Derek Shelton's reaction to David Bednar trade will make Pirates fans feel worse

The Pittsburgh Pirates were expected to have a productive and fruitful trade deadline amid what was thought to be a fire sale. Perhaps their best asset, closer David Bednar, should have netted them a king's ransom to start, especially in the wake of the closer market thinning with Felix Bautista's injury and Emmanuel Clase's uncertain future due to a continuing betting probe.

It seemed somehow even more likely that the Pirates would be able to fleece a contender for Bednar's services after the New York Mets set the reliever market on July 30 with a massive overpay for setup man Tyler Rogers.

With the clock ticking towards the six o'clock deadline, Pirates fans dreamt of a massive return, only to be thoroughly underwhelmed by Bednar's eventual trade to the New York Yankees. Former manager Derek Shelton's comments in the aftermath further highlight how badly the Pirates fared in moving perhaps their top trade chip.

Derek Shelton's comments throw salt in Pirates fans' wounds following the David Bednar trade

While the Pirates received a trio of prospects from the New York Yankees, the general feeling is they should have gotten more. Catcher Rafael Flores, 24, comes over as New York's No. 8 prospect and could soon solve Pittsburgh's woes behind the plate. Edgleen Perez, No. 15 on the Yankees' prospect list, has talent, but at 19 years old, the catcher comes with lots of risk, while outfielder Brian Sanchez is nothing more than a lottery ticket.

When speaking after the trade, ex-Bucs manager Derek Shelton went in-depth about Bednar's past successes, recent run of dominance, and standing as one of the leaders in nearly all of baseball's important reliever stats to prove that the Yankees got a good one.

As Shelton points out here, Bednar's a two-time All-Star, a former league leader in saves, the NL Reliever of the Month in June, and has an incredible scoreless streak going. There was a serious case to be made that he was the best relief pitcher on the market, despite a short-lived, early-season demotion to Triple-A.

Add in the fact that he comes with one more year of team control, and his price should have been sky high. While the Yankees' system is known for producing top-tier catchers and having a wealth of pitching depth, it's still a middle-of-the-pack farm system overall.

To not come away with a top-five prospect, plus additional pieces with less risk attached than a pair of teenagers, is malpractice on Ben Cheringon's part, and for all the reasons Shelton listed, the Pirates should have gotten much, much more. Tough to hear it from someone else who left the Pirates and seems more content now.