Proposing a Trade: Polanco Heads Cross Country for Pitching Help
If there is one thing the Pittsburgh Pirates definitely need to address, it is pitching depth. The team has seen success stories as of late, with Cody Ponce and JT Brubaker impressing in their first couple outings, but the organization just doesn't have a lot of depth at the position. That is one thing General Manager Ben Cherrington will be trying to change as he has his sites set on trading some of the Pirates big pieces prior to Monday's Trade Deadline. In today's trade proposal, the Pirates address that issue head-on as they send one of their outfielder across the country.
The outfield is a position where the Pirates have plenty of depth down in the Minor Leagues. Jared Oliva and Travis Swaggerty seem to be the next generation of Pirates outfielders, but both are blocked at the Major League level. If the Pirates can move some of their pieces, it will open the door for Oliva and Swaggerty to advance through the system and get to the Big League club faster. As of right now, Cole Tucker and Bryan Reynolds have left and center field covered while Gregory Polanco mans right field. Polanco has seen his fair share of struggles this season and a change of scenery might be what the doctor ordered. With that in mind, here is today's Buccos Cove Trade Proposal.
Pirates trade OF Gregory Polanco and IF Erik Gonzalez to the Seattle Mariners for RHP Ljay Newsome and C Cal Raleigh.
When Gregory Polanco came up through the Pirates Minor League system, he came with a lot of hype. He had a few good seasons from 2016 to 2018 but hasn't found his mojo since suffering a shoulder injury at the end of the 2018 season. Polanco has shown some glimpses of success this season but hasn't put it all together over a stretch of games. He had a big series against the Brewers last week, going 5-10 with two home runs and five RBI and is looking to get his power swing back. A move to a new team might be enough to get that out of him. The Seattle Mariners are in desperate need of a veteran outfielder to lead their young guys, and Polanco could provide that leadership in an everyday starting role.
The other half of the trade sees Erik Gonzalez head to Seattle where he could have a chance at being an everyday starter at shortstop. The Mariners have Shed Long Jr. and JP Crawford manning the infield now, and Gonzalez could bring some leadership to that group. Don't get me wrong, Gonzalez is having a phenomenal season and has helped the Pirates immensely, but he is not a part of the Pirate's long-term plans. His value is higher than it ever has been, and the Pirates can now flip him for talent to help the team in the future. Gonzalez also has experience playing in the American League, and he can build on his .253 average.
For the Pirates, the trade allows them to add both a young pitcher and a young catcher to the system that is almost MLB ready. Ljay Newsome has already made his MLB debut and Cal Raleigh is playing in the Mariners satellite camp. Both could make an impact on the Major League club as early as next season, and the Pirates have plenty of years of control left in each player. With Polanco gone, the move also allows the Pirates to promote Jared Oliva to the Big League level to play every day in right field. Let's dive into the two players on the Pirates side of this proposed trade and see what they could bring to the table.
Pirates Get: RHP Ljay Newsome
Ljay Newsome is the Mariners #29 ranked prospect and recently made his MLB debut in the Mariners starting rotation. In his first two games, he has pitched well posting a 2.57 ERA over his first seven innings of work. The big thing that sticks out when you look at Newsome's numbers is his pinpoint control. He has yet to walk a batter in his first seven major league innings and has a career strikeout to walk ratio of 7.63 and a walks per nine of 0.99. Newsome has been known for his control throughout his career and, because he doesn't have overpowering stuff, it is one of his biggest weapons on the mound.
Newsome gets his fastball in there anywhere between 90 and 94 miles per hour but uses his pinpoint control to keep hitters off balance. He complements the fastball with a plus slider that scouts say is his best secondary pitch. It breaks down and in to left-handed batters and down and away from right-handed batters. He also adds a curveball and a change-up to his arsenal, but he is still working on developing his change-up, and the more he uses it the more effective it will become. Newsome's pinpoint control could help the Pirates staff with one of their biggest problems, control. Of he can continue to limit the walks, he could be a consistent Big League pitcher.
Pirates Get: C Cal Raleigh
The Pirates are desperately looking for a catcher of the future and Cal Raleigh could be a good fit. Raleigh is a good defender behind the plate, but where his real value shows up is in his bat. Last season in Triple-A, Raleigh ended up hitting .251 with 29 home runs and 82 RBI in 121 games played. With power usually comes a lot of strikeouts and that is the case for Raleigh. However, he also can work the zone nicely generating 47 walks last season and an on-base percentage of .323. He has shown his power from both sides of the plate and is going to hit his fair share of home runs that might come with a lower batting average.
On the defensive side of the ball, Raleigh shows decent arm strength and has thrown out 30 percent of would-be base runners. He has a career .984 fielding percentage behind the plate and recorded 1014 putouts in 923.2 innings caught. Raleigh might not be the defensive wizard that Stallings is, but his bat would add some much-needed power to the Pirates lineup. For this season, I could see Stallings and Raleigh splitting the duties, with Raleigh getting the chance to completely take over the position for the 2021 season. The move would give the Pirates a young catcher that they could control for several seasons.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (9-20) are back in action tonight when they take on the Milwaukee Brewers (14-17) for game two of their three-game series. JT Brubaker (0-0, 4.80) takes the hill for the Bucs going against Brewers ace Brett Anderson (2-2, 3.52). You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen to the action on 93.7 The Fan with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 pm.
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