I know, you all want Giancarlo Stanton. The guy is a 23-year-old monster slugger who could legitimately hit over 25 home runs for the Pirates between July 31 and September 29. He is only making $537,000 this season, but his arbitration kicks in after 2013 and he is due to end up making somewhere upwards of $15 million per season until he becomes a free agent in 2017. Stanton is the Cabbage Patch Kid under the tree in 1985; the shiny new toy that could turn the Pirates from a great story into a legitimate World Series contender.
Sorry folks it isn’t going to happen. Besides the fact that the Miami Marlins would end up driving the final nail into the coffin of their franchise by dealing their only marketable player, the price to acquire Stanton would set the Bucs back five years in their farm system development. Think Jameson Taillon (or Gerrit Cole, unbelievably), Gregory Polanco, Alen Hanson, Josh Bell, and probably at least one more top prospect – and that would be where negotiations begin. It’s a wonderful dream to picture the 6-foot, 6-inch, 240 lb. right-handed slugger hitting behind Pedro Alvarez for the next three summers. He is the one player that could immediately erase the woeful feeling of being a Pirates fan for the past two decades. He is also an injury risk having spent time on the disabled list in each of the past two seasons, and just coming off a stint on the DL. Stanton is the big prize, but no team that has the potential package it would take to pry him from the Fish (the Pirates, Texas Rangers, and perhaps the St. Louis Cardinals) are going to take the chance on selling way their future on one player, unless it Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle – and Stanton is neither one of those.
So who are the realistic players that the Pirates could target on July 31? Rational thinking would lead you to believe that the team needs to upgrade their right field spot, bolster their already spent bullpen, and maybe add another horse to their rotation. A few possible targets that could be on the Bucs radar, keeping in mind the teams that are already becoming sellers and the price it would cost to acquire each player.
- OF Josh Willingham, Minnesota Twins – Willingham fits the mold of what the Bucs are looking for to fill their outfield slot. He has played mostly left field in the majors, but he suited up for 35 games in right field for the Nationals in 2009. Willingham is in the midst of a contract that will pay him $7 million in 2013 and 2014, a modest contract for a player with his type of power potential. He is a right-handed power bat that would allow the Bucs to move Garrett Jones into a full-time first base position, where he belongs. He is having a down season for the Twins, but his power numbers are tough to figure because he plays half of his games in humongous Target Field. Willingham would be available for a reasonable price, but the Twins may look to package him with another player to both enhance the return and move more contract money off their books. The Pirates could look at dealing for both Willingham and current Twins closer Glen Perkins, a left-handed flame-thrower who would fit nicely into the Pirates bullpen, but is due $3.75 million in both 2014 and 2015 with a team option for $4.5 in 2016. Perkins is a nice piece, but the Twins would be looking to acquire a major-league ready player for him. The Pirates could dangle a package including OF Gregory Polanco and P Kyle McPherson, both legit prospects. The Twins may also be willing to take OF Travis Snider in a deal.
- OF/1B Adam Dunn and RP Jesse Crain, Chicago White Sox – The Pale Hose have made it clear that everyone except 1B Paul Konerko and SP Chris Sale are available, and the top prize would be OF Alex Rios. Rios is a streaky player who had a monster 2012 (.304/25/91) and is enjoying a decent 2013 (.268/11/37), but his contract is an albatross. Signed through 2014, Rios is due $12.5 million both years with a team option at $13.5 in 2016. He is the proverbial player that does not play up to his ability. Taking Rios off the table, the Pirates could look at slugger Adam Dunn. Dunn is a left-handed hitter, which goes against what the Pirates are looking for, but he still mashes the ball. He is hitting below the Mendoza line (.199) with 22 homeruns. Dunn had his best seasons in the National League, blasting 38 homeruns in 2009 and 2010 for Washington. He hit 41 long balls last season for the White Sox, and if a return to the National League could boost his confidence and batting average back up around his career average of .238, the Pirates would be looking at a carbon copy of Pedro Alvarez at first base. Dunn is a terrible outfielder, so he would have to play first to make any sense for the Pirates. He is an above-average defensive first baseman, even at 33-years old. His contract is another factor ($15 million in 2013 and 2014) but the White Sox would be willing to eat some of that money to simply get rid of him. The Pirates need to continue scoring runs to keep pace in the NL Central, where Cincinnati and St. Louis are stacked with offensive juice. Dunn would be a nice catch, but adding RP Jesse Crain would be the real steal here. Crain is coming off a 29-inning scoreless streak that dropped his ERA down to 0.74, and its no fluke. Crain has been one of he better set-up men in the AL since 2010. He is a right-handed reliever who averages 11.5 K/9 and would immediately give the Pirates another 8th inning option, where Mark Melancon is racking up innings at an alarming rate. Melancon has only topped 70 IP once in his career (2011 when he was the closer in Houston) and realistically the Pirates should expect no more than 60-65 effective innings from him. Justin Wilson has taken on some of that burden, but he is a rookie and could fall off once teams begin to find the book on his hard-throwing style. Crain is a commodity – a right-handed, lights out set-up man. The Pirates would be looking for Chicago to eat some of Adam Dunn’s contract, so it may cost them catching prospect Tony Sanchez, who would fill a major need for the White Sox. Once again, adding in a McPherson or even a few lower level pitching prospects could get the job done.
- SP Bud Norris, Houston Astros – Norris has been named as a target for several contenders and he is being targeted for several reasons. For once, he is a workhorse who finds a way to keep his team in ballgames every time out. His past eight starts have been quality outings, each going into at least the sixth inning and giving up four or less earned runs. He is a control-type who does not strike out a lot of hitters, not a “Pirates-type”, but a reliable starter. He is also under team control through 2016, and through arbitration he should maintain a decent salary level. Norris is essentially the only tradable commodity the poor Astros have, so they may try to break the bank to deal him, asking for a top-level prospect. The Pirates could dangle AAA OF Andrew Lambo, who has developed into a solid OF prospect. The Bucs could also see if the Astros would bite at a combination of either Jose Tabata/Alex Presley and a lesser pitching prospect. Norris would slide in as the number four starter and match up well against the other #4 starters in the National League.
- OF Jason Bay, 1B Kendrys Morales, UTIL Brendon Ryan, SP Aaron Harang, SP Joe Saunders, Seattle Mariners – How many Pirates fans still have their awful red Jason Bay PNC Park give-away jerseys tucked away somewhere? Bay has re-emerged in a comfortable spot in Seattle, showing some power and trying to reclaim a career that hit rock bottom after he signed that massive deal with the New York Mets. Bay was amazing down the stretch for Boston in 2008 and he has always played his best baseball when the chips are down. He would come cheap, as would 2B/SS Brendon Ryan, a super-slick fielding middle infielder who has the gritty style Pirates fans adore. Kendrys Morales would cost a pretty penny, but his bat at first base (a switch-hitting power threat) would fill a major hole in the Pirates lineup. SP Harang and Saunders are not game-changers but both can be serviceable starters and have pennant race experience. While it is not reasonable to see a trade involving so many major-league players, a Bay/Ryan/Harang/Saunders deal would enable the Pirates to take a shot at a player that got away; they could cut Clint Barmes or Brandon Inge to replace them with Ryan – addition through subtraction. They could use Harang and Saunders as their 4-5 starters and use either in the bullpen as long-relievers as the dog day of summer take their toll on this roster. Heck, the Pirates could even ask for RP Oliver Perez, who has re-emerged as a dominant lefty-on-lefty specialist. The cost for a package like this would be minimum. Jose Tabata, Alex Presley, Josh Harrison, and maybe a Bryan Morris or Jared Hughes. Toss in a middle of the road pitching prospect and you immediately have filled several key holes without jeopardizing the chemistry of a team that is on pace to win 100 games.
None of these deals are the front-page deals the radio show callers are clamoring for, but each would fill the holes the Pirates need to address. The Seattle deal would be a popular trade that would bring the franchise full circle. Imagine Oliver Perez and Jason Bay back in Pittsburgh for a pennant race?
