Catcher Snyder Acquired

As speculated here earlier, the Pirates acquired catcher Chris Snyder from the Diamondbacks. He'll immediately become the starting catcher for the MLB team.

Snyder is hitting .231/.352/.426 this year; .233/.335/.402 career. He's an average defensive catcher at the MLB level which is a lot more than can be said for Ryan Doumit. Doumit is also hitting worse than Snyder at .258/.329/.412 and is perennially on the disabled list including right now. Snyder is signed through next year with a pricey option for 2012 that probably won't be picked up.Going to Pittsburgh are D.J. Carrasco, Bobby Crosby and Ryan Church. As you well know, Carrasco is the only useful piece out of that bunch. He's gone 2-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 45 games. Crosby hit only .224/.301/.295 and was a minor disaster at all four infield positions. Church hit .182/.240/.312 this year and frankly it's shocking that any major league team would want him.

This is a great move which upgrades the Pirates in 2010 and for the upcoming championship season of 2011. Snyder will never hit for a great average but has walked in 16% of his plate appearances over the last two years, meaning he gets on base at an above average rate for any player let alone a catcher. He also has 20 home run power although he's never been a starter for a full season. Starting Snyder over Doumit clearly is a major upgrade to the defense as well. Doumit's lack of prowess at catching balls in the dirt made the late innitngs a real adventure. With a competent backstop, pitchers are able to confidently rely on their full arsenal including low breaking balls with men on base.

The Pirates apparently will convert Doumit into an outfielder/first baseman. Hasn't this been tried before? Expect problems at any position Doumit plays.

The Diamondbacks threw in Pedro Ciriaco, an AAA infielder who plays good defense and can't hit. He's 24 and hitting .259/.278/.392 in the Pacific Coast League. I'm not sure what role he plays in the organization other than minor league filler.

Trade Possibilities: D.J. Carrasco

PITTSBURGH, Pa. / July 2, 2010

In this post, let's look at the final player the Pirates might reasonably trade: righthanded reliever D.J. Carrasco.

For a guy the Pirates signed on the mistaken belief that he could play classic house music in the Hall of Fame Club, D.J. Carrasco has done pretty well with a 3.98 ERA in 40 innings over 35 games.

Carrasco has pitched to an ERA below 4.00 for three years in a row now. He also threw 93 innings last year so he should have a lot left in the tank for anyone who acquires him. He's also earning $950,000 this year so any team in baseball could afford his salary.

Why Trade D.J. Carrasco?
Carrasco is 33 years old and in Pittsburgh on a one year deal, so whatever he can do down the stretch will be more valuable to a contending team. He's shown enough to have value, but it's difficult to imagine him being a part of Pittsburgh's next playoff team.

The case against any of these trades, in part, is that the Pirates must maintain some level of legitimacy as a major league club if they expect to retain a fan base. It's also difficult to develop young players in a situation where there's no hope of winning. The Mariners are out of contention but recently traded for Russell Branyan, a 34-year-old slugger, in an attempt to create a winning atmosphere. I'm not sure that approach is entirely wrong.

What Would The Pirates Get?
A mid-level prospect or two mediocre prospects. Carrasco might bring a slightly worse return than Javier Lopez, since Lopez is seen as a late inning option due to his lefty arm. Yet Carrasco is not a worse pitcher than Lopez and he has the ability to throw more innings.

Who Would Want Carrasco?
ALmost every team wouldn't mind adding a reliever. Even for those whose bullpens look set, someone is bound to become injured or ineffective. Here are the best candidates:

1. Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen named Carrasco as his 2009 MVP, was disappointed that he wasn't re-signed and would definitely love to have Carrasco back. Carrasco would clearly improve his old team, which is currently deploying three relievers with ERAs above 5.00 on a regular basis.

2. Apart from Arthur Rhodes, the Cincinnati Reds' bullpen is their biggest weakness. A small market team can't afford to miss a chance at a playoff run, so they're certain to make some moves. Carrasco would solidify the front end of the Reds' bullpen and could set up over Nick Masset as well.

3. The Detroit Tigers really need to do something to replace Joel Zumaya. Carrasco isn't that guy but he could cover innings that open up with everyone else moving back an inning.

The Verdict
Trade him. Carrasco has done well, but he's going to be a free agent and isn't likely to move up the Elias rankings high enough to merit draft pick compensation. Like it or not, 2010 is a lost season. Trade him, but only for a player who can help in the drive for 82-80 in 2011.