Just minutes before the 4 p.m. trading deadline Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the San Diego Padres for a player to be named.
Ludwick has hit .238 with 11 homers and 64 RBIs in 101 games with the Padres.
Ludwick, 33, will be a free agent at the end of the season.
The Pirates need some pop from their corner positions and now all we can do is wait and see if Derrek Lee, who they acquired Saturday night, and Ludwick will provide that.
They definitely need it because they were swept by Philadelphia in a three-game set over the weekend. A four-game sweep over the Chicago Cubs will be very nice. Pittsburgh also welcomes San Diego for a weekend series.
Both series are must wins if the Bucs want to stay in the NL Central race.
I am torn about these deals.
ReplyDeleteYes Lee and Ludwick are upgrades. But a cardboard cutout would be an upgrade aslo.
This is what happens when you have a GM (and FO) that is incompetent and cheap. You dont have the "chips" to get Pence. You rent Lee and Ludwick, and pray for the best.
I am tired of 18 straight losing seasons and counting of praying for the best. Get real baseball men in here and run the team properly. If you cant do that, SELL, NUTTING SELL !!!
Roger, they are running the team properly, finally. You're just not seeing it.
ReplyDeleteDan:
ReplyDeletethey still are NOT running the team properly, unless you consider bottom-5 payroll, mediocre drafting, and baffling personnel moves running a team the right way.
This has gone on for 2 different owners, 3 different GM's, and a host of managers.
Roger,
ReplyDeleteWe cannot compete with the Phillies. They gave away 4 prospects to do so. The farm system is second to them, because if they don't do a good job with prospects or trade them away, they can simply "buy" their team in free agency.
We do not have that luxury. Any Pirate GM has to be nearly perfect to get this team to compete. It's unfortunate, but a reality in the MLB today.
One thing this has proven to me is that the minor leagues have not improved one iota since Bad Deal Neal took the reigns. There was nobody in the Pirates minors that anyone wanted other than the few that the Pirates wouldn't part with.
ReplyDeleteMaybe someday we can get a front office that knows what they are doing.