MLB Trade Rumors: Pirates Reportedly Likely To Non-Tender Garrett Jones, Could Pursue Jason Varitek

by Charlie Wilmoth on Oct 30, 2011 10:54 PM EDT

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 14: Mark Teahen #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays scores a run in the eighth inning as catcher Jason Varitek #33 of the Boston Red Sox cuts off the throw and pitcher Daniel Bard #51 of the Red Sox backs up the play at Fenway Park on September 14, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Blue Jays won 5-4. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

Rob Biertempfel's offseason preview mostly just seems like spitballing at this point. At least I hope it is, because Biertempfel says Garrett Jones will probably be non-tendered, which doesn't make much sense at all for a Pirates team desperate for power. It's doubly weird given that Biertempfel says later in the article that Matt Hague will get a crack at the first-base job. If the Pirates find that they need to go with the available options at first, then Jones and Hague would make a sensible platoon.

The article features a bunch of names that have already come up in posts here and elsewhere - Ramon Hernandez, Rod Barajas, Edwin Jackson, Carlos Pena, Jeff Francis, Gerald Laird. Biertempfel does add one new name in Jason Varitek, which makes little sense to me, unless the Pirates want to evoke fond memories of Benito Santiago's illustrious Bucs tenure. Varitek will be 40 in April, is rarely healthy, and hasn't been a win above replacement since 2007. (And of course we'll have to see if a decorated player like Varitek really wants to end his career in Pittsburgh.)

Oh, and then there's this:

Last summer, the Pirates mulled a trade that would have sent pitcher Brad Lincoln to the New York Yankees for catcher Francisco Cervelli. The Yankees still are willing to deal Cervelli, who has a history of concussions. But the Pirates might not have enough pitching to swing a deal -- even if they change their minds and pick up Paul Maholm's $9.75 million option.

I'll ignore the last part of the last sentence and focus on the first. I can think of few things sadder than wanting to trade for Francisco Cervelli (because he constitutes some sort of upgrade at catcher) and being unable to do so because you don't have enough pitching. Yikes.

These articles are really depressing me.

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Comments

I see no way the Pirates get better this offseason. As in, not at a single position will they improve from their 90-loss team of 2011. It’s so utterly depressing.

They obviously have money to spend, and they’re going to burn it on Bruce Chen and Francisco Cervelli instead of Paul Maholm and Ryan Doumit.

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Oct 30, 2011 10:57 PM EDT reply actions

The Lincoln rumor probably goes back to when Huntington said other teams were trying to take advantage of the team’s desperate catcher situation.

by bolton on Oct 30, 2011 11:26 PM EDT reply actions

Nah, this was at the trade deadline.

by Charlie Wilmoth on Oct 30, 2011 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Frustrating

So the Bucs want to non tender a very useful player and try to acquire a worthless over the hill or a worthless young catcher that they would have to give up pitching to get. Hopefully there is no basis for these rumors.

by SportOMania on Oct 31, 2011 12:21 AM EDT reply actions

WHAT?

Did Huntington find Littlefield’s stupid pills in his desk? Exercising Doumit’s extension is a bad idea. I can almost understand not wanting to exercise Maholm and Snyder’s options. But non-tendering Jones and then getting Varitek? Why? That doesn’t make any sense at all.

You gotta aim high to fail so big. - Trace Beaulieu

by IAPiratesFan on Oct 31, 2011 1:57 AM EDT reply actions

whoa now

just because its “reported” doesnt mean its true… not yet, anyway.

by white angus on Oct 31, 2011 7:35 AM EDT up reply actions

So we should refrain from discussion on any reports

and only discuss press releases?

by Wizard of Woz on Oct 31, 2011 8:23 AM EDT up reply actions

i didnt say that

people should chill out about all of this. way too early to get bent out of shape.

by white angus on Oct 31, 2011 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

the rumors i have been hearing are awfully troubling.

Now of course all of these should be taken with a grain of salt because they are just rumors. But if some of these things were to come to fruition, well i would have to question everything i have said or believed about this management team. Jones is a no-brainer: keep him. Doumit needs to be resigned, i think he can be had at around 6 mil for this year and a guaranteed starting spot plus a premium spot in the lineup. The whole paul maholm thing troubles me, so i wont get into it. All i can say is so far i am disappointed with what the rumors have been, but they are just rumors.

Also thanks for bringing up repressed memories of Benito-for-Leo trade ever happening, and Varitek might even be a worse idea than that was(if that is at all possible).

by bbautista24 on Oct 31, 2011 3:25 AM EDT reply actions

“Internal value.”

—Neal Huntington

by Tim Wiliams on Oct 31, 2011 3:38 AM EDT reply actions

I guess that we can make a safe assumption that NH isn’t going to break the bank this winter. If he talks about “internal value” for non tendering someone like Jones (where we are probably talking a $500K-1M bump), he sure isn’t going to overpay to sign a decent free agent.

I realize the statement hasn’t come out of Neal’s mouth (yet), and Jones hasn’t been non-tendered, but that has always been the reason he has given for non-tendering a player. Neal better pray his pitching staff leads the league in ERA, or the 2012 season could get real ugly with the lack of offense that appears to be in store for this team.

by Thunder on Oct 31, 2011 6:09 AM EDT reply actions

you assumed that back in august, brudder

by white angus on Oct 31, 2011 7:41 AM EDT up reply actions

It would be strange...

to give Hague a shot at the starting 1B job in spring training, after “not having room for him” last September. I guess that he’s improved so much in winter ball that they can’t ignore him. Of course he could have had at least the PH at bats that went to Bigfoot Ciriaco and Windoze in September. However, then we would have had to give up one of the 23 pitchers or 5 catchers we had to open up a 40 man spot.

by Thunder on Oct 31, 2011 6:16 AM EDT reply actions

i think its obvious that the FO was trying to woo Lee into considering staying for 2012

even though Hague, who HAS improved in the minor leagues, really hasnt showed stellar skills so far. but hes getting better.

by white angus on Oct 31, 2011 7:43 AM EDT up reply actions

The cynic in me now wonders whether they decided not to roster/play Hague down the stretch so that he wouldn’t have a chance to deliver a substandard performance and look bad for the hinders heading into 2012.

Really not liking anything I’m reading in that article at this point.

by Vlad on Oct 31, 2011 6:35 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Stupid autocorrect.

Hinders = Yinzers

(Actually, that’s kind of an appropriate substitution, isn’t it?)

by Vlad on Oct 31, 2011 6:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I'm trying hard...

to find some positives going into the 2012 season, but all I can come up with is the hope that the pitching prospects at the bottom of the system are a season closer to contributing.

by Thunder on Oct 31, 2011 6:40 AM EDT up reply actions

The way it looks right now

the next GM should have a nice stable of pitchers to start his tenure with.

by Wizard of Woz on Oct 31, 2011 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions

How about,

it’s 6 months away?

by Mr. E on Oct 31, 2011 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions

These reports seem more and more off the wall to me.

Ill believe these things when I see them.

Should the Pirates keep Neal Huntington?

http://www.bucsdugout.com/2011/5/16/2174135/poll-should-huntington-be-retained

by Kosstic518 on Oct 31, 2011 6:51 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

exactly

by white angus on Oct 31, 2011 7:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Yep

The part about giving Hague a shot at the starting job is the giveaway. There’s no way that’s happening. This is all just speculation.

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Oct 31, 2011 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions

I dunno

A month ago I would have dismissed reports that Maholm and Doumit would be bought out. Yesterday I would have dismissed a report about Cedeno being let go. At this point I’m not sure they could surprise me short of trading Cutch straight-up for Jeter.

by JRoth95 on Oct 31, 2011 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions