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Pittsburgh Pirates: Teams You Didn’t Know These Players Played For

By Noah Wright

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 8: Andrew McCutchen #26 of the New York Yankees is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on September 8, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Yankees won 4-2. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 8: Andrew McCutchen #26 of the New York Yankees is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on September 8, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Yankees won 4-2. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /
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BRADENTON, FL – MARCH 19: Former Pittsburgh Pirate Manny Sanguillen of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM Park on March 19, 2017 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)
BRADENTON, FL – MARCH 19: Former Pittsburgh Pirate Manny Sanguillen of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM Park on March 19, 2017 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) /

Manny Sanguillen – Oakland Athletics

Manny Sanguillen is a three-time All-Star for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s second in all-time Pirate catcher fWAR at 27.3 while consistently providing solid production at the plate and phenomenal fielding behind it. However, for one season in 1977, Sanguillen was an Oakland Athletic.

As a Pirate, Sanguillen was a .299/.329/.403 batter with a .325 wOBA and 102 wRC+. He also averaged over 1.5 defensive WAR a season from 1967 through 1976. After the 1976 season, the Pirates traded the then-33-year-old backstop for manager Chuck Tanner. It’s one of the rare occasions that a player is dealt for a coach.

That ended up being a phenomenal trade. Tanner won the 1979 World Series and is one of the best managers in Pirate history. Sanguillen only spent one season in Oakland, where he posted an extremely poor .275/.302/.354 line and 81 wRC+. But what made it even better is that after the season, the Pirates re-acquired Sanguillen.

The Bucs then sent Mike Edwards to the A’s in exchange for the veteran backstop, along with Miguel Dilone and Elias Sosa. Although Sanguillen would only go on to play 188 more games in his next three seasons with a .622 OPS, the Pittsburgh Pirates would trade him yet again.

This time, they traded Sanguillen with Hall Of Fame right-hander Bert Blyleven to the Cleveland Indians for Gary Alexander, Victor Cruz, Bob Owchinko, and Rafael Vasquez. But Sanguillen would never suit up for the Indians as he was released in February and retired shortly after.

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