Melancon to Nats

ChitownBucco · Post by **ChitownBucco** » Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:18 pm

So the Bucs drafted this Hearn guy back in 2012 I the 22nd round, so they must have kept an eye on him thru the years

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:35 pm

577C7D607B637A566177777B140 wrote: So the Bucs drafted this Hearn guy back in 2012 I the 22nd round, so they must have kept an eye on him thru the years
I agree. Obviously, they know a lot about him.

UtahPirate · Post by **UtahPirate** » Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:07 pm

I read this quote over at Bucsdugout (http://www.bucsdugout.com/2016/7/29/123 ... k-melancon). This was posted prior to the trade and gives us a little look into NH's rationale for why Rivero and Hearn.

"The Pirates want a late-inning reliever -- although not necessarily a closer -- as part of the return in any trade, along with prospects. That sort of makes sense, in that the Pirates would presumably see a Melancon trade not primarily as an excuse to build for the future but as a way to capitalize on Melancon's value as a closer without significantly weakening their current team."

As I posted yesterday, it just didn't seem like we could let Melancon walk and get nothing in return. And I don't think this is raising the white flag either.

I'm anxious to see what else happens as I'm pretty sure we are not done yet.

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:35 pm

7756434A724B50435647220 wrote: I read this quote over at Bucsdugout (http://www.bucsdugout.com/2016/7/29/123 ... k-melancon). This was posted prior to the trade and gives us a little look into NH's rationale for why Rivero and Hearn.

"The Pirates want a late-inning reliever -- although not necessarily a closer -- as part of the return in any trade, along with prospects. That sort of makes sense, in that the Pirates would presumably see a Melancon trade not primarily as an excuse to build for the future but as a way to capitalize on Melancon's value as a closer without significantly weakening their current team."

As I posted yesterday, it just didn't seem like we could let Melancon walk and get nothing in return. And I don't think this is raising the white flag either.

I'm anxious to see what else happens as I'm pretty sure we are not done yet.

It's kind of crazy but does this season hang on the next two games?

SteadyFreddy · Post by **SteadyFreddy** » Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:46 pm

Terrible start so far in this game down 2-0 already and can't hit Chase Anderson who is terrible.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:51 pm

I hope that if the Pirates were where the Cubs are now, they would have kept Melancon in hopes of having the best possible team to make a run at a championship. If they won a WS, it would be worth it to let Melancon walk as a FA. But 62% into the season, the Bucs are a mere 3 games above .500 with a rotation that does not look capable of even making the post season, much less winning a WS. So keeping Melancon 2 more months in the desperate hope that somehow the Pirates play at a different level than they've played for the first 101 games instead of getting something for him seems like a lost cause. Especially when they have Watson and Feliz who might be able to adequately replace Melancon. If they could squeak into a WC spot with Melancon, they could probably do so with Watson or Feliz. So it's not really throwing in the towel. But this just doesn't look like a team that going to win the WS this year, so getting something for Melancon instrad of hzving him for only 2 more months makes sense.

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Sun Jul 31, 2016 12:17 am

183538292E3F28686B5A0 wrote: I hope that if the Pirates were where the Cubs are now, they would have kept Melancon in hopes of having the best possible team to make a run at a championship. If they won a WS, it would be worth it to let Melancon walk as a FA. But 62% into the season, the Bucs are a mere 3 games above .500 with a rotation that does not look capable of even making the post season, much less winning a WS. So keeping Melancon 2 more months in the desperate hope that somehow the Pirates play at a different level than they've played for the first 101 games instead of getting something for him seems like a lost cause. Especially when they have Watson and Feliz who might be able to adequately replace Melancon. If they could squeak into a WC spot with Melancon, they could probably do so with Watson or Feliz. So it's not really throwing in the towel. But this just doesn't look like a team that going to win the WS this year, so getting something for Melancon instrad of hzving him for only 2 more months makes sense.

That's true. The one thing that makes no sense was maintaining status quo. For me this will always be labeled "transition year" and as a consequence there was not a real attempt to shoot for the playoffs. Nothing happened in the offseason and maybe nothing is going to be done now to complete the team.

What would the result have been if the Pirates had added a decent pitcher? We'll never know. I was hoping Neal would pull a rabbit out of the hat at the trade deadline, because I absolutely believe this team, with a better rotation, was good enough to get into the playoffs. Probably not with the status quo, much less with a weaken bullpen.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Sun Jul 31, 2016 1:27 am

5453454D4354131F66414B474F4A0845494B260 wrote: I hope that if the Pirates were where the Cubs are now, they would have kept Melancon in hopes of having the best possible team to make a run at a championship. If they won a WS, it would be worth it to let Melancon walk as a FA. But 62% into the season, the Bucs are a mere 3 games above .500 with a rotation that does not look capable of even making the post season, much less winning a WS. So keeping Melancon 2 more months in the desperate hope that somehow the Pirates play at a different level than they've played for the first 101 games instead of getting something for him seems like a lost cause. Especially when they have Watson and Feliz who might be able to adequately replace Melancon. If they could squeak into a WC spot with Melancon, they could probably do so with Watson or Feliz. So it's not really throwing in the towel. But this just doesn't look like a team that going to win the WS this year, so getting something for Melancon instrad of hzving him for only 2 more months makes sense.

That's true. The one thing that makes no sense was maintaining status quo. For me this will always be labeled "transition year" and as a consequence there was not a real attempt to shoot for the playoffs. Nothing happened in the offseason and maybe nothing is going to be done now to complete the team.

What would the result have been if the Pirates had added a decent pitcher? We'll never know. I was hoping Neal would pull a rabbit out of the hat at the trade deadline, because I absolutely believe this team, with a better rotation, was good enough to get into the playoffs. Probably not with the status quo, much less with a weaken bullpen.

I still find labeling this a transition year galling because it didn't have to be.

This might be a great deal, I would feel better if Hearn had at least had success in High A. While this may turn into a great deal, it seems a little short to me. I have read comments to the contrary as the team only had the Shark for two more months. Just not sure that there may have been a better return out there.

iwatch · Post by **iwatch** » Sun Jul 31, 2016 1:34 am

Seeing that the Pirates are losing to a lineup featuring 5 of 8 position players hitting less than .220 and two of those less than .200 I guess I understand why we traded Melancon.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Sun Jul 31, 2016 1:40 am

Here is a good spring training article on Hearn, including comparing him to Randy Johnson:

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/166499678 ... -prospect/

I am still ambivalent about this deal. The Bucs could have drafted Hearn in 2015 (he went with 164th pick to Nats)

The Bucs took Casey Hughson in round 3, Jacob Taylor in round 4 and Brandon Waddell in round 5 (with pick 157).

How would this deal look if the Bucs had taken Hearn last year and traded for Waddell this year?