Pittsburgh Pirates Rumors: NL West Team Wants Felipe Vazquez

With the trade deadline just about a month away, the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to have some decisions to make on certain players.  Apparently, they already might have to make a decision.

Which player is the Pittsburgh Pirates most valuable player?  One could easily say Bryan Reynolds or Josh Bell because of the seasons they are having.  With both have rising costs in their arbitration years – Bell next year and Reynolds eventually as a super two player – the Pittsburgh Pirates most valuable asset might actually be Felipe Vazquez.

Vazquez is arguably the games best closer and he has the stuff to back it up.  He throws his fastball from the left side around 100 miles per hour consistently.  He also has a 90 mile per hour slider and a high 80s changeup, both of which are nasty offerings.  This year already Vazquez has 19 saves with a 1.91 ERA.

The most impressive stat, however, is the 51 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.  In fact, in his 205.2 innings of work as a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, he has 267 strikeouts.  He quite literally might have the nastiest stuff from the left side in the game.  His only issue is his command at times, but it’s a fault that he easily can make up for with punch outs.

While his ability on the mound makes him a valuable asset, his contract makes him even more valuable.  Before last season, Vazquez signed an extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates, buying out his arbitration years.  This earned Vazquez a higher rate of pay sooner, but he likely left some money on the table.  The contract runs through the 2023 season.

This year, the lefty is making $4 million, in 2020 he will get $5.25 million, and in 2021 he will make $7.25 million.  After 2021 there are two options years at $10 million a piece.  This is really a bargain rate for an elite closer over the course of the deal.  For comparison, Aroldis Chapman makes $15 million a year while Kenley Jansen makes $18, $18, and $20 million over the next three years.

All this has led to a rumor that has been reported by MLB Network Insider J.P. Morosi.  Morosi wrote an article on the rumblings around the league.  In the article, he wrote a significant paragraph regarding the Dodgers having interest in Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez.  Here is what Morosi wrote in the article:

"“If any team has the organizational depth and urgency to acquire Vazquez, the Dodgers are it. The Dodgers have interest in the Pittsburgh left-hander, one source said, and are well-situated to acquire him for two reasons: The Dodgers’ farm system is deep enough to afford him, and the acquisition of a dynamic left-hander to pair with Kenley Jansen at the end of the game is the most obvious need for an otherwise near-perfect roster.”"

The Dodgers have a very strong farm system that is headlined by their number one prospect in Keibert Ruiz.  Ruiz is also ranked as the number two overall catching prospect in baseball.  What is interesting is that the Pirates weakest position in terms of prospect depth is catcher.  Ruiz is a rare breed, rating as a 60 prospect on FanGraphs.

If the Dodgers do not want to move Ruiz, then the next option would be catching prospect Will Smith.  Smith rates as the Dodgers fifth best prospect and ninth best overall catching prospect.  He made his début this year and has had success already at the major league level, batting .269 with three home runs in nine games.

The Dodgers are always one of the most aggressive teams on the amateur market, both in the draft and internationally.  They and have a few younger, highly rated prospects like catcher Diego Cartaya, who is just 17, but was the top-ranked International Prospect last year or 21-year-old top pitching prospect Dustin May.  The last time the Bucs swung a trade with the Dodgers, the Bucs prioritized Oneil Cruz as the main part in the deal.  He was just 18 at the time and has since turned into one of the top shortstop prospects in baseball.

The point being, the Dodgers have plenty of talent in their system.  They could easily put together a rather valuable package of prospect and/or controllable major league ready assets.  With the Bucs being on the periphery and so many young pieces on the roster, the Bucs will have to decide if it will be worth it to trade their elite closer for a package of players who could “potentially” make an impact.

*All-Prospect Rankings are Courtesy of  MLB Pipeline