With the trade deadline approaching in under a week, a couple of significant transactions have already occurred. The Josh Naylor deal isn't likely to affect Pittsburgh much.However, the transaction involving Gregory Soto and the Mets...The Orioles' situation provides the Pirates with a solid indication of the potential return they could get in a trade involving Caleb Ferguson.
Ferguson's marketability has plummeted lately.Despite a recent slump, his overall stats for the season are comparable to Soto's. Both pitchers have ERAs just under 4.00 (Ferguson at 3.92 and Soto at 3.96), and their expected ERAs (xERA) are in the low 3.00s (3.02 and 3.34). Furthermore, their Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) figures are also in the low 3.00s (3.19 and 3.29).
1. Soto's game differs from Ferguson's primarily in strikeout rate, with Soto generating more Ks, while Ferguson excels at preventing powerful hits. 2. Ferguson stands out in MLB with an average exit velocity of just 83.6 MPH and a hard-hit rate of only 26.3%. 3. Despite a recent dip in performance, Ferguson remains a highly valuable asset to the bullpen.
The Mets' acquisition of Gregory Soto provided the Pirates with an ideal model for trading Caleb Ferguson.
Since both Soto and Ferguson are temporary players, and the Mets traded away their 14th-best prospect (according to FanGraphs) plus another, more seasoned prospect to acquire them, what could a Ferguson trade look like for the Pirates?
The Pirates will probably take a different approach than the Orioles, focusing on offensive prospects. For the ranked prospect, Pittsburgh might be looking for someone with greater potential in High-A or Double-A, much like Wellington Aracena in the Soto deal. They may also want an older player in Triple-A who is stuck behind a superior player at the major league level, just like...Cam Devanney was part of the Adam Frazier trade..
For a player on loan, supporters shouldn't anticipate a huge haul in exchange for Ferguson. However, getting a similar offensive return as what Soto brought, even if it's just in terms of hitting ability, would be far from a bad outcome.Ben Cherington's priority should be extracting the most potential from each decision he makes.Otherwise, he could face serious scrutiny if the Pirates' performance keeps declining.
This piece initially appeared on WELLNESSINVESTIGATORas.The Mets' trade for Gregory Soto provides the Pirates with a model for dealing relief pitchers..
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