Pittsburgh Pirates Roundup: Will Alvarez Be Traded And More
By Larry Snyder
It is the Monday after Thanksgiving, so it is time to listen to internet grapevine and see what is going on with the Pittsburgh Pirates this week.
Karl Weiner from Bleacher Report thinks that the Pirates will not procure a trade partner for their 6-foot-3, 250-pound first baseman Pedro Alvarez. His strikeout totals and lapses with the glove diminish his trade value on the Major League market. I believe the Bucs will take less than fair market value to get out from under Alvarez’s contract and not be stuck like the Indians were a few seasons ago with Travis Hafner.
In the meantime, Joel Reuter at Bleacher Report rates Pittsburgh at three in his MLB Power Rankings after November’s Hot Stove activity. He still projects Alvarez, Neil Walker, and Mark Melancon as part of the 2016 starting lineup and pitching rotation.
Charlie Wimoth of the Bucs Dugout on SB Nation has the news that the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japan Pacific League inked Pirates pitcher Radhames Liz to a one-year deal. The reported salary is about $815,000.
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Over at dkpittsburghsports.com, Matt Gajtka takes a look at Doug Fister of the Nationals, Mike Leake of the Giants, and Mat Latos of the Angels among others as potential pitching bargains that the Pirates could take a chance on in the off-season.
Rum Bunter‘s Jason Rollinson examines the Pirates options with the non-tender deadline quickly approaching. He agrees with Weiner on Alvarez’s trade value, but sees the Bucs moving Walker and Melancon. The bridge between Walker and the Bucs, in my opinion, appearts to be burning.
The writers at From Forbes To Federal review the three-year $36 million deal that J.A. Happ got from the Toronto Blue Jays and try to project whether he can live up to the contract. Perhaps the Jays made a move that will pay dividends to the end of the three years…
Travis Sawchik from Baseball America has the Pirates as BA’s Organization of the Year. The Bucs are the most efficient in acquiring value in trades and free agency outside of their team.
Next: Steelers: Coming Up Short Against The Seahawks
The Sporting News‘ Jesse Spector does not see the need for an international draft to level the field of competition between teams who spend during the international signing period like the Dodgers and small market squads like the Royals and Pirates. Do you think the system is fine that is in place or should there be better balance?
That wraps another edition of the Pirates Notebook. The Baseball Winter Meetings are Dec. 6-10 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.