The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Top Five Trade Pieces

Feb 13, 2014; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon at Pittsburgh

We have spent a lot of time on these pages debating Jameson Taillon’s trade value. Taillon came back looking strong – at the very least on schedule – after undergoing Tommy John surgery, only to be waylaid by a hernia surgery that will end his season for all intents and purposes. I had no qualms ranking Taillon at #2 on this list chiefly due to the reports of his progress after returning from the dreaded TJ diagnosis. Look around the major leagues and you can see many strong returns from the elbow injury – Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez just to name a few. By all reports Taillon had not lost any velocity and actually came back with better mechanics than previously seen.

While the injury will certainly attach a certain stigma to Taillon being included in any potential trade talks, he remains a valuable chip.

As we stand today, our most valuable trade chip in the Pirates organization has seen his value skyrocket this year.

Next: #1 - The best pitcher in the Pirates minor league system right now