Proposing a Trade: A Package to the Braves for Two top prospects

The 2020 MLB Trade Deadline is next week as teams are trying to separate themselves as either contenders or pretenders. We are going to play General Manager all this week and look at some deals that might help the Buccos.

It is a week before the trade deadline, and teams are beginning to make their push for the playoffs in this shortened 60-Game season. No matter how well the Pirates do over this seven-day stretch before the deadline, General Manager Ben Cherrington and his team will likely be trying to sell off some of their biggest trade chips to build for the future. All this week, we will be getting into the General Manager's chair and proposing a trade that will help the Pirates get ready for the future. It is possible that none of the moves we look at will never happen, but they all will be focused on the future, whether that be short-term or long-term.

Today, we will propose a trade package involving five players between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are currently the leaders in the National League East Division and could use a boost both in their starting rotation and in the middle infield. Meanwhile, the Pirates are looking to add depth in their catching and pitching department's a place where after the Major League staff, there really is nowhere to go. Let's Breakdown this proposed trade looking at all six players involved and see if this is a deal that could benefit both teams in the long run.

Pirates Trade IF Adam Frazier, OF Jarrod Dyson, and RHP Trevor Williams to Atlanta for C William Contreras, LHP Phillip Pfeifer, and C Logan Brown

This is a move that is almost an even swap in terms of helping the Atlanta Braves now and starting a Pirates rebuild with Minor League talent. Adam Frazier could step right in as the Braves starting second baseman and Trevor Williams would head into their starting rotation. As much as I love seeing Williams in the Bucs rotation, his value is probably higher than it ever has been. Jarrod Dyson could serve as a pinch-runner and back-up outfielder for the Braves and would give the 36-year old a chance to compete for a World Series as he gets to the ladder half of his career.

For the Pirates, it gives them a Major League ready catcher to split time with Jacob Stallings for now, and eventually take the job over. Then, it puts a quality pitcher who can both start and come out of the bullpen as well as a defensive-minded prospect who is on the rise offensively at the position. Right now, all three prospects would undoubtedly slide into the top 30 Pirates prospects list and it isn't a steep asking price by the Bucs because none of the players are in the MLB Top 100 prospects list. It is an overall even trade that helps both clubs accomplish what they need.

Pirates Get: C William Contreras

For the Pirates, the biggest piece of this deal would be William Contreras, the Atlanta Braves #8 Ranked prospect. Contreras was signed as an international free agent in 2015 and has risen through the Braves organization in his first five seasons of professional baseball. He just recently made his Major League debut for the Atlanta Braves and in four games is hitting .400 (4-10) with an RBI. He has one double in those four games but has struggled a little bit with plate discipline striking out four times. Last season, he started the year on the Florida State League, where he hit .324 with three home runs and 22 RBI. However, it appeared at times that he was unfocused behind the plate, and felt that he needed a challenge.

It was when he moved to Double-A that he really started to shine and became better both on offense and defense. In 60 games in Double-A, he hit .306 with three home runs and 17 RBI and cut his strikeouts to 40 in 191 at-bats. On the defensive side of the ball, he has shown a strong arm throwing out 32% of would-be base runners, however, he does have a tendency to get crossed up. He allowed 13 passed balls last season between Advanced-A and Double-A while committing 14 errors in 785 innings of work. In a normal season, Contreras would probably head to Triple-A for the Pirates and continue his development. If this deal did get done, Contreras would probably head to the Taxi Squad with a chance to make the Big League club and compete with Stallings for the starting catcher's spot in 2021.

Pirates Get: LHP Phillip Pfeifer

Another big area that the Pirates need to work on is there pitching depth, both in the bullpen and starting rotation. One-piece that Atlanta has that would be possible to fill both roles is left-handed pitcher Phillip Pfeifer. Pfeifer has pitched in both capacities for the Braves Minor League teams and has succeeded in both areas. He pitched between three levels of the Minor Leagues last season and combined to go 6-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 133.1 innings of work. It was the lowest ERA of his professional career as he worked in the most innings he has ever worked. He shows a strong strikeout ability with a 28.7 strikeout percentage and is good with his control walking only 7.5% of batters. 

Pfeifer's career started as a relief pitcher, but he has recently found more success as a starting pitcher. Since making the move, his strikeout rate has gone up and he has walked a lot fewer hitters. He has a three-pitch mix, with the best being his breaking ball. It has a lot of movement and has guys swinging way out in front. He is a left-hander who can generate a high spin rate to both righties and lefties while still getting outs. His fastball is pretty much a straight-on pitch that comes in in the low 90s and his change-up is still being developed. Prefer would probably also head to Pittsburgh's taxi squad where he can continue to develop, and be a starting pitching depth option.

Pirates Get: C Logan Brown

Logan Brown follows a baseball legacy coming out of Southern Indiana University. His brother, Kevin Brown, followed a similar path and ended up playing seven years in the MLB. Logan Brown is trying to follow in his brother's footsteps and the Pirates could give him that opportunity. He is a strong defensive catcher, something Cherrington has shown a liking to in his early Pirates career and would fit right into the Pirates Minor League system. His defense is the big stand-out on his stat line as he threw out 40 percent of base runners. He also received high remarks from pitchers he worked with showing that he knows how to call a good game.

At the plate, he still has some developing to do but has shown flashes of success. Last season, he split time in Low-A and Advanced-A and had two different seasons essentially. In Low-A Rome, he hit .301 with one home run and 26 RBI while at Advanced-A Florida, he hit .240 with no home runs and 20 RBI. He is a singles machine at the plate but hasn't shown much plate discipline with only 11 walks in 193 at-bats. If this deal were to happen, I don't think Brown would go to the taxi squad, however, I do see him starting 2021 with the Bradenton Marauders. He would get the chance to start every day and prove he can develop into a Big League catcher.

What the Pirates Give Up

In this deal, the Pirates are giving away two fixtures of the team over the last two seasons, and a guy who has provided veteran leadership in the outfield. Adam Frazier has fought his way to the Major Leagues and finally made it as a utility man in 2016. He turned into a fixture at the top of the Pirates lineup and has turned into one of the team's best leadoff hitters. If he is moved, the Pirates could move Kevin Newman back to his home at second base and move Cole Tucker to play shortstop every day. Bryan Reynolds could then move to center to replace Dyson and Jared Oliva could get his first shot at the Big Leagues. It brings some of the fresh new talent to the Big Leagues and allows Frazier and Dyson the chance to compete for a playoff spot.

Let me preface this by saying I am a huge Trevor Williams fan and I would hate to see him go. However, his value is higher than it has ever been as he got his ERA back down to 3.70 and has turned in three straight quality starts in August. Williams has shown that he is capable of being a quality every day starting pitcher, and he could help a Braves rotation in desperate need of an arm. If Joe Musgrove was healthy, I would throw him in instead of Williams, but the move opens up a spot in the Pirates rotation. This is where Mitch Keller could step back in when he is healthy and it still allows JT Brubaker and Chad Kuhl to have their own spots. That would give the Pirates a rotation of Musgrove, Keller, Brubaker, Kuhl, and Brault to finish the season giving the young arms a chance to shine and adding some depth on the taxi squad.

After an off-day on Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates (7-17) are back in action on Tuesday when they take on the Chicago White Sox (17-12) at 8:10 pm. Steven Brault (0-0, 3.00) gets the start for the Pirates looking to extend his scoreless start streak, while he goes against Lucas Giolito (2-2, 3.89) for the White Sox. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or as the MLB.tv free game of the day. You can also listen live on 93.7 The Fan as the Pirates look to extend their first win streak of the season to four games.