2:33pm: The Indians and Giants are among the other club showing interest, per Rosenthal (Twitter links). Pittsburgh is willing to consider proposals that include not only prospect value, but also a current major league reliever that would provide a solid set-up option for Pittsburgh.
11:07am:Â The Nationals and multiple other clubs are inquiring with the Pirates on closer Mark Melancon, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Washington is known to be in pursuit of a late-inning relief arm, particularly in the wake of Jonathan Papelbon’s recent implosion (seven earned in his past three appearances, spanning one inning).
Melancon, 31, is earning $9.6MM in his final year before hitting the open market. A three-time All-Star with the Pirates, he’s sporting a stellar 1.51 ERA in 41 2/3 innings this season, averaging 8.2 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 to complement a 48.2 percent ground-ball rate. The notion of Pittsburgh trading its closer may sound counter-intuitive at first, but there’s some logic behind the thinking, as I discussed earlier this week with Josh Taylor of TribLive Radio in Pittsburgh (audio link). The budget-conscious Pirates may be wary of extending a qualifying offer to Melancon in an offseason where he’ll be heading into his age-32 campaign and face competition from the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen on the free-agent market. Beyond that, the thought of losing Melancon for nothing certainly can’t be an appealing one to Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington and his staff, so it makes sense for bullpen-hungry clubs to at least see if the Bucs are willing to consider the possibility.
Then again, there is not yet any indication as to how willing the Pirates are to actually part with Melancon. The team does possess an excellent setup man in Tony Watson and a bevy of young arms that could conceivably shift to the bullpen late in the season in order to limit their rising innings totals, but subtracting Melancon from the bullpen would weaken the club to some degree as it looks to secure a Wild Card playoff spot. Rosenthal does say that the Nats are talking to the Pirates, so Huntington is seemingly at least willing to listen, though most GMs will approach the trade deadline with an open mindset.
If made available, Melancon would presumably draw interest from the same collection of teams that have demonstrated interest in Royals closer Wade Davis and Yankees closer Andrew Miller. In addition to the Nationals, we’ve seen the Dodgers, Cardinals, Indians, Rangers and Giants linked to top-tier bullpen help over the course of the week (though Cleveland, it seems, is more focused on a lefty, and an intra-division trade to the Cardinals is of course unlikely).
Doubt this will happen unless it’s a straight up baseball trade where they get someone like Gio Gonzalez in return. The Pirates bullpen is very shaky already.
No way the Pirates take on Gio when they are already stuck with Liriano.
Why would the Pirates or anyone want Gio?
Because he had a 3.0 FIP last two seasons
And he’s got a 4.0 this season….your point? Nobody wants him
Over the last two months the Pirates have had the best bullpen in the league
There is no reason he should not bring a solid return with this many teams interested. Pirates are not a team that can afford to allow quality players walk for nothing. He will never see 16mil from the Pirates. If they were going to sign him long term I believe they would have done so by now.
Yes, and the Nats match up very well with Pirates with their wealth of talented pitching near the majors. If I’m the Pirates, I’m looking for a replacement reliever under control for a number of years + one of the starting pitching prospects close to the majors (Cole, Voth).
It’s not a target he’s idea at all, but the Bucs shouldn’t be trying to turn Melancon into prospects. They need players who can help them now. Watson and Feliz could hold down the fort in the 8th and 9th innings, but they could use some help farther back in the bullpen if Mrlancon leaves.
I’m sure you could take the Cardinals of this list. With both clubs battling for the same wild card spot it seems unlikely they could strike a deal.
Same with the Giants. Simply would make no sense.
I never understood this logic. If you believe you win a trade with a divisional foe, doesn’t that make them worse? So not only do you win the trade, they lose it, it’s a win-win.
you can win a trade but inter division trades don’t happen especially when competing for a playoff spot because teams are afraid to go to owners and say yeah so we lost out on playoffs to a rival due to the guy we traded.
Did it make your team better and their team worse? Then who cares. You’re either in or you’re out, doesn’t matter who you lost out to.
I actually appreciate your logic, but you cant tell right away. If you are wrong, and your team winds up “losing” the trade, the loss is much worse than losing to a team in another division/the other league. I think this is more tough at the deadline vs offseason.
Very fair point, and I mean I understand the feeling. But if you feel confident enough to pull the trigger on a deal because it was right at the time, I don’t think it should matter if the other team is a division foe. That’s all.
No chance the Bucs trade him to the Cards, the team they’re chasing in the division/wild card race.
If the Pirates trade him I hope they go for the package with the most talent. If they want a SP they can address that as a separate issue.
I’m not necessarily saying I’d do it but if I were Huntington I’d think long and hard about trading Glasnow and about 5-7 other pieces, with Meadows and Bell being off-limits, for Chris Archer. Then use a Melancon trade now, a Cutch trade either this or next offseason, plus potentially 3 picks before the second round of next draft (if they get a competitive balance pick in addition to the pick for lodolo not signing) to begin restocking the farm from what you had to give up to get Archer.
If they were close to the division, yeah would consider Glasnow in a package for Archer. Chasing only a wild card? Would stick with Glasnow as he is a top of the rotation guy himself and would have him longer than Archer.
My scenario isn’t about this season much at all. Yes Glasnow and Taillon have top of rotation potential but by the time they reach their respective peaks Cole will be leaving and there’s only 2-3 years left on Marte, Polanco, J Hey and Kang’s contracts. Getting a solid top pitcher now while the position players are all locked up gives the team a much better shot at a World Series for the next few years.
Harrison, Marte, and Polanco have all signed extensions. Harrison is signed through 2019, Marte, 2021, and Polanco 2023.
Re-read what I posted and it wasn’t too clear. I meant there’d be 2-3 years left on those players’ contracts when Cole leaves after 2019 when Glasnow and Taillon are hitting their peak. So you’d have to start thinking about replacing you’re starting 8 by the time the rotation is in top form.
I have a tough time thinking Glasnow will be anything more than a 6 inning pitcher or dominant reliever with his pitching style and propensity for walks, which looks like it will never change. Would not be afraid to trade him for a more proven guy,
Archer isnt worth glasnow alone. He is as overrated as it comes.
Melancon for Roark, Ross or Gioloto. Get it done NH!
And yes that was sarcasm 🙂
I was about to say.. lol!
Nah,just trade Melancon for Harper straight up and be done with it ……. 🙂
Given the Chapman deal… Ross + two other prospects for Mark + one other top 20-30 prospect (Hanson?) and maybe taking Papelbon’s contract off their hands would be where I would be looking.
If i was Neal H.. my first question would be Trea Turner.. after getting shot down.. move to Ross. The other prospects i would want would be Koda Gover and Luis Garcia
I wouldnt touch Papelbon or his deal. Could you imagine what he would do to Marte if Marte did one of his lazy-throw-you-out-anyways plays while Paps was pitching? Things would get ugly lol.
But other than that, I like it 🙂
Papelbon is mostly a salary swap.. after the trade release him or flip him.
If I was a Bucs fan I would probably want to keep him and try to go deep in the playoffs. Even if we realistically didn’t have that big of a chance to. But, being from the outside, it does make a lot of sense to move him. Only if they get a deal that they want. The ball is in their court with this trade. Good position to be in.
Agreed, it is a nice position. I am a Buc fan. Normally, your idea about holding on to Melancon would make perfect sense. However, the Pirates bullpen could very well lose Melancon yet still be good enough to be a strength. Watson is a closer on many teams. Same with Feliz. Caminero is back on last year’s pace after a terrible start. And we could very well see one of the young arms in the pen, both to help out and to save wear and tear for down the road. Melancon is a stud and I would be perfectly happy if he stays… but depending on the return, I would be fine with him leaving.
That is why it will take someone to overoffer to get Melancon now. If all he gets offered are a couple of middling prospects, he holds on to Mark. He gets offered a bunch more then he will think about it very hard. As connfyoozed said, the pen is not to shabby even if Melancon leaves.
I think this is the first time on here I’ve seen mention of any hint of a possibility that they could extend him a qualifying offer, so that’s growth I guess.
And it might have made sense to compare a possible Melancon trade to the Chapman trade: borderline playoff team trading away expiring elite reliever from strong bullpen.
Don’t the Nats have a couple young big armed relievers that they could flip to the Pirates. One of those relievers and Ross wouldn’t be a bad trade.
Ross is way too much IMO. Ik relief pitching has been overvalued this summer, but a former top prospect who’s established himself as a good young starter is too much for a rental reliever. More likely they part with a prospect or two (Fedde, Cole, and Trevor Gott maybe)
Who would get the call to close if he leaves? Feliz, Watson, or player X? I don’t watch enough Pirates games but he’s been solid for them.
Unless Melancon is a lesser return (I.e. Cole, Ross, Voth, MAT), I’d rather get Miller or Davis. As I said the other night Rizzo can always swap them next July or in December to try to get back half of what they gave up. Giving up a Giolito/Lopez for 3 months of Melancon is dumb.
The bucs arent stupid enough to think they can get a giolito for MM. Ross and Voth/Fedde is a fair offer. Also resigning him he would be much cheaper than both davis and miller. So there is that.
Look for position prospect depth if MM is dealt plenty of arms in the system
I would like to see the Pirates deal MM. This year is a transition year. Every move should be made with the idea of preparing for real WS runs in 17, 18 and 19.
Don’t get a rental pitcher. Just keep tossing Taillon, Glasnow, Kuhl and Brault out there. Get them the experience they need now, instead of learning on the job in your contending years.
That said…if they could get Joe Ross for him, do it.
Then flip Liriano to the O’s or someone.
Can some tam PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSE take Bautista off Toronto’s hands. I know he hiet a homerun tonight, but I see diminishing returns over the long haul. I am sooo tired of watching him pull of the ball when hitting. It is ridiculous.