The best August waiver trade in Pittsburgh Pirates history

Prior to 2019, MLB operated with both a waiver trade deadline and a non-waiver trade deadline. Any player who passed through revocable waivers could be traded past the late July/early August deadline.

One of the most impactful trades in Pittsburgh Pirates history took place at this deadline, completed on Aug. 27. That trade was the one that saw the Pirates acquire Marlon Byrd, along with John Buck, from the New York Mets.

After a handful of solid seasons from 2007 through 2010, including an All-Star appearance, Byrd had two down seasons, including a PED suspension in 2011 and 2012. That didn't end his career, though, and Byrd was in the midst of a rebound campaign with the Mets prior to the trade.

Byrd was batting .285/.330/.518 with a .363 wOBA and 136 wRC+. He was only drawing a walk 5.4% of the time with a mediocre 26.7% strikeout rate, but he provided a ton of power for the Metropolitans. Byrd hit 21 home runs in 464 plate appearances with a .233 isolated slugging percentage. He had one of his best seasons with the glove as well in the outfield. He had +9 defensive runs saved and a +2.7 UZR/150 through 936.1 innings for the Mets. Clearly, this was a player whose contract cost could help a contender. The Mets were ... not that.

Byrd continued to hit well in Pittsburgh, with very similar numbers to his time in New York. In 30 games, Byrd hit .318/.357/.486 with a .366 wOBA and 138 wRC+. He racked up three home runs and nine doubles throughout 113 plate appearances. Byrd also continued to provide a solid glove in right field with +2 defensive runs saved in 232 innings.

Byrd went off in his only playoff appearance of his career. Across 23 plate appearances, Byrd had eight hits, including a home run and three doubles. In total, he drove in five runs. Byrd’s one and only Postseason home run was in the Wild Card Game, which gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead against the Cincinnati Reds in one of the most memorable games in the Pirates’ long history. 

John Buck is a forgotten player in Pirates history. Russell Martin took most of the innings behind the plate, with Michael McKenry and Tony Sanchez also sharing duties as his backup for most of the season. Buck hit 15 homers with a 30% caught stealing rate in New York, but struggled overall offensively and defensively after the deal. He had just an 81 OPS+ and -15 defensive runs saved. Buck would only appear in nine games with 24 plate appearances in Pittsburgh, but he had eight hits.

The return the Pirates sent to the Mets did not amount to much. Right-handed reliever Vic Black had a promising 2014 rookie campaign, posting a 134 ERA+ and 3.77 FIP in 34.2 innings, but he would suffer multiple injuries and not return to a major league mound after that season. Infielder Dilson Herrera was one of the Pirates’ recent top international signees at the time. Although he would enter 2015 as a consensus top-100 prospect, his career never took off. He would only appear in 46 games with the Mets in 2014 and 2015 before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Jay Bruce. After that, Herrera would only come to the plate 103 more times in two seasons over the next four years. His MLB career amounted to 272 plate appearances and an 85 OPS+.

Byrd’s home run in the Wild Card game is one of the most memorable home runs in Pirates history. That game holds a special place in all Pirates fans' hearts, and Byrd kicked it off in a big way. Plus, with how well he performed after the trade, he solidified himself as one of the main reasons the Pirates made the Postseason in the first place.