The Pirates did the right thing making their big trades; it's just unfortunate I am writing that statement in January 2018 and not July 2015.
The missed chance back then has led them to this point, and from here, they're doing what they have to do to get back into a position to win.
Did they get enough for Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen? Time will tell as we have to give the newly acquired players a chance to show the ‘Burgh what they can do.
But, is that patience there in a city where losing was once as commonplace as seeing yellow swirling towels at Three Rivers Stadium and Heinz Field?
For the Pittsburgh fans who know the game well, it may be, but for most, this is a time of uncertainty.
Should the fans be upset?
Yes, of course, they lost a face of the franchise in McCutchen.
Is it understandable that fans are worried about another 20 years of misery?
Yes, these offseason moves seem to be right out of the old Pirates playbook, and that’s a scary thought for Buccos’ fans who just got used to watching winning baseball.
But is this truly the case?
I personally believe the answer is “No.”
Now, I am in the belief that the return for Cole will actually be better than what most fans and analysts have deemed it to be.
Colin Moran is a strong third base prospect who never really had the chance to shine in Houston being blocked by Yuli Gurriel in 2016 and then Alex Bregman in 2017. In limited action in 2016, he struggled for the Astros going 3-for-23 (.130). He did much better in a short stint in 2017, going 4-for-11 (.364) with a homer and 3 RBIs.
In Triple-A last year, he batted .308 in 79 games with 18 homers and 63 RBIs.
Given the opportunity to take over everyday third base in Pittsburgh could prove to be a boost for the North Carolina standout and former sixth overall pick in 2013.
Moran may not even be the best player coming back in the trade, though, as I’m extremely interested to see how Joe Musgrove does in Pittsburgh under the tutelage of the great Ray Searage.
Musgrove struggled to duplicate his minors stats, which included a 2.77 ERA and a Clayton Kershaw-esque strikeout-to-walk ratio (327:43). In 2015, he struck out 99 and walked eight. In 2016, it was 87 strikeouts to 10 walks before getting called up.
In 171.1 innings in the majors over the last two seasons, he struggled to maintain that control he had in the minors and walked 44. In comparison, he only had 43 walks in more than double the innings (344.1) in the minors.
If there is one man who can fix this, it’s Searage. He helped Ivan Nova locate pitches and post a ridiculous strikeout-to-walk ratio, 52:3 in 2016 after joining the Pirates. It continued early in 2017 with 27:1 ratio over his first six starts. Nova struggled as the season went on, but I still look at Musgrove as a guy who can do something similar and sustain it.
At the end of the day, though, those two acquisitions, in conjunction with the next wave of young Pirates — Austin Meadows and Mitch Keller, who have yet to play in the majors, and Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco, Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow — could be competitive and part of Pittsburgh's next window.
If they are, whether that window somehow opens this season or starts in the next two or three years, there is one thing that has to change if Pittsburgh wants to win.
They have to go for it.
All of the players I mentioned above were satiable prospects eyed by GMs across the majors, and during the playoff seasons, particularly the 98-win Wild Card debacle season, GM Neil Huntington did not pull the trigger on the big deal to bring in a game-changer.
He kept the prospects while other teams — playoff teams — nabbed stars like David Price, Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto and Yoenis Cespedes at the deadline.
The Pirates got Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ.
They could have played on any of those trades with their prospects, and heck, there’s a chance they could have landed Cespedes and one of the pitchers.
Yes, their minor league system would be a bit depleted at this juncture, but they may have a World Series title. As a Phillies fan, I can tell you, it's worth it looking back.
Now, I'll grant the Pirates this: I was shocked to find in my research that Happ and Blanton combined to go 12-2 for the Pirates down the stretch, but I still can't take my mind off of what a Price or Cespedes could have meant in that 0ne-game playoff.
Or maybe, they could have avoided the one-game playoff altogether.
In either case, their presence could have made the difference, as the "big trade" can send a message to the clubhouse and provide a boost.
Just look at the Astros this year. After the non-waiver deadline this past summer, the team was having its struggles, going 11-17 in August. There were players speaking up about the lack of action at the deadline and morale appeared to be at a low-point in the season.
That changed quickly on Aug. 31 minutes before the waiver deadline when GM Jeff Luhnow pulled the trigger on a deal that brought in ace Justin Verlander.
After the trade, the Astros fired off six straight wins en route to a 21-8 record to close out the regular season in September and October.
Houston rode that Verlander wave to 101 wins, a division title and a World Series Championship.
The parade in Houston was made possible because the front office was willing to go for it, something I hope the Pirates’ front office now regrets not doing.
Perhaps if given the second chance in a few years, they will make up for it with the big deal that gets them over the top.
If not, it won't be 20 years of misery, but rather, 20 years of an up-and-down rollercoaster that makes going on Disney World's "It's a Small World" ride seem like a fun idea.
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