The Pirates have acquired left-handed starter Wandy Rodriguez from the Astros in exchange for minor leaguers Rudy Owens, Robbie Grossman, and Colton Cain.
The Astros will also pay some of the remaining salary owed to Rodriguez at least through 2013 and perhaps through 2014, as the club option for that year became a player option when Rodriguez was traded, per a stipulation in his contract. The Astros' yearly contributions to Rodriguez's salaries break down as such: $1.7MM in 2012, $8.5MM in 2013, and potentially $7.5MM in 2014.
Rodriguez, 33, has posted a 4.04 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in a little over 1,300 career innings, all with the Astros. The Wasserman Media Group client signed a three-year, $34MM extension with Houston prior to the 2011 season.
Grossman, an outfielder, is the best of the three prospects acquired by Houston, according to Jim Bowden of SiriusXM ESPN radio (Twitter). A 22-year-old switch-hitter, Grossman was a sixth-round draft choice of the Bucs in 2008. He's hit .262/.374/.403 with seven homers in 413 plate appearances this season with Double-A Altoona.
Owens, 24, had a 3.14 ERA in 19 starts with Triple-A Indianapolis this season. He has been added to Houston's 40-man roster.
Tom Singer of MLB.com first broke that the trade was close. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com confirmed that it was official and added in financial details (via Twitter), as did Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter). And club press releases added which players the Astros received.
:O!!
Great
This is news.
Interesting move going after Wandy with how their pitching has been this year. They still don’t have much consistent offense besides Cutch.
Hope it’s for a decent price. Always been a fan of Wandy…pretty underrated pitcher, IMO.
Maybe we can get Soriano, too. I’d eat his entire salary just to not see him kill the Pirates AGAIN.
Solid starter, would like to see the pirates acquiring a big bat. Don’t know who is available besides Hanley.
Soriano could be had I think. Not a terrible player and would fit well.
Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, Hanley Ramirez, Stephen Drew, Yunel Escobar, Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Roberts, Peter Bourjos, Marco Scutaro, Carlos Lee,Justin Upton, Denard Span, BJ Upton, Chase Headley, Placido Polanco, Juan Pierre, Bryan Lahair.. Just to throw out a few names…
That’s more than a few names. That is almost every player….EVER
Haha i was just messing around. I think most of those players will be moved, not Lahair/Span/J Upton, Juan Pierre
Juan Pierre……………..”big bat”??
I am really hoping that we go hard after Han Ram, I think he would be the prefect middle of the order right handed bat. AND he allows Barmes to move to being a bench player.
After that, we just need a corner outfielder or some type…maybe a Denard Span to be a leadoff guy.
Wandy, Han Ram, and Span would make me the happiest Pirates fan this side the Mississippi!
IBeouldnt trade for Hanley just because of how mediocre he is. This is a guy that should be hitting 300 and on pace of getting 2,500 hits in his career. I don’t know if going to a place like Pittsburgh will motivate him. Who knows maybe it will since Pittsburg has a great tradition off winning(at least in the 70’s)
I like this idea but what are we giving up and more importantly, where does he fit into the rotation? Maybe a 6 man rotation or resting one of our SP, possibly J-Mac?
Giving J-Mac an extra day down the stretch might be very beneficial. If not a 6-man, I assume that Correia would be the odd man out…for now. At least not while Bedard is on the upswing.
Probably Means Corriea or Bedard is part of the deal going back to give them an immediate replacement, OR that Corriea is going to the bullpen for Mopup duty or long relief
Rodriguez wouldn’t be that much of an upgrade over Bedard.
Would be a great pickup if the return is minor…If the Pirates are giving up a lot then I would prefer Garza or Shields. However, I do agree with Bedard having struggles this year, a solid top end Lefty in this rotation would help quite a bit. Shows teams a different look.
Potential Playoff Rotation of AJ, Wandy, J Mac, and Karstens would be pretty darn formidable.
it’s pretty bad when you compare it to other potential playoffs teams.
Nats would be better and so would Giants, but I’d take them over Dodgers, Reds, Cardinals and Braves rotations. Kershaw is a stud obviously, but hard to trust Capuano or anyone else for LAD. Cueto has been solid, but Latos up and down and not sure who #3 is for Reds. Cards – Wainwright hasn’t put it all together yet and as a Braves fan I don’t know who would be in a postseason rotation. Hudson and Sheets, but Hanson, Minor and Jurrjens have all been awful.
If you can’t trust Capuano than you can’t trust wandy, karstens, or AJ
Why? Capuano is a career 4.21 ERA guy with a 3.4 ERA the past two months. AJ Burnett has been a solid pitcher when in the NL as has Wandy.
Look at the declining K rate which suggests stuff is down, and Capuano was pretty solid last year just a bit unlucky. Burnett hasn’t pitched in the NL in what? 7 years? He was sitting 94-96 then.
… Playoff Rotation … [Jeff] Karstens … formidable.
LOL
you seen him pitch lately? repeat without LOL
4.00 xFIP over 46.0 IP. Yankees better watch out!!!
Karstens is the 4th guy if they don’t pitch Bedard over him. He might start 1 game.
Yankees’ 3 and 4 starters are Hughes / Nova.
Pirates better watch out!!!
Would like the Red Sox to have traded Beckett… to get Wandy. Good luck to him and Pitt. if they acquire him.
What sense does that make?
None, so far as I can tell.
…for EITHER team.
Finally. Now the Wandy Rodriguez trade rumors can come to an end, at least for now.
The Pirates pulled Alen Hanson in the 1st inning of his Low A game. He better not be whats going back to Houston for Wandy. What a horrible deal that would be.
No. Oh god no. That’d be so awful.
Someone mentioned that he was pulled in the 1st inning for not running out a ground ball….FWIW
God I hope so. Cannot give up Hanson. I feel like he should be just as untouchable as Cole, Taillon, Marte and Heredia.
is Hanson a good prospect? Sorry don’t know the Pirates farm at all? What other names could be included? Their farm is deep isnt it?
An international signing destroying Low-A this year; with potential to stick at SS. Pretty valuable guy in anybody’s system, let alone Pittsburgh’s.
#48 on Keith Law’s midseason Top 50 prospects, FWIW.
Unless we get Jed Lowrie too who i believe is still on the DL then Hanson better not be involved in this deal
*Nelson voice*
Hah hah!
Maybe also in deal Chris Johnson or Ben F. and Pirates give up Marte/Sanchez and so on.
Based on what source?
Not sure why the Pirates would want Johnson.
I like that. Get rid of Johnson so will not be in Houston’s future and go ahead give the young guys a chance. Play Dominquez at third and put Wallace at first the rest of the season. What else do they have to lose?
I know people are down on Wandy because of his contract, but he’ll be a good addition to an already good rotation. He isn’t the type of pitcher that is going to dominate a lineup but he’s quietly effective. Even though he’s closer to being league average than ace, he’ll provide solid innings for the Pirates. They won’t have to give up top prospects and you know that Houston has to be kicking in some money.
Hope its nothing more than like Robbie Grossman and one of the AAA Lefties!!
I wouldn’t give up Grossman for him either.
The Astros are probably going to pay most of the contract too, so the price is higher than you would think
Looks like it was right!! reports by jon morosi say grossman is involved
Hey at least the Pirates are trying! With a rotation of Burnett, Rodriguez, Bedard, Mcdonald, heading into the playoffs and an offense around Andrew Mccutchen they have a chance to do somethings. Congrats to Pittsburgh on a solid move. They keep Wandy in the NL Central where he has proven he can pitch and have a few years of control with him. Something that is valuable since attracting FA starters might be hard
Dont forget Karstens!! He is pitching better than Bedard and Mcdonald right now
Agreed. Since coming off of the DL he has done well. Good point and nice username!
Not saying it will happen but Luhnow said on TV last night that he had a high price tag on Wandy.
Matt Curry was taken out of the AA lineup, perhaps he’s included.
Rudy Owens, Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman + $
MAybe a piece to a trade for Billy Butler of the Royals. Hopefully it is. Butler would be an awesome addition to the Bucs. Curry is a 1st baseman so it is a possibility
Very interested as to who would be heading to Houston. Hopefully Luhnow can continue to stockpile young pitching.
I don’t even care what the Astros get in return (Though, Lunhow’s track record says it’ll be good). I’m just glad to see all this turnover. Despite the struggles, it’s a fine time to be an Astros fan.
Well, it makes it more likely that it’ll be a fine time to be an Astros fan in 2015
the Pirates prefer to take on money rather than give up prospects so I don’t think the player return will be big, plus they said the top 6 are untouchable even in Upton/Headley talks
jonheymancbs
there is $ changing hands in wandy deal. he has $30M to go thru ’13, so #astos will send dollars to#pirates. done deal.
The Pirates have a deep farm don’t they? What are some names that could go without the big two? Would Marte be realistic?
Marte not realistic. At least I hope not. I’d say maybe a AAA pitcher.
Johnson could solve bat and plantoon at 1B or maybe a Third Team is involved that wants like Cordero and has a Bat to give up.
Hurdle has said the team is thinking of going to a 6 man rotation to close out the year. Looks like this move will allow them to do that. Not a lot of upside here but he’s under contract through next year and a good solid mid-rotation guy. I’ll have to see what they gave up but if it’s a Locke/Wilson/Owens, that’d be fine. This pretty well seats their staff, now they really really need to find a middle of the order bat to protect Cutch.
Having Lowrie involved would be nice. How long is on the DL?
Ah, Lowrie finally landed back on the DL? He had a pretty good run there.
Been there for a few weeks I think.
Eh, he was off my fantasy team before that so I stopped keeping tabs on him 😛
Not surprised, he had stopped hitting a few weeks before the injury.
Luhnow is doing work, I gues if the Astros wern’t in rebuilding mode before, they are now, Myers, Lee, Lyon, and now Wandy, don’t know who I like more, AA or Luhnow.
For who??
This will allow the Pirates to use Bedard or Correia as a trade chip (to get a bat)
Jon Morosi just confirmed the trade is agreed to by both teams … just waiting for the details
Heard the trade kicks in the 2014 option, so far from a rental
$10MM this year, $13MM next, $13MM player option for `14. Astros must be sending $15MM+ the other way if they`re getting anything in return.
Who’d’ve thought we’d see the Pirates as buyers this year. The Buyrates, if you will.
Didn’t they buy last year?
Ryan Ludwick and Derrek Lee were hardly the acquisitions to write home about (although i really liked Lee). but you’re right, technically they were buyers last year.
They only got those guys because they lost out on guys like Hunter Pence. It’s not like they were only trying to buy off the scrap heap, they did try to make some bigger acquisitions.
I’m gonna be honest: it was all for the pun
I’m so happy they added a “thumbs down” option before this comment was made…
This means so much to me.
LOL. A thumbs up to the thumbs down option. Ya gotta have faith here 🙂
I really really just miss the option to see who gave them! Everyone is too afraid to give me a thumbs down to my FACE.
Know what ya mean. it’s different now.
I gave ya the thumbs up tho. HAHAHA
I know you’ve got my back, johnsilver mlbtr internet website comment man
Wow…looks like the Astros’ rebuild just hit zero hour. Who is left to trade, now?
Lowrie, Altuve, Wesley Willis.
Lowrie is hurt and Altuve isn’t going anywhere.
Wesley Wright
any/every reliever who’s any decent
Wilton Lopez. Maybe Francisco Cordero next month if he pitches well.
Deal probably going to include hanson and/or curry and possibly a pitcher
Sorry to see you go Wandy!!!!
I hope we got a little more than just Josh Bell.
Where is Bell being reported? Maybe it’s true, but I have a hard time seeing it. Pirates shelled out $5M to him less than a year ago and he’s hurt.
I was just going off the previous comment. Would love to add Bell to the organization along with 1 more.
Robbie grossman
It’s not Tim Singer, it’s Tom Singer (according to the Reds’ announcers that just read this exact post word-for-word during the game..)
Robbie Grossman head to Houston per Morosi
Per Morosi: Source: Robbie Grossman headed to #Astros in #Pirates deal for Wandy Rodriguez.
It better be Bell and Grossman….not just Grossman
Yep, just saw that on twitter
Oh Neil, just when I was starting to have hope for you, you go and trade for the most overrated, overpaid pitcher on the market. NOT SMART.
If they only sent Grossman its a steal!! Good trade neil
Heard the same thing when he traded for AJ. Some people just never learn.
Not from me. I hailed it as a very smart move the day it happened.
What is with the Astros always trying to bring back these hometown kids?
he just one piece heading in trade.
OF Robbie Grossman, part of agreed trade to #Astros, has a .778 OPS with #Pirates Class AA affiliate.
He’s likely the biggest piece. Pretty big name in the Pirates system over the past year with the 100BB/100R season last year. I don’t think he’ll ever be a star, but could be a solid major leaguer.
EDIT: God I hope the Hanson part isn’t true.
OF Robbie Grossman (AA) is in the deal
Alen Hanson also headed to Houston
So far, it’s Wandy Rodriguez for OF Robbie Grossman and SS/2B Alen Hanson. Working to see if other names are involved.
Whats with the Hanson kid……previous posts said he was legit
number 27 prospect in the pirates system. Grossman was the number 8 this year as per baseball america if that tells you anything.
Hanson will be close to if not in the top 5 in the pirate system going into next year and per KLaw is currently a top 50 prospect in baseball.
That’s next year. As per Baseball America he is currently the 27th prospect in their system. I was just telling him what I read.
Hanson is not in the deal. He was rated as Baseball America’s number 40 prospect in the mid season top 50.
I’m sorry to say, but you’re wrong, and I’m not even a Pirates fan. He is one of the best SS prospects in the game right now.
That’s the deal
Jed Lowrie had better be a player to be named later if the Bucs are including Hanson. Either that or the Astros are eating 90% of Wandy’s salary.
WRONG — Grossman + Owens + Cain
Alen Hanson is also in the deal – Morosi
Nope — Owens + Grossman + Cain
Correction: Hanson not in deal. Pirates get LHP Wandy Rodriguez & cash from #Astros for Rudy Owens, Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman.
Luhnow gets my vote for smartest GM in baseball right now…though Daniels and Friedman are pretty close.
what about AA?
Top 8 GM’s IMO
AA 1
Daniels 2
Freidman 3
Mozaleik 4
Epstein 5
Luhnow 6
Rizzo 7
Jocketty 8
cashmen?hes number 5
You could make a case he’s in the top 8, but not top 3.
You get a down arrow simply for not including Ned Colletti on this list.
Sincerely,
The Giants, Padres, Rockies, and Diamondbacks
Epstein is not a GM.
as a Jay fan I don’t see how Daniels is not first and Freidman second.
What makes him so smart?
Not sure is is really getting many valuable prospects for his vets that he’s trading off, but I applaud him for being willing to trade everyone who won’t be a key component of their future team. It may still take a while and being out in the west will be tough on the Astros, but I think Luhnow really knows what he’s doing. They will also have a ton of payroll flexibility and have a big enough market where they can up the payroll significantly in a few years.
Grossman is Pirates 8th prospect, Hanson 27th – rosenthal
That ranking has to be preseason, because there’s no way he has Hanson at 27 today. He’s more like somewhere between #4 and #6 or so now, would be my guess. Cole, Taillon, Marte are obvious Top 3, then arrange Heredia, Hanson, and Bell anyway you’d like.
per morosi lol
Hold on. Contradicting information on Hanson’s inclusion
Theres no way the deal was just for Grossman
Hold on. Contradicting information on Hanson’s inclusion. per Morosi
Next post will read “pirates expected to acquire wandy Rodriguez”
Pirates get LHP Wandy Rodriguez & cash from #Astros for Rudy Owens, Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman.
Grossman and a AAA pitcher!!! just like I said when I first heard the news! and Cain who could be a good player eventually
Heyman: Grossman/Owens/Cain
Per Jon Heyman; Grossman, Owens and Cain go to astros in deal.
I heard its hanson and Grossman!! No problem with giving up grossman, but i do not want hanson involved.
Nevermind. Good trade.
CONFIRMED: #Pirates get LHP Wandy Rodriguez and cash from#Astros for Rudy Owens, Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman. per Morosi
Correction: Hanson not in deal. Pirates get LHP Wandy Rodriguez & cash from #Astros for Rudy Owens, Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman.
Yet another Texas kid going back to the Stros.
They always try this crap…..NEVER works
Had a feeling Owens would never put on a Pirates uniform. If the Bucs liked him, he would’ve been up by now.
Knew that one of the AAA lefties would go eventually. I like Rudy, but preferred Locke most definitely over him, and probably Wilson, too. Owens is most certainly ready…wonder if he’ll debut against the Bucs this weekend.
I agree that Owens is the easiest of the three AAA lefties to let go. If I’m not misremembering; Locke has good K and ground ball rates – if Wilson can find a way to throw more strikes, he has the highest upside of the three.
I respectfully disagree i like Rudy better then Justin Wilson he hits slumps every year of his MILB career but it is what it is just slightly disappointed by it
My comment was based on potential. Owens is certainly the better pitcher now, but Owens doesn’t have a 97 mph fastball.
I will be super mad if we gave up Owens in this deal. Management had something personal against him from day 1…Guy has been a STUD at every level of pro ball and still wasnt given an oppertunity to be on the big league team. Rudy Owens is a VERY legit #3 starter…or a legit #4 starter on a good to great staff. This is a VERY good return for Houston. I am dissapointed in Huntington. We overpaid.
He’s a 24 year old repeating AAA. His numbers aren’t bad, but he’d be up right now if Pirates thought he was any good.
Neither Keith Law nor baseball American had Rudy Owens in their top 10 for the Pirates this year. If he was a #3 starter he’d have been top 5 easily. Baseball Prospectus listed him as their 15th best prospect.
You have to understand this team and its management to understand why i say what i say about him. They never gave him a fair shake…always delayed his promotions earlier in his career…Mark my words, Rudy Owens will be a productive major league starter. I am incredibly disappointed to see him go. I felt he should have been called up 2 months ago…but once again managements distaste for him prevented that from happening. Remember the kid has close to the best numbers out of any starter in the international league this year, and was a Triple A all star too. He is much more than just mediocre. n He was VERY underrated by his own team. I cant hide my feelings on this one…Im ticked.
but what would Law or BP have against Owens?
They dont…a top 15 prospect in the Pirates system is nothing to shake a stick at. We have quite a few really highly rated players ahead of him. Im not claiming him to be a superstar, but if he is 15 in our system, he would be top 5 in the White Sox and a few others systems, and top 10 in over half of MLB systems. Im just saying that the kid does not get the credit he deserves. He has been a career overachiever that never gets the recognition.
why drag the White Sox into this?
Chris Snyder to Mets.
Is this true, or are you just making stuff up?
Mets need a backup Catcher and he would cost less then Ramon Hernandez.
This wasn’t reported by anyone was it?
lol where did this come from??
Grossman, Cain and Owens for Wandy+$$$
jonmorosi
CONFIRMED: #Pirates get LHP Wandy Rodriguez and cash from #Astros for Rudy Owens, Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman.
7/24/12 9:41 PM
Confirmed on Astros telecast…..Cain, Owens, Grossman
Astros continue filling out farm system, and Pirates get a SP under control potentially through 2014
Wow Astros cleaned up for Wandy.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are BUYERS. What an exciting moment
gave up rudy owens, robbie grossman and colton cain
Wow…this is a bad move for the Bucs…with Wandy’s strikeout numbers down and given his age, this is an overpay. Im not a happy Bucco fan right now. I would have rather added another prospect or two and went after one of the elite guys available. Disappointment.
I agree. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much. I could see Owens and Cain, but not Grossman.
but then the Astros probably don’t pick up a chunk of the bill.
I’d rather have the bucs spend more $$$ than give up solid minor league assets. Not a fan of Wandy. Not for this package.
Yup, they “bought” Grossman for $13M. Baseball’s new economics.
None of the guys are really projected to be substantial difference makers, and you guys get to hang onto Taillon, Cole, Marte, Heredia, Bell, Hanson etc.
I would agree…I think you guys got a pretty good deal….you keep all the top tier guys plus you keep Bell and Hanson…
yeah wandy isn’t one either.
He’ll be much better than Erik Bedard.
None of those guys are going to be stars. Grossman could have a solid major league career. I’m really interested to see what Owens does at the major league level. Cain has a nice ceiling, pretty good strikeout numbers, and is a hard throwing lefty, but has struggled for sure. Could be good one day, could never see the majors.
Agree.
Still the Astros get 3 of the Bucs top 15 prospects never know how they will develope. Wandy is a major upgrade for the Pirates, might help get them to the playoffs. This is a good trade for both teams.
his walk numbers are down too, to be fair.
To be fair to Wandy while I do agree it is an overpay his walk numbers have also decreased to make the SO/BB ratio pretty decent.
Astros radio announcer(Dave Raymond or Brett Dolan) said Grossman is a switch hitter. B-R says he’s a left handed hitter. Which is correct?
Switch.
As an Astros fan, very happy with the return. In Luhnow we trust. According to mlb.com, Grossman was Pirates #7 prospect, Owens #12 and Cain #16.
Good deal for both sides. Grossman was the Pirates 7 but his walk rate is a bit down and his k rate is a bit up I believe. He actually also got suspended this year .
The more I think about this, the more ticked off I get. I would have rather just called Rudy Owens up to the Majors and kept Grossman and Cain.
Whats the deal on Owens……why was he in AAA so long?
Couple reasons. There was no spot for him on the big league club and I think that he was pure trade bait. Don’t think Huntington ever had the intention of promoting him so as to not hurt his trade value. He put up great numbers for two straight years, struggled in AAA last year, and is doing nicely repeating this season. Very interested to see what he does in the majors.
If it weren’t for McCutchen, I’d predict a no-hitter in his (somewhat likely) start against the Bucs this weekend.
Why’s that?
If the Pirates are looking for a bat for 1B or OF, how about Lars Anderson and/or Ryan Sweeney, for say Karstens or Correia
Three of the Pirates top 20 prospects for two and a half years of slightly above average pitching. Remember when the Pirates let Maholm walk last offseason? Neal Huntington should feel like a fool tonight.
Not a bad trade for the Bucs. They gave up a little more than I expected (I figured one of the AAA pitchers + a B level prospect in exchange for Wandy + Cash) but nothing they’re gonna miss. Grossman is really the only pretty good prospect they gave up but the Pirates have an abundance of toolsy OF types so no biggie there.
With Bedard and Correia leaving next year, Wandy will be a nice little addition for the next couple seasons. He’s not spectacular but he eats innings (200 IP the past three years) and considering some of the crazy asking prices I’ve seen bandied about for mediocre guys like TB’s Shields, this is quite the bargain.
okay Shields is a little better than a back of the rotation inning eater. He is a solid #3 in the AL east.
The Astros have brought in a lot of mid-level type prospects…..Wandy was their last chance to bring in atleast 1 top tier guy
Grossman is a top 250 prospect, and they got a backend near ready for a middle of rotation 33 year old with a bad contract, good deal for Houston, farm system continues to improve.
Biertempfel tweets that the Astros are including about $13.3MM, assuming the player option for ’14 is exercised.
According to Prospect Watch – all 3 prospects were in Pirates TOP 20……Grossman (7), Owens (12), and Cain (16).
When was the list released though?
Its a current list. Each team has their TOP 20 list on their website under the roster tab. The Astros list has been updated after each trade.
He doesnt update it, all he does is add the new prospects or take away the ones traded. For example on the Astros there is no way Clemens is in the top 10′ he sucks.
its updated every couple weeks, but because of the trade deadline, it gets updated every day or two because it already has Jacob Turner on the Marlins top prospects list
The Pirates definitely overpaid, but hey, I think they are going to lose quite a few players to Rule V if they don’t trade them. You can’t protect everyone. This trade will be fantastic for all three prospects and provide them an opportunity to move to the majors sooner.
Good deal for both sides.
The Pirates replace a replacement-level starter in Correia with a guy who has been worth 1.8 WAR so far this year. Safe to say this is worth at least one win the rest of the way.
Astros get further depth in what has to now be a top-10 farm system. None of these guys are likely to be studs, but useful major leaguers? Sure.
Top 10 farm system?!?!? LOL
Being a Pirates fan I think the Astros won this deal. All 3 prospects are gonna be solid for the Astros organization.
I hope we got a good deal here….Wandy is solid though and should do well with a change of scenery
Alright Buccos fans, let’s not go crazy here. We just acquired a very solid lefty starter, a veteran, bulldog pitcher who matches up well as the #3 starter against any of the potential NL playoff teams. This is a good deal for BOTH teams. Pirates get one of the two pieces they needed, a solid middle of the rotation starter to slot in behind J-Mac and Burnett, in front of Karstens. Now both Correia and Bedard know they need to continue to step it up because one of them is going to be without a starting slot. Huntington wasn’t going to give up Taillon, Cole, Heredia, or Marte so acquiring a #1 starter was not going to happen. The Bucs still have the option of trading one of the studs for a big OF bat if the right deal comes calling over the next week.
The Astros get a potential #3 type starter in Owens, a Class A starter who hasn’t yet found his way in Colton Cain, and a toolsy OF in Grossman who is probably a solid two seasons away from competing for a major league job. All three could be assets for Houston, but none of the three are players who had a home in Pittsburgh anytime soon, The Owens/Locke/Wilson trio are perfect trade bait because they are the sandwich between the 2012 rotation and the 2014 rotation (McDonald/Taillon/Cole/etc.).
Most importantly, this move shows that the Pirates are doing exactly what they said they would do. The current team is legit, PNC Park is packed night after night, and they are going for it. This is a banner day for Pirates fans who have waited two decades for a chance to see postseason baseball again. They also realize that this is a pivotal point in the season. The team has hit a rough patch, didn’t play well in Milwaukee or Colorado out of the break, then got ahold of the Marlins for a sweep just as that team was falling apart. Losing two straight to the Cubs at home is a wake up call, and in 2011 Huntington waited too long to make any moves. This year he made a big move at the right time. This is a shot in the arm to a team that will wake up tomorrow morning 2 1/2 games behind a Reds team that is playing out of their minds.
Sorry for the long read, but this is BIG news for Pirates fans. If you have been a dedicated Buccos fan long enough to remember the Zane Smith trade in 1990 – THIS is the equivalent to that franchise changing deal. THIS IS GOOD NEWS!
Holy crap man, thats longer than an article I’ve ever seen on here.
Yeah, I got on my soap box on that one. Thanks for reading.
i would have rather the jays take wandy than happ. and it looks like we gave up more.
Grossman is much higher rated than anything the Jays gave up. The Pirates gave up more.
On the other hand, the Pirates actually got something useful in their trade, whereas the Jays got mediocre in exchange for mediocre, so I’d rather have done what the Pirates did.
that was kinda my point wasn’t it.
Losing Rudy Owens isn’t much of a loss, he’s the worst of the 3 in AAA and more than likely couldn’t be kept out of the Rule V draft next year(Also have never heard anyone say he had the potential to be more than a #4 on a bad team or #5 on a good team) . The Astros go to the AL West next year so these players won’t have much of an impact against us.
who else should the pirates trade for?
I think Willingham that’s just me though but id love to get even a decent shortstop as well not Hanley though maybe willie Bloomquist if he can keep hitting the way he has i just truly want a shortstop the most
As an Astros fan, I think the Pirates overpaid a touch, but not unreasonably so. Wandy can hang in there as a nice #3, but he has regressed some this season. I don’t buy the whole pitching more to contact explanation. His curve just doesn’t look as sharp as it has in years past. I’ll be pulling for him though, as he was a good soldier on some bad, bad Houston teams.
I’m not wowed by the arms Luhnow brought back, but Grossman is a nice get, indeed. I’m a big fan of guys with his skill set, as it seems that they’re the kind of players that a GM trying to capitalize on market inefficiencies snatch up. He’s a nice B prospect at this point, and I would imagine he slots somewhere in the 7-9 range for Houston.
I’ve always been a fan of Wandy for years, just not sure how long he’ll keep pitching well. Still, I think he’ll be solid down the stretch and next year, so I’d consider this deal a success.
Houston better be willing to at least split the salary because even those these 3 prospects are pretty average, Owens and Grossman are ok and it’s still three prospects. More than most teams have been willing to trade thus far.
i’ve never been a huge fan of Wandy. but i never really liked the Astros either. But he is fairly solid and with the Astros paying a large part of his contract and having him for next year is a decent deal especially if we loose a pitcher or two in the off season. it also gives more wiggle room for trading pitchers this year or next