Pirates send Jordan Lyles to Brewers

The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost their last eight games, fallen into last place in the National League Central and taken any slim hopes of a wild card charge off the table.
What that losing streak also did was save the Pirates from being deluded into thinking that the team was a playoff contender and making a trade to shore up an effort destined to fail as it did last season and the Pirates have started the process of moving players, if the offer strikes them as fair.

Pittsburgh traded righthander Jordan Lyles out of their rotation to the team that allowed him to test free agency after last season in the Milwaukee Brewers.
In return, Pittsburgh received an interesting prospect in minor league righthander Cody Ponce.

Lyles was 5-7 with an ERA of 5.36 and has pitched poorly in the month of July, as he pitched longer than four innings in only one of his four starts.
Lyles was the scheduled starter for tonight's game against the Reds, which he was obviously pulled from.
Lyles pitched well for the Brewers in the eleven games that he appeared for them after Milwaukee acquired him from San Diego around last year's trade deadline, but all of those appearances were in relief.
Pittsburgh decided to install Lyles in their rotation with mixed results and considering that Lyles was under a one year contract and would be a free agent at the end of 2019, I think Cody Ponce is an interesting return for Lyles.

Cody Ponce was the Brewers second-round pick from Cal-Poly in 2015 and was progressing up the ladder as a starter until struggling last season at AA Biloxi to a 7-6 record with an ERA over four.
Returned to the Shuckers this season and used from the bullpen, Ponce has an ERA of 3.29 in 27 appearances and 38 innings, striking out 44 and walking twelve.
At 6'6 and 240 pounds, Ponce has the type of frame that makes you think that could hold up under the use that relievers deal with and still be durable.
Relievers often can a little longer to develop as many times they have been failed starters in a system before learning to convert to a relief role.
Ponce was assigned to AA Altoona and is the type of player that is worth a shot-especially with a free agent that you likely aren't interested in retaining.
It'll be interesting to see Ponce's progression in a new system and manner of pitching.