This trade deadline was the fifth for Ben Cherington as Pittsburgh Pirates general manager, and his first as a buyer. The Pirates had a few glaring needs to fill to make some noise in the National League Wild Card race. Specifically, they badly needed a couple of hitters, preferably outfielders, to boost a weak offense. A secondary need was one more bullpen arm. Another need emerged when a left groin strain sidelined Nick Gonzales.
Take Five
To begin, let’s take five and address the elephant in the room, that is, what didn’t get done. An obvious target for the Pirates at the trade deadline was Miami Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. Baseball insider Jon Heyman went as far as projecting that Chisholm would end up in Pittsburgh. Other contenders for Chisholm’s services were the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees, although the Yankees reportedly had concerns about Chisholm’s personality not fitting in with their clubhouse. Alas, the Yankees swooped in and acquired Chisholm for their No. 19 and 20 prospects and a 19-year-old infielder.
Former baseball executive Jim Bowden tweeted that the Pirates were a “close 2nd” in the competition for Chisholm. In a startling rebuke of a former employer, erstwhile Pirates manager Clint Hurdle responded in a tweet, “There’s no such thing as a close 2nd in anyone’s eyes other than the GM that didn’t get the trade done.”
Clint Hurdle basically telling us Cherington is a terrible GM. We know Mr. Hurdle we fans know. https://t.co/Lr5cI7mK0w
— Mikey Aces (@Mikey5Aces) July 28, 2024
Lest anybody thinks Hurdle is simply bitter over his firing (or the stupid way it was handled) by the Pirates, think again. Hurdle has sent out many positive tweets about Pirates players since his dismissal. Hurdle is right. By missing out on Jazz, Cherington hit a sour note. But as we’ll see, he made up for it, despite making anxious Pirates fans wait till the eleventh hour.
Grading The Pirates 2024 Trade Deadline Deals
July 30: Marlins trade outfielder/designated hitter Bryan De La Cruz to Pirates for prospects. After failing to get Chisholm and Yandy Diaz, De La Cruz may have been a backup plan. Even so, he’s a good addition. He fills a crucial need for an outfielder who can hit. His slash line of .245/.289/.417 isn’t eye-popping, but his 18 home runs would tie him for the team lead with Bryan Reynolds. The right-handed-hitting De La Cruz has been mostly the designated hitter for the Marlins in 2024. Defensively, he’s a below-average outfielder. He’ll see action in the outfield, but there may be days where he serves as the designated hitter and Andrew McCutchen spends more time in the field. Cherington surrendered prospects Jun-Seok Shim (pitcher) and Garret Forrester (catcher/infielder) to get De La Cruz. Grade: A.
All In The Family
July 30: Toronto Blue Jays trade versatile Isiah Kiner-Falefa to Pirates for Double-A outfielder Charles McAdoo. This was the first of two deals the Pirates made just as the trade deadline was about to expire. In 1979, the Pirates’ theme song was “We Are Family.” With this trade, the Pirates are keeping it in the family. Kiner-Falefa is the grandson of former Pirates Hall-of-Fame slugger Ralph Kiner. Primarily an infielder, Kiner-Falefa has played all nine positions in the majors, although it’s highly unlikely he’ll take the mound or don the tools of ignorance for Pittsburgh. In 2024, the six-year veteran Kiner-Falefa is hitting .292/.338/.420, 7 HR, 33 RBI, and 115 OPS+. With Gonzales on the IL long-term, Kiner-Falefa can step into the keystone position once he gets off the IL himself. His presence may spell a demotion to Triple-A for infielder Jared Triolo, who’s struggling at the plate. Grade: A.
The Mighty Quinn
July 29: Pirates trade pitcher Quinn Priester to Boston Red Sox for Triple-A Worcester second baseman/outfielder Nick Yorke. The Pirates finally started to make some trade deadline noise on Monday. The trade of Priester for prospect Yorke made sense on several fronts. Priester had fallen down the food chain and was the Pirates’ No. 8 starter unless another starter was dealt. With the surplus of top pitching prospects in the minors, Priester was likely to drop even further. Yorke serves an organizational need in that the Pirates lack good-hitting middle infielders in Triple-A. Yorke was hitting .310/.408/.490 at Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox felt that he was ready to hit major league pitching and toyed with calling him up. The Pirates are sending him to Indianapolis, but manager Derek Shelton told Alex Stumpf of mlb.com, “I think there’s a chance” Yorke could be with Pittsburgh this year. Grade: A.
Adding To The Bullpen
July 29: Colorado Rockies trade pitcher Jalen Beeks to Pirates for Single-A Greensboro pitcher Luis Peralta. Although not a ranked prospect, lefty Peralta, 23, put up strong numbers in the minors this year. Across two levels, he has a 0.91 ERA and a 0.983 WHIP, while striking out 64 batters in 39 2/3 innings. That’s what Cherington gave up for two months of Beeks, whose contract expires at the end of the season. Beeks fills an immediate need, as the bullpen sorely needs a second left-hander behind Aroldis Chapman. At best, Beeks’ performance this year (4.74 ERA and 1.358 WHIP) is average. On the bright side, left-handed batters are hitting .182/.274/.255 against him. Perhaps Shelton can pick the right spots for him. Still, this seems like a rather underwhelming trade deadline deal that probably won’t move the needle much for the Pirates. Grade: C.
July 30: Pirates trade rookie ball pitcher Nicolas Carreno to New York Mets for Triple-A Syracuse pitcher Josh Walker. Until the final hour or so, this looked like the only trade deadline deal the Pirates would be making on the last day. It called to mind the old Peggy Lee song, “Is That All There Is?” Walker is a 29-year-old left-handed reliever. In 24 major league games in 2023-24, he’s produced an unsightly 6.45 ERA and 1.657 WHIP. He’s been much better in the minors lately, posting an ERA of 1.84 and 2.83 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. It’s a swap of uncertainties. Grade: Incomplete.
Paring Payroll
July 30: Pirates trade Starting Pitcher Martín Pérez to San Diego Padres for prospect pitcher Ronaldys Jimenez. If Priester was the No. 8 starter, Pérez was No. 7. Although reportedly a good teammate, Pérez was ineffective for the most part after April. This deal, the last one announced, added another left-handed pitcher to the organization while dumping what remains of Pérez’s $8 million salary. The savings enabled the Pirates to assume the rest of Kiner-Falefa’s two-year $15 million contract. (Toronto is paying some of it, too.) What kind of grade does one give to a salary dump? Grade: Incalculable.
The Last Word
Failing to get Chisholm seemed like a colossal failure. Even so, Cherington accomplished the dual, conflicting purposes of adding to the big club while increasing organizational depth where needed. Furthermore, he did it without any major subtractions from the major league squad. Of the players acquired, only Beeks is on an expiring contract. A beaten-down Pirates fan base had to be pleased not to see the usual trade deadline exodus of one-year contracts. According to Pirates TV broadcasters Greg Brown and Kevin Young, the clubhouse is ecstatic about the additions. It should give the Bucs a boost to see the front office has their back.
Overall grade: B+.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
