Pittsburgh Pirates: Three More Change-of-Scenery Trade Targets

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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – MAY 29: Deivi García #83 of the New York Yankees throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on May 29, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

The Pittsburgh Pirates should be quite active between now and Tuesday’s 6 PM ET trade deadline. If they have the opportunity, they should consider these three change of scenery candidates.

Earlier this month, we looked at some change-of-scenery prospects who could be included in a trade. The trade deadline is almost upon us, and the Pittsburgh Pirates should be looking to sell as many short-term veterans as possible. Players such as Jake Marisnick, José Quintana, Ben Gamel, and even look to move a guy like Kevin Newman, among others.

If the Pittsburgh Pirates can, they should try and pry one of these prospects from their respective teams. Most of these guys were upper-tier prospects at one point but have fallen for a few reasons. Maybe they’ve suffered multiple injuries. Perhaps they just haven’t fulfilled the hype, and maybe they just haven’t been given a chance to prove themselves yet because they’ve been blocked at the major league level.

So who are some of these change-of-scenery prospects, and why should the Pirates show any interest in a trade?

Deivi Garcia

Deivi Garcia looked like he might be part of New York’s long-term rotation plans back in 2020. Fast forward to 2022, and he looks like he could be a throw-in to a larger package or for a low-cost rental. Garcia is a former top 100 prospect and, at one point, was the Yankees’ best prospect.

A few things have gone sour for Garcia. Last year, he spent most of the season at Triple-A but struggled. Garcia finished the 2021 campaign with an abysmal 6.48 ERA, 4.85 FIP, and 1.88 WHIP. Garcia’s walk rate sat at an unmanageable 15.6%, while his strikeout dropped to just 22.2%. While those aren’t good numbers, the worst peripheral number was Garcia’s 2.03 HR/9.

This season Garcia has spent most of his time on the minor league injured list, pitching just 25.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. When he has been healthy, there’s no one for the Yankees to push out of the rotation. Their worst pitcher has been Jameson Taillon, but even then, he’s been a roughly league-average arm with a 103 ERA+. Luis Severino might currently be on the injured list, but Clarke Schmidt is serving well as a swingman.

Garcia’s slider, curveball, and changeup all project as possible 55-grade offerings. His fastball can range anywhere from the low-90s to the upper-90s. He has topped out at 97 MPH before. Garcia stands at a stout 5’9″, 195 pounds. He doesn’t necessarily have a pitcher’s build, but he can make it work. The issue has been unreliable and inconsistent command.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Garcia as a second or third piece to a more extensive package. The Yankees are on the starting pitching market, and Jose Quintana is arguably the best rental starter out there (second best if you want to count San Francisco’s Carlos Rodon). Maybe a package centered around right-hander Yoendrys Gomez with Garcia as the second piece to the puzzle.

Brendan McKay

Brendan McKay is arguably the most interesting guy we’ll talk about today. The Tampa Bay Rays selected the southpaw fourth overall in the 2017 draft, but as a two-way player. In his final year in college, McKay had an OPS over 1.100 as a first baseman and 2.56 ERA on the mound as a starting pitcher.

The Rays continued to let McKay both hit and pitch, but by 2019, it was evident that his pitching far exceeded his hitting prowess. They still gave him some plate appearances in the major leagues, and went 2-for-10 with a walk. Not bad for a guy who was also a guy who looked like he could secure a long-term rotation spot.

However, that was in 2019. Since 2019, McKay has not pitched in the big leagues because of multiple injuries. Between this season and last, the former consensus top 20 prospect has just 14.2 innings under his belt. It’s been a hard fall from grace for the now 26-year-old.

What McKay can do now is up in the air. When he’s healthy, he can average out around 92-95 MPH with a quality curveball, cutter, slider, and change-up. McKay’s vast arsenal of offerings is only helped by the fact he developed quality command. Again, where McKay sits now is highly questionable, given he’s barely pitched in three years.

Maybe the Pittsburgh Pirates could get McKay by including a change-of-scenery candidate of their own in Kevin Newman or go for a higher-quality rental in Ben Gamel. While I get the whole “Don’t trade with the Rays” idea, I think mcKay would be a nice buy low prospect candidate.

Tucker Davidson

Tucker Davidson was formerly ranked as one of the Atlanta Braves’ top 10 prospects as recently as 2020. A 19th-round JUCO pick, Davidson ascended through the Braves’ system, making it to the major leagues in 2020, pitching 1.2 innings. He pitched just 20 innings in 2021 with mixed results. He’s pitched 15.1 more innings with the Braves this year, again with mixed results.

Though Davidson does have some solid numbers at Triple-A. Between 2021 and 2022, Davidson pitched 98.1 innings with the Braves Triple-A affiliate, pitching to the tune of a 3.66 ERA, 3.81 FIP, and 1.18 WHIP. Davidson is striking out nearly 30% of batters faced with a 29.3% strikeout rate but pairs that with a quality 7.1% walk rate. Davidson hasn’t had his best season this year, but that can mainly be tracked to his HR/9, which sits at 1.43. He has a 3.35 xFIP compared to his 4.42 ERA and 4.14 FIP. He still has a great strikeout rate and walk rate.

Davidson’s most used offering is his upper-80s slider, a pitch he throws about 40% of the time. It averages out with 35 inches of vertical movement and is currently a 60-grade offering. His fastball sits in the 92-95 MPH range but can hit 97 MPH. But there are questions about his fastball’s spin angle. Lastly, there’s his upper-70s/low-80s curveball.

The Braves aren’t about to push Spencer Strider, Kyle Wright, or Max Fried out of the rotation for Tucker Davidson. Former Pittsburgh Pirates starter Charlie Morton has been a slightly above league average pitcher since the outset of March, having a 3.81 ERA/3.74 FIP. Although Ian Anderson has run into a sophomore slump, underlying numbers say he’s a better pitcher than his ERA suggests, and the Braves would be more likely to go out and find a proven pitcher than to give a prospect a go right now.

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Although Davidson’s long-term home might be the bullpen, a lefty who can throw in the mid-90s with a quality breaking ball is always welcomed. If the Braves are willing to sell low on Davidson, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Pittsburgh Pirates to look into.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates should be quite active between now and Tuesday’s 6 PM ET trade deadline. If they have the opportunity, they should consider these three change of scenery candidates.

Deivi Garcia

Brendan McKay

Tucker Davidson

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