs would also be the second most on the team, and 42 RBIs the fourth most.
Defensively, Ramirez’s five errors is one of the lowest error totals amongst starting third baseman, but his range has declined considerably.
Now consider the cost it took to get Ramirez.
Barrios is not a bad pitching prospect. He has a decent chance of reaching the Majors as a reliever, equipped with a fastball that can hit 100 MPH.
But that is where the excitement with Barrios ends.
Despite the heat, he is not a dominant reliever. Barrios lacks a true strikeout pitch, as evident by him only striking out 21 batters in 40.1 innings this season between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. He also gave up 19 hits in 15.2 innings with Indianapolis, while sporting a 4.60 ERA.
Barrios is set for minor league free agency and Rule V Draft eligibility in the off-season, and would not have been worth being put on the 40-man roster considering who else will be Rule V eligible for the Pirates in the off-season.
In other words, the Pirates received Ramirez for a reliever that may never have seen more than a September call-up with them, and does not project as a real threat if they face him.
Ramirez plugs the hole at third, allowing Kang to play full time at shortstop until Mercer gets back, while moving Rodriguez to the bench and one of Morel and Florimon – if not both – back to AAA.
Once Harrison returns, Ramirez would strengthen a depleted Pirates bench. The Pirates could also play him at third base and use Harrison throughout the diamond where needed, such as spelling Gregory Polanco in right field against left handed pitchers.
That is pretty good value for the price the Pirates paid.
By contrast, a guy like Ben Zobrist may have been more of an improvement than Ramirez, but likely would have cost Alen Hanson or a similarly ranked prospect to get.
In only giving up Barrios, the Pirates still have the same ammo to get a guy like Brewers first baseman Adam Lind, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Marlon Byrd or any of the number of pitchers on the market that they did prior to the Ramirez deal. Had they paid the price for Zobrist, it could have been that much more difficult to make another deal if they still desired too.
Ramirez is a pure rental, as he has said he will retire after the 2015 season. Pirate fans get to watch him finish his career where it started, and hopefully he plays at a similar level he did when he left.
