A look back at yesterday's trades of Jack Wilson,Ian Snell and Freddy Sanchez show a mixed bag of returns and one of the last trading chips of real value for GM Neal Huntington and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
First,a word of thanks to Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez.
Jack Wilson played through more bad baseball than perhaps any man alive and always played hard.
Jack was one of the better fielders in the game and gave Pirate fans something to cheer about in a period that there really wasn't much to cheer about.
That said,this day had to come.
Wilson's last contract paid him far more than his value was worth and his inability to keep his mouth shut during what is clearly a rebuilding program likely is what ended his Pittsburgh tenure.
Freddy Sanchez was brought to Pittsburgh to be Joe Randa's backup and through performance (because Dave Littlefield was too stupid to see that he was the better player) and a little luck (Randa's injury) cemented himself into the lineup for good,at third base to start and then at second.
Freddy being a line drive machine that managed to give the Pirates a.300 hitter and his toughness made him a fan favorite as well.
I will miss both players,but this had to be done.
The Pirates had to avoid the 8 Million vesting option on Sanchez and they couldn't take the chance that Wilson would accept arbitration either.
So they had to go and we wish them well.
The crown jewel of yesterday's deals is righthander pitcher Tim Alderson.
Alderson is the type of prospect that I never believed the Pirates could bring in for either Sanchez or Wilson and yet the Giants made the deal and did so without the Pirates paying any cash towards Sanchez's salary as well.
Freddy Sanchez was needed by the Giants and he will do well there,but I am still stunned that the Giants gave up Alderson and how Neal Huntington snookered them into doing so.
For those of you out there that think PITTSBURGH was the screwed party in this,check the screaming about the deal from the San Francisco side at McCovey Chronicles....
The 6'6 Alderson won the High A California League ERA title last season and was 6-1 with a 3.47 ERA for the Giants AA Affiliate in Connecticut and was the Giants second rated pitching prospect.
Alderson has razor sharp control and the Giants rated his curve as the best in their system according to Baseball America.
Alderson was assigned to AA Altoona and could be in Pittsburgh as early as sometime next season.
From the Seattle Mariners,the haul is less impressive than Alderson,but considering that Jack Wilson is a rental player and Ian Snell had devalued himself with his petulance this season,one takes what they could get and Pittsburgh did just that.
Toss Ronny Cedeno aside,Cedeno is simply someone to field the 6 position for the painful remaining months of the season.
This is really about Jeff Clement and three arms to add to the minors.
Clement was once the third overall pick in the draft and looked to be Matt Wieters before Matt Wieters,but Clement was blocked the Mariners signing of Kenji Jojima and never received a long look behind the plate.
Clement's AAA numbers are solid enough,but rumors are that his knees are bad,will only be able to catch on occasion and will be given his opportunity at first base.
Attempting to project possible numbers for Clement show that he would be a well above average bat behind the plate,less glowing if at first base.
However,a lefty power bat will always be given a chance with a team playing half their games at PNC Park and one can argue he never truly had a chance in Seattle.
Clement was assigned to AAA Indianapolis to begin his transition to first base.
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Of the three arms brought in from Seattle and going by this years numbers,Brett Lorin appears to be highest rated.
Lorin is 6'7 and 245 pounds,had an ERA of 2.45 for Low A Clinton and made the Midwest League All-Star team.
Lorin is reported to throw hard (tops at 94) and strikes out almost a batter an inning..
Aaron Pribanic was also a member of the Clinton rotation and had a solid ERA,but not as strong as Lorin's.
The grandson of former Yankee Jim "You endorsing iodine" Coates does not have the strikeout ratio of Lorin either,but the 2008 third rounder out of Nebraska showed an improvement in finding the strike zone this season and looks to be a bullpen arm at worst...
Look past the awful numbers of Nathan Adcock.
Stats should always be taken with a grain of salt from the California League,a league that is notoriously tough on pitchers,so shove that off to the side.
Adcock has average velocity,but Baseball America graded the Kentucky native as having the top breaking ball in the Mariners system before the swap.
A move to the more neutral environment of the Carolina League should help Adcock's numbers.
Lorin and Pribanic were assigned to Low A West Virginia and should be here in town for the Power's four game visit against the Hagerstown Suns.
Adcock is headed to High A Lynchburg to join the Hillcats.
Looking at the deals
I would give the Sanchez deal an A as getting a prospect that could be in your big league rotation as soon as next year and not paying money towards Sanchez's salary deserves a top grade.
The Wilson/Snell deal gets a B.
One didn't expect a top line prospect,although a year ago Jeff Clement was one.
This deal depends on getting one or two of the low minors arms through the system and if Clement can show some power at the big league level.
Photo Credits
Alderson:Chris Talley
Clement:Unknown
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