Pittsburgh Pirates Trade Rumors: Shane Victorino Available Soon?

Shane Victorino is on the block.  Reporters are saying the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly interested in moving quickly… and making some players disappear from the City of Brotherly Filth.   Hmhmmm, does this make you wonder why?

Could Victorino just need out?  Was he pissed about his failure to get a contract done before the season?    Could he be the type of player who can turn it on in the second half, and land that four or five year deal he covets?

Maybe.  But why couldn’t he just do that in Philly?  Sorry, but it reminds us of a Derrek Lee situation.

Are the poor numbers of this season simply a case of bad luck for the Flyin’ Hawaiian?  Some will point at his .260 BABIP and scream that fact to the hills.  But we look at his lowest line drive percentage ever, and hit the warning sirens.

If you look closer, 2011 was his previous low water mark for hitting line drives, although he had a monstrous season.  We’re afraid a trend is coming.   His on-base percentage is also down 40 points from where he finished in 2011.

Victorino is seeing fewer and fewer fastballs, so maybe jamming him into the Pittsburgh lineup would help force the pitch selection by the bad guys on the bump?  We’re not so sure.  Victorino’s slugging percentage has taken a serious dive.  It’s down from .491 to .373 this year.

Perhaps Dan Fox and the gang sees something we don’t.

Perhaps Clint Hurdle sees Victorino swinging at the more pitches outside the zone  than he has since 2006, and feels he can fix him.

Perhaps Neal Huntington knows the cost will be so damn low it will be worth a shot in the dark.

But when we look at it from a numbers standpoint, it’s hard to see the Pirates targeting Victorino.  There are simply too many warning signs screaming to the contrary.  Now, could it be a package deal with Cole Hamels in the mix?  We’re trying to sniff around and find out.  Something like that would make sense, we guess, but Victorino alone?

There’s a reason the Phils are ready to unload Victorino, a player who was looking to get paid before the season.  There has to be a reason that deal never happened.

Fangraphs