An Oliver Twist

There is a reason the Pittsburgh Pirates have been a bad team for a long time. Many people have a hunch about the reason. I think that reason is abundantly clear after hearing about the deadline deal involving the team. The Pirates sent Roberto Henrnadez, along with one other player, to the New York Mets for outfielder Xavier Nady. On the surface, this deal looks fairly even if you assume the "other player" is basically a throw-in, a player to match salaries or a low level prospect. The "other player", however, is Oliver Perez. His inclusion in the deal makes this a ridiculous trade for the Pirates.

Yes, Perez has been awful this season. Beyond awful. Two years ago, though, he had a 2.98 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts in 196 innings...at the age of 23. Now 25, his numbers have taken a sharp decline, but the potential is still there. He is also a very hard throwing left-handed pitcher, which is still a commodity around baseball. Nady is three years older, has never had success even remotely close to Perez's, and at this point in his career does not appear to have much upside. A Nady for Perez trade would not have made sense, yet the Mets also got a pitcher in Hernandez who, while he is not having a great season, should have cost them a young player or two. Instead, they were able to pay the small price of an adequate player. The Pirates...this trade is just a setback in the development of a young team.