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Wow. As of 3:50 PM Monday afternoon , it looked like the 2016 MLB Trading deadline would be a dull one for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Well, things didn’t turn out that way. Let’s breakdown what I think the Pirates did write, and what they did wrong, move by move.
The shots started on Saturday when the Pirates sent their 3x All-Star closer, Mark Melancon, to Washington in return for reliever Felipe Rivero and prospect Taylor Hearn. Rivero’s era would tell you that he is mediocre, but his FIP (fielding independent pitching) is a solid 3.25, his WHIP is a solid 1.168 and he throws in the upper 90s consistently to go along with a killer change-up. Taylor Hearn is not a top prospect, but he is a flamethrower who flirts with triple digits on the gun and, was drafted by the Pirates in 2012 but did not sign with the team.
The most important thing is that Melancon’s contract was expiring after the season, and the Pirates will have Rivero under control for five more years. As with Joel Hanrahan and Jason Grilli in the past, the Pirates have proven that closers are easily replaceable. Hopefully, Tony Watson shows that once more.
Trade Grade: B
Next: Huntington calls the Yanks again