OnlyBucs

With good starting pitching and good defensive catchers, who can also hit at least .250, how many of you would be in favor of the g.m. moving Anderson and Stallings for prospects? I feel that if we could get players that have a high upside, then the front office should make the deal. Being realistic, there is no way the Bucs will be in the playoffs this year. Yes, I want them be play competitive baseball, which they are doing. Compared to last year, they are so much better.

4765726D616E546F776E73686970000 wrote: With good starting pitching and good defensive catchers, who can also hit at least .250, how many of you would be in favor of the g.m. moving Anderson and Stallings for prospects? I feel that if we could get players that have a high upside, then the front office should make the deal. Being realistic, there is no way the Bucs will be in the playoffs this year. Yes, I want them be play competitive baseball, which they are doing. Compared to last year, they are so much better.


I would guess that every guy (except Hayes) on the current 40-man roster, and almost every guy in the minor leagues is available to be traded.

If the offer is to management's liking, I would go with it.

Anderson is working himself up to be one heck of a trade chip.



My thoughts about Stallings are different. I think he has more value to us with breaking in new pitchers than he would have in a trade return.

Anderson, definitely. Sell high. I’d also consider trying to extend him, but with how he’s pitching, his agent shouldn’t let him take anything under full market value.



Stallings is already 31 and controlled through ‘25. He could be here as starter or as seasoned vet moving into a split or backup role when we hope to contend. If his offense won’t fall off a cliff in the next year or two, I think they just keep him.

I'm all for flipping Anderson if the return is for a guy who is only a year or so from MLB.

As for Stallings, I keep him around to help the young pitchers as stated above and to also help to break in a young catcher if we ever find one.

At some point you have to stop thinking about trading players with value for prospects because the prospects are always several years away. They need to have a goal in mind (I'm sure they do) as to when they should be competitive for a post season spot. If that is within 2-3 years and Stallings and Anderson could be assets on that team, then you don't lose them for prospects who won't be contributors by then. Those 2 won't get a good hitting outfielder in a trade anyway. And that leaves a hole at catcher and in the rotation. BC has already added a lot of prospects and within 3 years the 26 man roster should include Hayes, Nick Gonzalez, Priester, Cruz, Oliva, maybe Head, Piguero, Swaggerty, Yean, Yajure, Mason Martin, maybe even the upcoming #1 draft pick. There needs to be a plan to figure out what they will still need and go for that, rather than the usual "who can we trade for prospects?". In fact, they may do better dealing a few prospects for that they need at that time.

At present, Anderson has several things going for him:



1) He is pitching well, and is regularly providing 5 - 6 innings of decent production



2) He has a very low salary, and with so many teams being cost conscience, adding someone who is earning about $1.5 mil per year could generate extra value in a trade. His salary is low enough that no potential suitor would be out of the running.



3) He is young enough that he has potential value to another team as more than a one-year rental.



On the other end, if Anderson continues to have the type of year he is having, I don't see the Pirates being competitive in trying to sign him to an extension when other teams will be clamoring for his services. I am going to avoid all the references to "Nutting is cheap" and just say that this is reality.



So --- if someone offers a good return for Anderson, I believe the Pirates would be wise to trade him. And, if the Bucs determine that their initial window of hope begins in 2023, they can try to obtain players who are closer to the majors than low A level prospects.



With respect to Stallings, I would keep him unless the team was overwhelmed with an offer. The Pirates have little to no catching in the minors. At present, Stallings offers good value for his cost. No one ever viewed Stallings as an asset until he actually received some playing time and over-performed; Tom and others could learn a lot from observing Stallings.

73514659555A605B435A475C5D44340 wrote: With good starting pitching and good defensive catchers, who can also hit at least .250, how many of you would be in favor of the g.m. moving Anderson and Stallings for prospects? I feel that if we could get players that have a high upside, then the front office should make the deal. Being realistic, there is no way the Bucs will be in the playoffs this year. Yes, I want them be play competitive baseball, which they are doing. Compared to last year, they are so much better.




Absolutely opposed.

5775627D717E447F677E63787960100 wrote: With good starting pitching and good defensive catchers, who can also hit at least .250, how many of you would be in favor of the g.m. moving Anderson and Stallings for prospects? I feel that if we could get players that have a high upside, then the front office should make the deal. Being realistic, there is no way the Bucs will be in the playoffs this year. Yes, I want them be play competitive baseball, which they are doing. Compared to last year, they are so much better.
________

That is nothing more than more kicking the can down the road.