What's next for Bucs? 'Keep the phones on'

PITTSBURGH -- Gone are the days of simple “traction” or “talks” for the Pirates. The deals have begun.

On Monday, the Pirates officially dealt All-Star second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier to the Padres and right-handed reliever Clay Holmes to the Yankees. Then, left-handed starter Tyler Anderson was scratched from his scheduled start at PNC Park on Tuesday -- a game the Pirates lost, 9-0, to the Brewers -- as a trade developed then fell through with the Phillies. A source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that Anderson was traded to the Mariners later that night. (The club has not confirmed the deal.)

A third deal in a span of two days -- with nearly three days left until Friday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline -- raises one clear, but loud question.

What’s next?

The short answer is more. Just how many players will be sent elsewhere come Friday afternoon is yet to be determined, but the action has started earlier than it has for most teams.

“Timing is one piece of information, and there sometimes are situations where a team might be particularly motivated now or sooner for different reasons,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “… In some cases, if you're talking to multiple teams, then that might also push other teams. Again, it's hard to guess when that is going to come together and force us to make a decision.”

Though the week of the Trade Deadline is one marked by uncertainty, there are a couple of players who likely won’t be hard decisions for the Pirates.

The team’s biggest asset remaining is closer Richard Rodríguez, who owns a 2.82 ERA and 14 saves in 37 appearances this season. The right-hander, who lives on a high-spin fastball that he’s begun to pair more often with a slider, began the season by extending his scoreless appearance streak to 23 games dating back to Aug. 30, 2020.

However, things haven’t gone as swimmingly in July, as Rodríguez has given up runs in three of his last eight outings. Despite that, he figures to be a seventh- or eighth-inning type for a contending team, and he was rumored early on Tuesday to be attractive to the Phillies, per a report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey. There’s no doubt that others have been calling to check on Rodríguez as well.

Chasen Shreve also fits the bill for a trade target, though he won’t draw the kind of return the Rodríguez might. Shreve is a left-handed reliever, which is always valuable for matchup potential, and he’s also having one of the best seasons of his career.

The Pirates lately have turned more and more to Shreve, who was signed to a Minor League deal in the offseason, and entering Tuesday, he had a 2.00 ERA in 27 innings.

But the ability to deal Clay Holmes -- a bit surprising, especially for the return the Yankees gave the Pirates -- suggests the club could be more creative in finding trade partners in the coming days.

Could a controllable player who isn’t a franchise cornerstone draw interest from other teams? Like Chris Stratton, for example, who will be a free agent in 2024. Could a team take a risk on Gregory Polanco, who produces strong exit velocities and has hit 8-for-26 (.308) with a double, a triple and two homers in July? In that case, the Pirates would likely eat the bulk of the right fielder’s contract.

“We're going to keep the phones on and keep working at it,” Cherington said.

What these recent moves and reported moves also ask: What deals are beyond the immediate horizon? With the guys the Pirates have brought in, they’ve also created an interesting 40-man situation this offseason. All five prospects they have gotten in the Frazier and Holmes deals will be Rule 5 eligible this winter, which will lead to some tough decisions over the coming months.

“It’s something we continue to track with guys that are here already and guys we might be acquiring,” Cherington said. “It’s a piece. It’s not an overwhelming piece, but it’s a piece.”

For now, the Pirates’ front office is hunkered down in the Left Field Lounge at PNC Park, drapes covering the windows as they try to help reshape the future of the organization in the next few days.

“We've got a counter full of snacks and a lot of drinks and coffee -- enough to keep us going,” Cherington said, “so we might as well take advantage of it and keep working. We'll see what comes our way.”