Deal with Tribe
Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 2:04 pm
75544148704952415445200 wrote: Just thought you'd enjoy a view from an Indians site. More neutral than the Bucco fans view, but that's based on what the writer sees as replaceable parts within the Indians system.
He sure doesn't think they received much in Luplow and Moroff. Just a swap of players who didn't have room on the 40-man for either team. Only player with any ceiling (in his opinion) is Thomas.
https://thesportsdaily.com/2018/11/15/i ... eal-brb11/
Very good article IMHO. As fans of a Pirate team that rarely makes significant additions (we all just about fell off our chairs when Dickerson and Archer were obtained) we tend to get excited and expect too much whenever a move is made. For Cleveland, this was a minor deal. They don't need Gonzalez and he's out of options so they might as well get something for him. He could easily have become another Pedro Florimon being waived from one team to another but by adding 2 young pitchers they were able to get 2 players who could possibly help them in reserve roles if needed. Moroff is versatile and has some power. Luplow can play pretty good OF and has power. Neither will probably ever hit well enough to hold down a starting job but one or both could occasionally contribute.
The pitchers are both 19 year old RHPs whose professional experience is no more than rookie leagues. The Indians feel they have many good pitching prospects and these 2 are too far away and too suspect to be counted on for future contributions. Thomas has struggled in his brief time with 43 walks in 58 innings and a 5.28 ERA. He's considered better than Mendoza who has 22 walks in 40 innings, a 4.69 ERA and throws 87-90. Of course these 2 are just beginning their careers, the stats are an extreme SSS but the Indians obviously did not see them as valuable prospects and dealt them with an infielder they didn't need for 2 players who likely top out as reserves.
The Pirates showed last September they had no use for Moroff when they didn't even recall him. He's versatile and has some pop but hasn't hit for average since AA in 2015. The Pirates probably think Luplow could be more than the .194 hitter they saw in 170 MLB at bats so far but weren't sold on him as a future asset. And while the Indians see Gonzalez as a player they have little use for, the Pirates see him as a possible answer to the SS gap until Newman or Tucker takes over or at least as a versatile sub (they love those kinds of players). So the Indians traded 3 players they won't miss for 2 players they might not even use while the Pirates traded 2 players they didn't seem highly interested in for a versatile reserve if not a starting SS and 2 very young project pitchers. Most teams probably wouldn't bat an eye over this type of deal. But as Pirate fans, we tend to get excited about anything more than a waiver transaction.
He sure doesn't think they received much in Luplow and Moroff. Just a swap of players who didn't have room on the 40-man for either team. Only player with any ceiling (in his opinion) is Thomas.
https://thesportsdaily.com/2018/11/15/i ... eal-brb11/
Very good article IMHO. As fans of a Pirate team that rarely makes significant additions (we all just about fell off our chairs when Dickerson and Archer were obtained) we tend to get excited and expect too much whenever a move is made. For Cleveland, this was a minor deal. They don't need Gonzalez and he's out of options so they might as well get something for him. He could easily have become another Pedro Florimon being waived from one team to another but by adding 2 young pitchers they were able to get 2 players who could possibly help them in reserve roles if needed. Moroff is versatile and has some power. Luplow can play pretty good OF and has power. Neither will probably ever hit well enough to hold down a starting job but one or both could occasionally contribute.
The pitchers are both 19 year old RHPs whose professional experience is no more than rookie leagues. The Indians feel they have many good pitching prospects and these 2 are too far away and too suspect to be counted on for future contributions. Thomas has struggled in his brief time with 43 walks in 58 innings and a 5.28 ERA. He's considered better than Mendoza who has 22 walks in 40 innings, a 4.69 ERA and throws 87-90. Of course these 2 are just beginning their careers, the stats are an extreme SSS but the Indians obviously did not see them as valuable prospects and dealt them with an infielder they didn't need for 2 players who likely top out as reserves.
The Pirates showed last September they had no use for Moroff when they didn't even recall him. He's versatile and has some pop but hasn't hit for average since AA in 2015. The Pirates probably think Luplow could be more than the .194 hitter they saw in 170 MLB at bats so far but weren't sold on him as a future asset. And while the Indians see Gonzalez as a player they have little use for, the Pirates see him as a possible answer to the SS gap until Newman or Tucker takes over or at least as a versatile sub (they love those kinds of players). So the Indians traded 3 players they won't miss for 2 players they might not even use while the Pirates traded 2 players they didn't seem highly interested in for a versatile reserve if not a starting SS and 2 very young project pitchers. Most teams probably wouldn't bat an eye over this type of deal. But as Pirate fans, we tend to get excited about anything more than a waiver transaction.