Trade Target: Michael Morse

Michael Morse is that guy who's always available in a trade. It doesn't matter where he plays. Chicago, Seattle, Washington, and Seattle again. Dude just can't find a home. And it looks like the professional hitter could be on the move yet again once he's off of the DL. Could it be to the Pirates?

Morse was traded earlier this year to the Mariners from Washington mostly because Washington didn't need him any longer and had nowhere to put him. He was rumored to the Pirates then and will surely be a target again, mainly because of that bat. This year Morse has clubbed 11 HRs for 23 RBIs with a slash of .252/.313/.454 OPS .767. He's been on the DL since mid June so those are solid stats, especially in a pitcher's park. You'd like to see more RBIs but those are hard to get when no one is on base for you. That seems to be the opposite in Pittsburgh with men on base and no one bringing them in. So could that change really make Morse a big weapon? Maybe. For Morse's career he averages 24 HRs and 80 RBIs a season with a slash of .290/.343/.487 OPS .830. He just hits and hits and hits. My big question is always hitting with RISP and Morse has not been good at that this year when the Mariners have gotten guys on base. He's hitting .170/.263/.358 with a .621 OPS. Yikes. But that's not characteristic for him. In his career he is very good with RISP hitting a .290/.365/.489 for a big OPS of .854. So I have a feeling if he got more chances with runners on, those numbers would skyrocket.

I only have a few issues with Morse. The big one that you didn't see me mention above that I usually do is defense. Morse is not good at it. He's a lot like Garrett Jones. Ok at first base and you only wanna see him in right if it's necessary. For Morse's bat, I think necessary is the word. Also, he always seems to be hurt. I don't want to trade for another Derrek Lee who rakes for us but only does it for 26 games so I'd have to be confident in his health before any trade. Lastly, those numbers with RISP are a little scary. I know they should go back to his career average but how long could that take?

I think Morse could be a great pickup. His price is low because he's hurt but when healthy, the Pirates could be perfect for him. I would place him right under his teammate Raul Ibañez as a top target. So NH should be calling Seattle a lot in the coming weeks. I like what Morse brings with a big bat and what he could do for the middle of the order and I like his leadership as a veteran who has playoff experience and can replace what we lose with Inge. I would ideally like to see him at first base instead of right field but it'd be hard to do. I thought of the possibility of trading for Morse AND Ibañez and then subsequently trading Garrett Jones. Then you could play Morse at 1B and Raul in RF against righties then Gaby at 1B and Morse in RF against lefties. That would really help the bench and make this team better. But I can't see that as realistic or happening because management loves Jones. But you never know. Well back to the purpose of the article, Morse would be a great fit in Pittsburgh and NH will need to start his late night calls to Seattle

Tomorrow's trade target will be OF Norichika Aoki

Trade Target: Marlon Byrd

Marlon Byrd is quite the story. After several serviceable years in the big leagues, he completely flopped last year. He was suspended for PEDs and then just really went down the shitter. Now he's back with the Mets after winning a roster spot in Spring Training and seems to be back to his normal self. And since the Mets are still their normal selves and sucking, he's on the trade block and a possibility for the Pirates.

After that miserable season in Chicago/Boston last year, Byrd has really turned it around. I won't burn your eyes with his awful stats from last year but instead show you that he's hitting .261/.307/.486 for an OPS of .783 with 13 HRs and 43 RBIs. For his career he's batting .277/.334/.417 for an OPS of .751. So he's right about at those career averages. Byrd plays good defense so that's not a problem either. Now the big question for me, like always, is how he does with RISP. Well, Byrd will give you a slash of .262/.280/.462 for an OPS of .742. That's basically the same as he hits normally. But for his career....... he doesn't hit any different with a slash of ..269/.333/.409 and an OPS of .741. He'll give and go a bit in OBP and SLG but the OPS will remain the same. He hits what an average player would. But for the Pirates, that's an upgrade.

Concerns I have with Byrd include his awful year last year. He was juicing and still sucked tremendously. It would not shock me if he regressed back to that state though it's probably unlikely. I also have come to the conclusion that the Pirates will need a left handed bat now to platoon with Jose Tabata because he is really outplaying Travis Snider. Tabata could be an excellent fourth outfielder and sure up the bench when he doesn't play as would his new platoon mate. Byrd being a righty may not be a fit.

Overall, I've come to the conclusion that Byrd is an average player. His average is average, his power is average (HRs in the 20s), his OBP is average, his SLG is average, and his OPS is average. He's a guy who will contribute on a team but not really stand out. Sometimes that is a good thing when you're that bad at a position like the Pirates are, but they really need a guy who can stand out by driving in runs. It doesn't seem that Byrd is that guy but he wouldn't be a bad pickup in my opinion. Slot him third behind Ibañez and Schierholtz but ahead of Alex Rios on my target list. He'll help but not be a huge force with the bat but if the price is really cheap as it should be and everyone else's price is high, I bet NH would be a buyer.

Tomorrow's trade target will be OF Michael Morse

Trade Target: Alfonso Soriano

Alfonso Soriano. One of baseball's big mistakes. The Cubs gave him that big deal and he hasn't lived up to it. Now I think we're heading into the fourth consecutive year of the Cubs trying to dump Soriano on someone else. And hey, the Angels were able to do it with Vernon Wells so is this finally the year it gets done with Alfonso? And could it be to the Pirates?

Well, we all know the book on Soriano. Big power, ok average, awful defense, big strikeouts. His power is undeniable and is evidenced by the two homers he crushed today off of Charlie Morton. On the year, Soriano now has a slash of .256/.280/.425 for an OPS of .705 with a now 12 HRs and 43 RBIs after today. The power is there but the whole package isn't. His career average slash is .272/.321/.502 for an OPS of .823. He's still a hitter. Now the big thing I like to look at is production with runners in scoring position, which is the Pirates biggest weakness. Soriano stacks up with a slash of .253/.289/.470 for an OPS of .759 this year and a slash of .259/.329/.476 and OPS of .805 for his career. So he could pick up the OBP a bit but he's not getting that much better in that department. It's not bad but it's not good either. It could be good for a woeful Pirates team with RISP though. The one thing Soriano has going for him though is he is a second half player. He's a lot like Derrek Lee was when we brought him in. Slow start but huge finish. Last year after the All-Star break he dropped his average about .010 but boosted his OPS from .792 to .853 thanks to a huge boost in his slugging percentage. And after the All-Star breaks the past two years, he has combined to hit 27 HRs in that span. So if the Bucs could tap into that second half surge and get runners on base during that time, they could be in business.

When you're dealing with this type of player there are bound to be some issues and I see a few. First is that you're basically buying him for the power and hoping he keeps his second half surges going because he's not going to get on base a lot and he'll strike out a ton. The Pirates did this with Derrek Lee and struck gold so I guess lightning could strike twice. Second thing I don't like is that monster contract. Sure, the Cubs will basically pay all of it but it's only the seventh year if his eight year deal. If he flops, I don't want him hanging around here for another year. Lastly, I have doubts about what he brings to a locker room. I honestly feel that the guy could be a cancer. He has had multiple opportunities to go to a contender (Giants and Pirates both had deals for him last year) and he declined with his veto power (though he said he waived it for San Fran before the Pence trade). His reasoning? He likes Chicago. He doesn't seem to care about winning. Only getting a paycheck and being selfish. I could be totally off base but if I'm right, do you want that around for a year and a half?

The Pirates will have to answer a lot of questions if they're going to go after Soriano. I wouldn't mind if they brought him in because of his cheap price and power bat and I would trust NH, who has done an unbelievable job this season, that all of those question marks are ok. I've wanted the Pirates to consider Soriano for the past two seasons but the market is stronger this year with guys like Schierholtz and Ibañez looking like better fits. But if the Pirates can't get them, Soriano would be a nice consolation prize.

Tomorrow's trade target will be OF Marlon Byrd

Trade Target: Raul Ibañez

Wow. Isn't it amazing that Raul Ibañez is still playing baseball? He's 41 and still putting up production worthy of being a trade target to an NL team because he is still fielding too. That is impressive. What's more impressive is what he's doing with those stats. By now we all know that right field is a weakness for the Pirates so I'll just jump to those stats.

Like I said, Ibañez has found the fountain of youth. He's been dominating the game at 41 years of age. He was the Yankees playoff hero last year and is now just tearing it up for Seattle. The veteran has himself a slash of .257/.306/.564 for an unbelievable OPS of .870. He also adds 21, yes 21 HRs and 49 RBIs to that impressive list. This is the point if usually compare this year's stats to his career averages but nothing he's doing this season is average. In fact, most of his best years came when he was in his late 30s. He's like a fine wine that only gets better with age. You know what else gets even better? His stats with RISP, the Pirates big problem. You should take a seat before you read this. The 41 year old Ibañez is batting a ridiculous  .339/.393/.661 for an OPS of 1.054 (1. freaking 054!) with RISP. I'll use his career stats now to show that even if he doesn't keep that rate up, he usually hits well with RISP with an average slash of .296/.375/.496 for an OPS of .871. This is just unbelievable. These should be the stats I see for Alex Rios the way he's hyped. But this is Ibañez. You know another good thing about him? Because he's been around, he's a veteran clubhouse guy. I've heard so much about not wanting to disrupt the chemistry of the clubhouse and this guy won't do that god forbid he knocks Brandon Inge off of the roster. He even improves the bench as a successful pinch hitter and knocks a starter back there when he plays. So is there anything wrong with Ibañez whatsoever?

I would say he being a lefty hurts him but he's hitting lefties well this year and I think at this point the Pirates need a platoon partner for Jose Tabata, not Travis Snider. So the only issue for me is his age. Can a 41 year old continue these numbers? I have to think yes considering he's doing all of this at Safeco Park. That's a pitcher's ballpark. So coming to PNC would only help him hitting towards the Clemente Wall! The other things old guys come with is durability and injuries. He hasn't worn down yet so I have to like him still.

I can't say enough good things about Ibañez. His combination of hitting, power, hitting with RISP, defense, clubhouse leadership, and playoff leadership have to make him the absolutely perfect for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Can you think of anyone better? Plus, his salary isn't crazy high and the cost to get a 41 year old won't be that high on the market. So if the Mariners will concede that they're not contenders this year and they give Raul a chance at one more winner, you have to think the Pirates will get involved. I hope that while everyone else is chasing Alex Rios and trying to get Giancarlo Stanton from Miami, the Pirates will just swoop in and grab Raul and Neal Huntington can come out looking fresher than a daisy.

Tomorrow's trade target will be OF Alfonso Soriano

Trade Target: Alex Rios

As you can imagine, a lot of people featured on this list will be outfielders because the only real upgrade area is right field. And that is the case today with Alex Rios being the focus. It's been brought up several times that the Pirates are last in the NL in OPS from right field so it is in need of an upgrade. Jose Tabata has looked good coming off rehab and basically replacing Travis Snider but can really improve the bench if someone else is playing everyday. That someone could be Rios.

Rios is off to another great season for the ChiSox and is pumping out production. His slash is .268/.325/.429 for an OPS of .754 and he has 11 HRs, and 37 RBIs. He's on pace to hit his career numbers of .278/.324/.444, an OPS of .768, and HR/RBI totals of 18 and 79. So, by the looks of things the guy can flat out hit, which is what the Pirates need. He is a stellar fielder as well so there are no worries on that end. And since I'm done with all the good things, there must be a lot of bad things to talk about. And you are right.

I didn't imagine Rios having so many red flags the way he is coveted on the trade market but he really does. First thing is his stats are really average. He hits but it doesn't blow me away by any means. Nate Schierholtz has a much better OPS at .867 and isn't considered the prize of the market in the outfield. Second issue I have is his contract. He makes over $12 million this year and over $13 million next season. That is not a price the Pirates will pay without help from the other club. And if the White Sox are gonna send money, better prospects will go their way when his price is already high. Last and most important problem is his stats with runners in scoring position. They are AWFUL. When RISP, he hits a woeful .167/.291/.212 for a whopping OPS of .503. The Pirates need someone who can drive in runs and Rios doesn't look like he'd help the cause. Granted that he hits .276/.327/.416 for an OPS of .743 in his career, which still isn't dazzling, but he hasn't shown any reason to believe that his woes will change anytime soon. These are some pretty big issues I did not expect to see from the "best outfielder on the market".

Overall, I am not a fan of bringing in Rios at all after reviewing this. His numbers aren't as superstar like as they should be, he has that huge contract and prospect price, and he can't hit with RISP, which is the Pirates biggest issue. I don't see any reason to bring him in at all at this point. You could say a move to the NL could help him but not that dramatically. He'd have to have a huge month of July to win me over but at this point I would be much more comfortable going for a cheaper and most likely better option in right field and let other teams bid for Rios. It's a smart plan and something the Pirates should stick to. So like yesterday, add Alex Rios to my "don't buy list" to go along with Bud Norris.

Tomorrow's trade deadline target will be OF Raul Ibanez.

Note: Jesse Crain who I profiled earlier this week has elbow discomfort and should land on the DL and miss the deadline due to injury so scratch him off of the wish list.

Trade Target: Matt Garza

This may be one of my favorite profiles to write because at this point Matt Garza should be the Pirates #1 target. After the injury to Wandy Rodriguez the Pirates are left with only two battle tested, pennant race experienced pitchers in AJ Burnett and Francisco Liriano. I'm in the camp that is reluctant that Wandy will pitch again this year, even though he very well could beginning in mid August, and I don't want to count on Jeff Locke or Charlie Morton even though they have been stellar so far. I leave out Gerrit Cole because his innings limit will in all likelyhood remove him from September and/or October baseball. So when you look at it this way, starting pitcher just became a need and Garza is a perfect fit.

Garza is not part of the Cubs future and can be had. He has playoff and pennant race experience with the Rays and can be a game changer in a rotation. He started off late this year because of an injury but Garza is still looking stellar with 3-1 with a 3.83 ERA, a K/9 of 8.6, and BB/9 of 2.7. Even better is the fact that these align right with his career numbers. He has a career ERA of 3.84, K/9 of 7.6, and BB/9 of 3.1. He's also never had a season with an ERA above 4.00 or lower than 3.00 (minus his rookie year in 2006). He's madly consistent, so he's not going to stray far from that mean. The best part about Garza is his playoff stats. He's 2-1 in four games started with an ERA of 3.48, a K/9 of 8.4, and BB/9 of 4.1. Still in line with his consistent, strong regular season starts. This is a guy that can help an inexperienced Pirate rotation in the clutch situations. So, drawbacks?

I see two issues for possibly acquiring Garza. First is the fact that he's a rental. Neal Huntington does not like rentals that much but has added them. He added two in 2011 via Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick. But in 2012, he added three players (Wandy, Gaby, Travis Snider) all with more control but also tried for Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence, both rentals. So it's a mixed bag with NH and the thing that really is the issue is the price. If the price is right I don't think NH cares about rental or not. Garza's price could be pretty steep after Ricky Nolasco (the big fish on the market) gets dealt and the losers on him come calling for Garza. I think because Garza is a rental, and if NH acts now, he could get Garza at a cheaper price than after Nolasco gets moved. It'll cost probably one top ten prospect and a top twenty guy but I think we can afford that with our strong farm system. It's a tricky spot but I think NH can navigate it.

My conclusion on Garza is to go get him. Now. He's the only pitcher on the market right now (unless Cliff Lee is really available) that has playoff experience. That's what the Pirates need. A pitcher with that competive feeling that has done it before. And if they wait too long the price will go too far up. With Wandy's injury this has to be a need and Garza is the perfect man to fill it. Heck, I profiled Nate Schierholtz earlier this week and maybe the Pirates could swing both of those guys for two top ten prospects and a top twenty guy? That would be best case scenario. So to reiterate my opinion. Garza needs to be a top target of the Bucs and they need to make a strong effort to get him. I'll leave you with this old saying that has always been true, you can never have enough pitching.

Tomorrow's trade target will be OF Alex Rios

Trade Target: Bud Norris

Next up on the possible Pirates Trade Target list is Houston starting pitcher Bud Norris. When I started thinking of names to feature in this series, I didn't think I'd have a lot of starting pitchers but Wandy Rodriguez's injury sure changed that. Wandy is out until at least mid August after taking a PRP injection. He can't even throw until early August. A realistic target date for him to return is early September but I wouldn't be shocked if he didn't pitch again this season. Now, with this information, I'd be shocked if the Pirates didn't add another starter. The Pirates seem to need another battle tested pitcher to pair with AJ Burnett and Francisco Liriano and Norris could be a quality #3.

So to start this off, lets play a game. Try to guess who Player A and Player B are

Player A has a career ERA of 4.31, K/9 of 5.2, and BB/9 of 3.2

Player B has a career ERA of 4.26, K/9 of 8.4, and BB/9 of 3.7

I'm sure you'd take Player B because of the strikeouts but they are basically the same pitcher other than that right? Well, Player A is Jeff Karstens and Player B is Bud Norris. Keep this in mind as you read the rest of the article.

Norris has had the misfortune of playing for the Astros his entire career. He is probably one of the most underrated starters in the game because of where he plays. People are starting to take notice though since the Astros are selling and he is one of the few bright spots on the team. Bud is the only player I have heard the Pirates are actually scouting (via a report by Nick Cafardo) so he deserves to be featured early. The starting pitching market is taking shape now that Scott Feldman has been traded and Ricky Nolasco and Matt Garza should go any day now so Norris could be moved soon. Norris has a record of 5-7, which isn't surprising since he's an Astro. Now as for his relevant stats, he has a 6.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and a solid ERA of 3.35. These solid stats are not normal for Norris. His average ERA in the majors is 4.26 and his BB/9 rate is down from his average of 3.7 per year. But with the better control, he's striking out much less than his average 8.4 K/9 per year. Norris is also under control for next year at a cheap price so you know Neal Huntington will be interested. I have my doubts with Norris however.

My first problem is if he can sustain his stats. I think better control has helped him with his ERA and walk totals but you'd like to see the strikeouts up again. The case reminds me of Wandy last year when we got him from the Astros. Lower ERA and BB/9 rate than usual and lower K/9. That trade worked out so I'll trust that's not a huge issue. Second problem is his shift from an awful team to the best team in baseball. He goes from no pressure to a lot of pressure and that can be hard to handle. But from what I've read, he's uber competitive and he should continue with his numbers. Last issue with Norris is his lack of playoff experience or pennant race experience. If I'm the Pirates, I want a pitcher who has been tested in these situations in order to avoid another collapse. Burnett and Liriano have done it, as well as Wandy, but they need one more and that is something Norris can't provide.

In the grand scheme of things, adding Norris couldn't hurt the team that much since he'd come relatively cheap as opposed to Cliff Lee, Ricky Nolasco, and Matt Garza but he is a risk to flop in the second half. I'm not a fan of bringing in a pitcher who is comparable to Jeff Karstens at this point in their careers for the stretch run as an upgrade. Is he even an upgrade? Would you count on Jeff Karstens to be your #3 starter in the midst of a playoff race or in the playoffs? If you would, you're insane. Would Jeff Karstens even upgrade the rotation? If I'm bringing in a starter, I want one with experience that can carry me in and through the playoffs. Is Norris that guy? Would Karstens be that guy? Only the Pirates can decide that. Time will tell what they think.

Tomorrow's Trade Target will be SP Matt Garza.

Another note, Josh Willingham has been removed from the list of targets due to his latest injury, which will keep him shelved through the deadline.