The rumors have been swirling about who the Pirates may get to help boost this team to a playoff run. Well during a dreadful 5-1 loss the Chicago Cubs, it was announced the the Pirates and the Astros came to an agreement to send Colton Cain, Rudy Owens and Robbie Grossman to Houston for Wandy Rodriguez and cash relief.
“They were all tough (to part with),” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. “Robbie Grossman is a hard-working switch hitter that is having a very solid season at Double-A after a very solid season at High-A last year. Rudy is in the middle of a very good season in Triple-A and Colton Cain is a guy we liked a lot out of the draft. We gave up three quality prospects to get an established major league starting pitcher.”
Huntington said that at the cost they got him for, he was happy with the move.
“As we talked from day one of the trading season, we’ve been open to strengthening our club via pitching or via position player,” Huntington said. “The pitching market is much more plentiful than the position player market. We had an opportunity to make a move for a player we liked at an acquisition cost we felt was appropriate and made the deal.”
The Pirates will only pay $1.7 million this year, $8.5 million next year and if the player option is picked up, then they will owe Rodriguez $7.5 in 2014.
“Part of it is multiple years. We got him for the rest of this year and next year. We felt this was a good acquisition for us,” Huntington said of the deal. “The option turns into a player option for 2014. There is the possibility that he could be with us for 2015 as well. That’s appealing to us. We liked the innings, we liked the strikeouts, we liked the ERA. He’s a competitor and has very quietly been one of the better pitchers in Major League Baseball over the past three-four years.”
With the addition, someone has to be the odd-man out, but Huntington said he has to talk about that with Clint Hurdle first.
“We’re going to visit after the game here tonight. Wandy started last night, so we have a little bit of time until he’s ready to come back in,” Huntington said. “We’ll put our pieces together and then we’ll let the people involved know.”
Rodriguez will stay in Houston until Thursday when the Pirates come into town and will be introduced to his new team and the media then.
Hurdle said he’s very happy about the move.
“I’m happy. I’m happy with adding the player. I’ve had to prep for him for years, since he’s broke into the league,” Hurdle said. “From an offensive side and a managerial side, even when I was with Texas with the interleague, we’d face him. I’ve had my eyes on him for awhile. He competes. He’s been tough to hit, any team that I’ve had. He’d been tough to beat.”
Hurdle said with a change of scenery, Rodriguez could flourish.
“I really feel that him getting an opportunity now to make a change get to a club. A fresh start I think is going to help,” Hurdle said. “A club that is going to welcome him. I think there’s still a quality skill set in there and a guy that has an opportunity to breathe a little bit different and get involved in the game in a little bit of a different aspect than he has in the past three or four years. We’re excited to have him and add him.”
Clint Barmes was a teammate of Rodriguez last season in Houston and said that his experience should speak for itself.
“Just look at who he is and what he’s done,” Barmes said. “I think it’s pretty safe to say that he’s going to come in here and help us out a lot.”
Huntington also preached the importance of not getting a rental player.
“An important point for us is trying to add beyond a rental piece,” Huntington said. “To add a pitcher of the quality of Wandy Rodriguez with a year maybe, two years of control an impact for us we felt was a good move given the upcoming free agent market and given the stability and impact that he’s made.”
Barmes said with the acquisition, it’s further proof that the team is “all in” this year.
“I definitely know that everyone that I’ve talked to and everyone in here is all in,” Barmes said. “I think with what the front office has done with the changes in the offseason, I feel pretty comfortable and happy that they wanted me to be a part of this as well. I think that it’s very safe to say that everyone is all in at this point.”
Photo Credits: Associated Press
Discussion about this post