CINCINNATI — First, the good news: Pirates general manager Neal Huntington did not make a stupid trade Wednesday afternoon, one that could've potentially involved giving away Felipe Vazquez for less-than-premium return.
Next, the not-so-good news: Huntington didn’t really do much at the MLB trade deadline to take the Pirates in a discernibly different direction. They’re still sort of caught in between, with a roster that includes veterans Melky Cabrera and Francisco Liriano and minimal return to show for Jordan Lyles or Corey Dickerson.
There was no surprise deal for Starling Marte and nothing done with Keone Kela. Instead, Huntington stood pat, the move of a team that’s four or five wins shy of contending for something and still on the fence about what it is.
But the Pirates should be sure of what they are, at least this season, and they didn't really use the trade deadline to address any of that. Although, to be fair, the return could've been small on Cabrera and Liriano, and Huntington does have the offseason with which to work.
Most important, though, was not losing on a trade for Vazquez, whom the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted — though obviously not bad enough. Had that been the case, perhaps the Pirates would’ve gotten a prospect haul, starting with elite infielder Gavin Lux.
“There were multiple teams interested in a very good player,” Huntington said on a conference call and talking about Vazquez. “I’m not going to get into the level of what they were willing to give up.
“We were looking for what we felt was an appropriate return for one of the best relievers in baseball who has the opportunity to contribute to a club for the next four-plus years.”
While Huntington did his best to talk about the Pirates fighting until the end of this season, reality says it would take a minor miracle for them to even sniff the playoffs. Which means that, if they are going to retool or trade Vazquez because they stink, then they better make it worth it. Letting him go for anything less than knock-your-socks-off return would've been foolish.
Huntington also doesn’t have the greatest rapport with the fan base right now after the Chris Archer trade last offseason and removing Mark Melancon from a contending club two years before that, a move that Huntington has acknowledged sent a bad message to the clubhouse.
“As I’ve said, it is our job to listen to opportunities to improve the organization overall,” Huntington said. “We did that. Obviously, Felipe Vazquez is still a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. We feel very good about that.”
So does Vazquez.
Speaking at his locker stall after a 4-1 loss against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park Wednesday afternoon, Vazquez said he was happy to remain a Pirate.
“Yeah, I’ve been good here,” Vazquez said. “There was a lot of talk out there. I’m happy to stay. We just have to continue winning games.”
Vazquez has converted 21 of his 22 save opportunities this season and 49 of 52 dating back to May 30 of last season. Among MLB closers with at least 35 saves in that time, nobody has posted a better conversion rate than Vazquez (94.2%). Although he insisted he wasn’t focused on whether or not he would be dealt, Vazquez said he kept hearing from family members, curious if he had heard anything.
“It was more talking to my family,” Vazquez said. “They were asking me, ‘Where are you at?’ I said, ‘I’m still here.’ They were checking more on their phones. If I got traded, I was going to get a call. Why am I going to check my phone? I was going to know before everybody.”
All the attention was sort of awkward for Vazquez, who didn’t get the fuss.
“I don’t feel like I’m that special guy, but they probably see something in me that I can’t see because I’m just going out there every day,” Vazquez said. “It’s good to see all the teams calling Neal and asking.”
The only curious thing from what Huntington did (or didn't do) Wednesday was failing to consummate deals for Cabrera or Liriano, two players who probably don't have a future here beyond this year.
Even Huntington, while discussing the reasons behind trading Dickerson, cited potential playing time for guys such as Pablo Reyes and Jason Martin.
Though it's nothing against Liriano, who has taken well to the bullpen, there have to be a few pitchers the Pirates will want to look at in September.
Where do Cabrera and Liriano fit?
Regardless of anything we might think, Huntington stood pat, believing both players give the Pirates more by staying than they would when it comes to potential return.
"They bring quality veteran presence," Huntington said. "There are intangibles that they can help our young players continue to grow and mature. We like having them in and around the club.”
Again, give Huntington credit for laying off a bad Vazquez trade. But the point remains: They’ll have to do something at some point to improve upon a frustrating season. It’s only logical.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: July 31, 2019, 8:31 p.m.
