Trade Talk: Two Sellers Swap Young Players

The 2021 MLB Trade Deadline is nearing, and today we look at a rare move between two sellers. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks both have a young player who may benefit from a change of scenery.

When you think of the MLB Trade Deadline, you normally think of big-name players heading to competitors in exchange for a package of prospects. These big names are meant to make an impact on their team now, while the prospects make their presence known in a few years, as teams try to become competitive once again. Most of the time the big trades are made between buyers and sellers, and unfortunately, over the last couple of seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been sellers. The last buyer-type trade that the team made was when they traded for Chris Archer, and we all know how that trade worked out. In 2021, the Pirates are sellers again with names like Adam Frazier and Tyler Anderson circling the rumor mill.

However, there is another type of trade that occurs that isn't nearly as publicized as those blockbuster deals. Sometimes teams swap young players hoping that a change of scenery can help both them and their team out. None of these trades look sexy on paper, but in cases like Willy Adames going to the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this year, they end up working out from time to time. After the Pirates drafted Austin Davis last night, they got a boost at catcher, but still, no one who will be here for two to three years. However, one spot they are stacked at is middle infield with guys at Triple-A awaiting their shot. Today's trade talk looks at a move that sends a young middle infielder with control to Arizona in exchange for a young catcher with control to Pittsburgh in hopes of helping both teams and both players.

The Trade: Pittsburgh Pirates trade SS Kevin Newman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for C Daulton Varsho

Pirates Get: C Daulton Varsho

With trade rumors swirling about Jacob Stallings, and Michael Perez's inability to hit consistently, the Pirates might be left with a gap at catcher. They still have to sign first overall pick Henry Davis, and when they do he is still two to three years away. If Stallings gets traded, you have Michael Perez, Taylor Davis, Joe Hudson, Andrew Susac, and Jason Delay at Triple-A. None of those names have down anything consistently to say they will be decent Major Leaguers. Because of this, the Pirates need to go out and get someone who can essentially bridge the gap to Henry Davis. The Arizona Diamondbacks currently have four catchers on their roster and Daulton Varsho is the youngest, and least experienced at the MLB level.

The son of former Pirate Gary Varsho, Daulton Varsho has played parts of the last two seasons in Arizona and has hit .168 with four home runs and 16 RBI. However, in the Minor Leagues, he has had much more success, hitting for both average and power. Over four Minor League seasons, Varsho is a career .303 hitter with 46 home runs and 167 RBI. His best effort came in 2019 in Double-A when he hit .301 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI in 108 games played. He has hit double-digit home runs twice in those four seasons and strikes out at just a 16.4% clip. Another part of Varsho's game is his speed, as he has spent some time in the D-Backs outfield during his career.

At just 25 years old, and only in his second MLB season, Varsho still has plenty of years of control left, which is key for the Pirates. Under his contract, Varsho wouldn't become a free agent until the 2027 season, allowing him to not only be here until Henry Davis gets here, but would allow him to catch with Davis once he gets here. With his speed and ability to play the outfield, Varsho is also a guy that when the time comes to make Davis the starter he could move to the outfield and sure up one of the three spots out there. He is a guy who could make an impact at the Big League level right now and his left-handed swing could benefit from a move to PNC Park.

Diamondbacks Get: SS Kevin Newman

After bursting onto the scene with the Pirates in 2019, where he hit .308 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI and outright won the starting shortstop position. However, since then he hasn't been able to keep his batting average much over the Mendoza line, hitting .224 and .210 over the last two seasons. Things looked like they were turning around this Spring Training when he hit a ridiculous .606 in 13 games with no strikeouts. However, that has not translated to the regular season, as he has routinely found himself at the bottom of the Pirates lineup. He doesn't particularly hit the ball hard, and that has hurt him at the Major League level as he hasn't been able to find the holes.

With Asdrubal, Cabrera hurt, and 31-year-old Nick Ahmed their only current option, the D-Backs are looking for some younger middle infielder. Newman would be under team control through the 2025 season, giving the D-Backs a guy they can control for the next four seasons. One thing you know with Newman is that you are going to get a solid defensive effort every time out. He comes into the All-Star break as the only shortstop in the Major Leagues to not commit an error in 628.2 innings of work. He has already broken the Pirates record for most consecutive games played at shortstop to not commit an error to start the season, and he is still going.

On the offensive side of the ball a change of scenery, and a change of coaching, may be just what Newman needs. Experts have said that the Pirates turned Newman into a soft-serve type player as he has failed to hit the ball hard. Because of this, Newman has made a living hitting bloops to the outfield and finding holes in the infield. Chase Field in Arizona has long been considered a hitters park, and a move there might bring the most out of Newman's bat. This isn't a move that would get a bunch of media attention for either team, but it works out as a move to help out the Pirates catchers and opens a spot for Cole Tucker or Rodoldo Castro, and brings in a young infield option for the Diamondbacks.

Round 2 of the MLB Drat begins today at noon as rounds 2-10 play out and Ben Cherington and his team continue to add talent to the organization. The second half of the season kicks off on Friday when the Pittsburgh Pirates (34-56) host a three-game series against the New York Mets (47-40) at 7:05 pm.