Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread
We got the big fish we wanted.....
The Pirates have finalized a deal that brings LHP Sean Manaea to Pittsburgh. We had been in talks with the A’s for Manaea for a few weeks now, initially the only suitors. At some point the A’s made him publicly available and basically every team in the race jumped in. The Phillies and Diamondbacks were also close in the running, but in the end we ponied up the best package. It cost us our #2 prospect, and we overpaid a bit, but it’ll be well worth the price if it gets us into the postseason.
PIRATES RECEIVE
LHP SEAN MANAEA
ATHLETICS RECEIVE
OF TRAVIS SWAGGERTY
RHP LUCAS SIMS
UT PABLO REYES
Manaea comes with a checkered injury history, but has been healthy all year and is on pace for his best full season in the majors. He made 22 starts in Oakland, with a 7-9 record, 3.80 ERA, 132 K’s in 135 IP. His WAR of 2.6 is already a career high and his FIP of 3.45 is a career low for a full season. The biggest bonus is that he’s only 28, and is team controllable through 2022. Assuming Jameson Taillon returns to full strength, we have a solid front of the rotation for the next 2 years.
Letting go of Swaggerty was a tough call. The organization drafted him 10th overall in 2018 out of South Alabama and signed him for $4.4 million. At the time of the trade he ranked as our #2 prospect. He’s having a major breakout season, showing emerging power to go with plus speed and at least future average contact skills. He’s a true centerfielder who draws comparisons that fall between Brett Gardner and Grady Sizemore. With Ramon Laureano patrolling centerfield in Oakland for the foreseeable future, Swaggerty most likely fills a corner spot. Potentially as early as mid-season 2021.
Sims, a former first round pick of the Braves, was a waiver claim from Cincinnati at the end of Spring Training. He’s 26 though and controllable through 2024, and was starting to put it together in the majors and pitch in more leverage situations. In 53.1 innings with us this year, he pitched to a respectable 4.03 FIP and tallied 9.45 K/9. He has swing and miss stuff and doesn’t profile as a closer, but should be able to handle a 7th or 8th inning role down the line. Sims would have had a spot on our postseason roster (if we make it), but including him allowed us to keep #4 prospect Braxton Ashcraft.
The 26-year-old Reyes is the last piece. He’s played in 89 games with the Pirates between 2018-2019, slashing .229/.295/.368 in 201 AB’s. He plays multiple positions in the infield and outfield and fits the A’s analytics-driven scouting approach. He spent the year for us at AAA Indianapolis and wasn’t likely part of our long-term plans.
We’re not done with the deadline yet .... we’ll be in the running for one of Ken Giles, Kirby Yates, Sean Doolittle, or Mychal Givens. They’ll all be hot commodities, so no guarantee. We likely don’t have the farm to get much else, but our scouts have been poking around at a few position players that could bolster our bench as we try to go all in for a playoff spot.
We got the big fish we wanted.....
The Pirates have finalized a deal that brings LHP Sean Manaea to Pittsburgh. We had been in talks with the A’s for Manaea for a few weeks now, initially the only suitors. At some point the A’s made him publicly available and basically every team in the race jumped in. The Phillies and Diamondbacks were also close in the running, but in the end we ponied up the best package. It cost us our #2 prospect, and we overpaid a bit, but it’ll be well worth the price if it gets us into the postseason.
PIRATES RECEIVE
LHP SEAN MANAEA
ATHLETICS RECEIVE
OF TRAVIS SWAGGERTY
RHP LUCAS SIMS
UT PABLO REYES
Manaea comes with a checkered injury history, but has been healthy all year and is on pace for his best full season in the majors. He made 22 starts in Oakland, with a 7-9 record, 3.80 ERA, 132 K’s in 135 IP. His WAR of 2.6 is already a career high and his FIP of 3.45 is a career low for a full season. The biggest bonus is that he’s only 28, and is team controllable through 2022. Assuming Jameson Taillon returns to full strength, we have a solid front of the rotation for the next 2 years.
Letting go of Swaggerty was a tough call. The organization drafted him 10th overall in 2018 out of South Alabama and signed him for $4.4 million. At the time of the trade he ranked as our #2 prospect. He’s having a major breakout season, showing emerging power to go with plus speed and at least future average contact skills. He’s a true centerfielder who draws comparisons that fall between Brett Gardner and Grady Sizemore. With Ramon Laureano patrolling centerfield in Oakland for the foreseeable future, Swaggerty most likely fills a corner spot. Potentially as early as mid-season 2021.
Sims, a former first round pick of the Braves, was a waiver claim from Cincinnati at the end of Spring Training. He’s 26 though and controllable through 2024, and was starting to put it together in the majors and pitch in more leverage situations. In 53.1 innings with us this year, he pitched to a respectable 4.03 FIP and tallied 9.45 K/9. He has swing and miss stuff and doesn’t profile as a closer, but should be able to handle a 7th or 8th inning role down the line. Sims would have had a spot on our postseason roster (if we make it), but including him allowed us to keep #4 prospect Braxton Ashcraft.
The 26-year-old Reyes is the last piece. He’s played in 89 games with the Pirates between 2018-2019, slashing .229/.295/.368 in 201 AB’s. He plays multiple positions in the infield and outfield and fits the A’s analytics-driven scouting approach. He spent the year for us at AAA Indianapolis and wasn’t likely part of our long-term plans.
We’re not done with the deadline yet .... we’ll be in the running for one of Ken Giles, Kirby Yates, Sean Doolittle, or Mychal Givens. They’ll all be hot commodities, so no guarantee. We likely don’t have the farm to get much else, but our scouts have been poking around at a few position players that could bolster our bench as we try to go all in for a playoff spot.
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