HOUSTON -- In the final hours leading up to Major League Baseball's trade deadline Tuesday, the Pirates acquired some much-needed reinforcements in the form of outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and infielder/outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The two were among the players involved in seven total trades the team finalized in the days prior to the 6 p.m. deadline.
“We always feel like going into a deadline, and this would pertain to the offseason also, that really we need to look at moves in the totality and the portfolio, the total portfolio, because one can impact another and vice versa. Ultimately, we’re trying to impact the Pirates through a variety of trades and not one," Ben Cherington told reporters via Zoom Tuesday. "In that sense, I think looking at the combination of moves we made, we feel good that we were able to address several goals that we had coming into the deadline. Most important was to improve our 2024 team, to recognize and honor the incredible hard work and toughness that our player group, our staff is showing, and the effort they’re putting in every day. We want to support that and give this team in 2024 every chance to keep playing good baseball, keep winning. Now we can focus entirely towards that on the field.”
The Pirates also had a goal of making the club stronger past 2024, into the offseason and into 2025. Cherington believes the combination of completed moves helps accomplish that goal. A big part in doing that was being able to move pitching talent in exchange for position player talent.
"That didn’t have to come through one deal specifically but we were able to start doing some of that this deadline, also," Cherington said. "Feel good that in those three goals, we made progress. But again, most important, our focus should go back on the field now, starting in Houston and every day between now and the end of the season, we’ll be focused on that and giving ourselves every chance to win games in ’24.”
The deals to acquire De La Cruz and Kiner-Falefa were undoubtedly the most significant of the bunch. De La Cruz, 27, was acquired in exchange for two top-20 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, in right-handed pitcher Jun-Seok Shim and infielder Garret Forrester. De La Cruz is instantly expected to make an impact in the Pirates' every day lineup, as he's slashing .245/.289/.417 with a .706 OPS in 105 games this season. He has 18 home runs, which instantly tie him with Bryan Reynolds for the team lead, and has driven in 51 runs. De La Cruz has three years of control left and has spent most of the season -- and his career -- in left field, but he does have experience at all three outfield positions.
"He's got 18 bombs, so the guy has the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark," Derek Shelton said prior to Tuesday's game against the Astros. "Guy who is under control, so we're talking not only for this year, but for the future. We talked about wanting to lengthen out our lineup and I think we've shown we were able to do that."
Cherington said De La Cruz has been on the Pirates' radar since July 2021 when he was dealt from the Astros to the Marlins.
"Younger, still relatively young corner outfielder with power who’s produced in not an easy place to hit in Miami, bigger ballpark. He has real physical ability, big power, solid defender in the corners," Cherington said. "We’ve got some personal relationships, people that know him. He was a target. He was someone that we felt like it was a good time to get a new start from Miami in Pittsburgh. We are excited to get him in our lineup, see what he can do and get to know him better.”
The Pirates picked up Kiner-Falefa, 29, and cash from the Blue Jays in exchange for infielder/outfielder Charles McAdoo. A player worth 3.1 WAR, Kiner-Falefa is slashing .292/.338/.420 with a .758 OPS, seven home runs and 33 RBIs in 82 games this season. In addition to being able to add to the Pirates' lineup, he also brings defensive versatility with the ability to play all over the infield and outfield.
"I think it's huge for us. No. 1, if you talk to anybody about him, they're going to tell you he's probably one of the best teammates they've every had," Shelton said. "This guy has played all over the field. I mean, he started his career as a catcher, he's won a Gold Glove, he's played third, he's played second, he's played the outfield, and I think you guys all know how much I love versatility within a player. Add the versatility and he's having a good offensive year on top of it, which is something that was important for us."
Cherington said he thinks Nick Gonzales' recent injury and subsequent placement on the injured list played a piece in the Pirates' interest in him. But, more importantly, they saw a guy who can produce as a premium defender at multiple spots on the field.
“He’s been a good offensive producer, certainly this year he’s been a really good offensive producer. Exceptional reputation as a teammate, winning player, can play all over the field," Cherington said. "This is a player we think can help us the rest of the way this year and certainly next year also.”
Kiner-Falefa is two games in to a minor-league rehab assignment after initially being placed on the injured list July 2 with a left knee sprain. Cherington said the team expects he'll be ready to play at the big-league level very soon.
"We're going to get him into our group and get our hands on him," Cherington said. "See where he's at and go from there."
MORE DEADLINE DEALS
• The Pirates made a deal involving one of their big-league arms Tuesday, sending Martin Perez and cash to the Padres for minor-league pitcher Ronaldys Jimenez. Cherington said the organization really likes Jimenez, an 18-year-old left-handed pitcher who was pitching in the Dominican Summer League this season.
"He's a kid that we had tracked as an amateur, and our scouts have actually spent a lot of time up with him since he signed. We've got some -- we think -- intriguing data, they're traits that we like. So, we're getting a pitcher back we like. That trade, again, as I mentioned before, looking at the entire sort of portfolio of moves, we just felt like to get the whole entire group of moves done and looking at who is going to be on our team, and also who potentially could be on our team as we move into August and September, that it just made sense to make that move for our sake," Cherington said. "And for Martin's sake, this is an opportunity for him to go to San Diego. So yeah, it was part of that portfolio. We appreciate everything Martin did. He's a pro. He's helped us this year. He's provided innings, dependable innings, been a good pro, been a respected teammate. Feel good about where we are now."
• In the first of two completed trades Monday, the Pirates swapped former first-round picks with the Red Sox, acquiring infielder Nick Yorke in exchange for Quinn Priester. Cherington made it a point to emphasize the deal was more about Yorke rather than wanting to specifically move on from Priester.
"Quinn Priester is a talented, young pitcher who we really like personally. He's a first-round pick. Fully believe that Quinn has a good major-league career ahead of him. So, we didn't come into the week with any desire to move on from Quinn Priester," Cherington said. "We did come into the week, however, with the desire to try to find upper-level, add upper-level position players, near major-league ready upper-level position players who we believe in, who we believe have traits that we believe in, that have a chance to contribute offensively and defensively."
Cherington said Yorke and Billy Cook, an infielder/outfielder acquired in a Tuesday swap of prospects that sent pitcher Patrick Reilly to the Orioles, will begin at Class AAA Indianapolis to get their feet wet and get acclimated to the organization. But they could soon become candidates to contribute at the major-league level.
"Kind of assess where they are and start building out a plan for them. I guess I would say that they're both already in Triple-A. They're both already performing well in Triple-A. They both already play multiple positions on the field. So I think if any position player's in Triple-A who's doing all those things is already a candidate, just like anybody else we'd already have an Indy would be a candidate," Cherington said. "Certainly no plans right now. They're going to get started in Triple-A. We'll see how it goes. But, we're excited to add them to that group."
• The Pirates added a pair of left-handed relievers over the last two days, acquiring Josh Walker from the Mets in exchange for minor-league pitcher Nicolas Carreno early Tuesday. Walker was designated for assignment on Friday and was assigned to Class AAA Indianapolis. In another move that occurred during Monday's series opener in Houston, the Pirates added lefty Jalen Beeks from the Rockies for minor-league pitcher Luis Peralta.
"We’ve been kind of searching for that second lefty in the ‘pen all year. Unfortunately, Borucki had an injury and was someone that we were certainly counting on coming into the year. Love what Ryan’s done for us, but we’ve been kind of searching for that second lefty after (Aroldis) Chapman," Cherington said. "We’ve had some guys do a good job but we were certainly starting to solidify that spot.”
In all, Cherington believes the Pirates found deals that made sense. Time will tell whether they pan out, but he said that's the fun part of it.
"Now we all get to see what happens, see how it all plays out, and we’ll look back and either feel good or we’ll criticize ourselves. That’s the nature of the game," Cherington said. "Some of it’s patience, but it’s more just process. It’s the work that the people in the room put in to help us identify where those opportunities are, how we might match up, who are the players who fit the best, who might have a skill that we can turn up or whatever it is. Through that process, it does sometimes require patience. But we feel like we landed in a good spot."
