Justin Smoak: Anatomy of a Trade to Pirates Rumor

So how is a Justin Smoak trade rumor created on the internet? It happens something like this when an email comes from the great Mariners site, SoDoMojo:

Several minutes later Daniel is cranking out the post.  Enjoy.

Where There’s Smoak, There’s Fire?

Daniel Neiwert

RumBunter

There are rumors now that the Mariners are looking to unload former uber prospect Justin Smoak and the Pirates may be one of the teams looking to acquiring his services. Other teams who may have interest are the usual suspects – the Milwaukee Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles. At the very least his availability lessens the value of Mets 1B Ike Davis, the guy I really want the Buccos to go get. Smoak is, quite frankly, a firstbase version of Travis Snider and that is not a good thing. He has a hole in his swing a mile long!

Once a “can’t miss” prospect and now a disappointment, Smoak is a switch-hitter who can’t hit lefties. Sound familiar? We already have a guy like that in the lineup in Neil Walker, do we need another? Neil, by all rights, should be a platoon player, and so should Justin Smoak. Look, I like his power and in PNC Park he could crush 25+ homers, but he could also hit .215 and strike out 100 times. Is that honestly better than giving Andrew Lambo a chance?

Lambo is unfamiliar with the position and there probably will be defensive problems with Lambo. In contrast Smoak is an above average fielder and on a team like ours who prides itself on pitching and defense that means a lot. That would be the only reason why in a perfect world with all things being equal I’d take Smoak over Lambo. But Lambo is already in our system, we’d have to give up an asset to acquire Smoak.

Sep 19, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Stolmy Pimentel (38) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Mariners aren’t going to give him away and I’m not sure if I’d give up anything of real value. The best I could come up with is offering the M’s Stolmy Pimentel. We all know the story with Stolmy – he’s out of options this year. Although the Pirates have talked openly about the fact that they expect him to break camp with the club. If the Mariners want more, I’d pass. I’m not giving up a top 10 prospect for Justin Smoak.