The Pirates Remind Me That Things Could Always Be Worse

When I first saw the Nate McLouth trade being reported, I thought it was a joke or something.

"6:10pm: According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Braves acquired Nate McLouth from the Pirates today. Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Braves are sending three prospects to the Pirates for him. MLB.com's Mark Bowman names them: starters Jeff Locke and Charlie Morton and center fielder Gorkys Hernandez."

What?! Seriously? So the Pirates traded a 27-year-old center fielder whose arbitration years they have already bought out for 3-years and 14.5 million dollars?! Why?! Hell, the contract they signed him to even includes a team option at 10.65 million dollars in McLouth's first free agent year.

I thought maybe there was something wrong with McLouth, but I don't see anything. His peripherals are solid (11.1 BB%/17.3 K%) and improving, his OPS (.810/.853/.819) and ISO (.201/.221/.214) have been solid for three years when including this season, and his low batting average this year is simply a product of his .262 BABIP. What gives? Okay, his defense in center is well below average, and he's probably a right fielder in all honesty, but even then he was worth 16.1 million dollars last year according to Fan Graphs.

When you factor in that the Pirates didn't even get the best Braves prospects, the move becomes absolutely puzzling.

Look at the reports on Gorkys Hernandez...

"Strengths: Hernandez has all the tools to be a quintessential leadoff hitter and center fielder. He drives the ball from gap to gap with his line-drive swing and is a weapon on the bases with his above-average speed. He covers tremendous ground in center with his quickness and precise routes, and he also has a strong, accurate arm.

Weaknesses: While he has made improvements by cutting down on his swing, particularly with two strikes, Hernandez still gives away too many at-bats. He doesn't have much home run power but still swings for the fences on occasion. A more refined approach and improved strike-zone judgment will boost his modest walk totals and on-base percentage."

"He will move up to Double-A in '09, and his performance there will help determine if he has a future as a regular, or rather as a speed-and-defense bench guy. Given his youth, I am inclined to cut him more slack. B-"

...and Jeff Locke...

"Strengths: Locke's two best pitches are a 91-94 mph fastball with good movement and a hard curveball that borders on being a plus offering. He also throws a changeup that continues to show improvement with its depth. He does an excellent job of keeping the ball down in the zone, which helped limit opponents to six homers in 2008. His herky-jerky delivery creates deception and makes it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball. His mound presence and competitiveness are impressive for a young hurler.

Weaknesses: Locke tends to fall out of sync in his delivery and needs to repeat his mechanics with more consistency to achieve better command. He throws strikes but can locate his pitchers better in the zone. He needs to fine-tune some of the nuances of his craft, such as fielding his position, holding runners and covering and backing up bases."

"Sabermetrically, I still have some concerns about the H/IP, and sometimes Braves prospects get overhyped in the press due to the reputation of the organization. Locke is quite promising, however, and I will stick the the same B- I gave him last year."

...and Charlie Morton, who I couldn't find a Baseball America or John Sickles report on him because he posted a 6.15 ERA in 15 major league starts last year. Joy.

So the Pirates probably got a fringe-average center fielder, a middle of the rotation starter, and a back of the rotation starter for Nate McLouth...and that's only if everything goes well for them.

I may not like Ned Colletti, but I certainly don't think he's the worst GM out there. People like Bill Bavasi and (apparently) Neal Huntington have seen to that.