Pittsburgh Pirates: Top 10 Trades Of The 2010s

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PITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 22: Vance Worley #46 of the Pittsburgh Pirates acknowledges the crowd after being pulled from the game in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs during the game at PNC Park on April 22, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) /

Number 8 – Pirates Acquire Vance Worley

Once seen as a future key piece of the Philadelphia Phillies rotation, 2 years of sub-par performance knocked his stock way down. After struggling with the Twins in 2013, the Pirates purchased his contract from the Twins. The man we are talking about is Vance Worley.

Worley was one of the unsung heroes of the Pirates’ 2014 season. He pitched in 110.2 innings, posting a very good 2.85 ERA, 3.44 FIP, and 1.21 WHIP. He walked just 1.8 batters per 9, and gave up just 9 long balls. He went on to finish the season with a 1.4 fWAR. Hid 2014 season also included a complete game.

In 2015, Worley’s honeymoon would start to come to an end. He pitched 23 games for the Pirates, only 8 of which were starts. The Worley Bird posted a 4.02 ERA, 3.82 FIP and a 0.4 fWAR in these 23 games. Worley pitched 71.2 innings in his 23 games. While he struggled, he still played a role in the Pirates winning 98 games and making their third consecutive postseason appearance.

While he did struggle during parts of 2015, Worley’s impact in 2014 helped the team reach the postseason for the 2nd straight season. Without Worley helping to settle down what was a struggling Pirate rotation early in the season in 2014, odds are, the Bucs would not have made the postseason.

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