[mth123]

This is a difficult puzzle but a full rebuild is needed. Its possible that both Zach Duke and Paul Malholm are in the lump taking phase of their careers and could step forward and give the Pirates a decent rotation with Snell and Gorzellany. Matt Capps and Damaso Marte are the start of a decent pen and Josh Sharpless looks like he can help. Romulo Sanchez is a hard thower that showed signs of starting to get it in AA, threw 18 unimpressive innings in the majors and may be worth a longer look. John Grabow is a decent cheap filler LH. They need more power arms. Pearce, Bixler, Walker and McCutcheon are 4 pretty good position prospects on the horizon. I think they should go with that group along with Sanchez and Bay. If Pearce can play in the OF, I keep Laroche and Phelps at 1B and to help with run production for now.

The big problem is that the guys that they can realistically trade aren't worth much. The guys to try and unload at this point are Matt Morris, Xavier Nady, Jose Bautista, Jack Wilson, Solomon Torres and maybe Marte. They can also deal from the myriad of CF types. Nate McClouth put up an .810 OPS in 2007 and may be worth something. Chris Duffy and Nyjer Morgan are probably 5th OF types. This team needs to gamble with kids and reclamation projects at this point and should focus on acquiring pitchers who have stuff and miss bats to be used in the pen and the to start if possible. This might be a good place for a guy like Elijah Dukes to try and restart his career.

Some thoughts (illustrations of the types of deals):

McClouth to the Marlins who could use him in CF for a guy like Logan Kensing. Kensing is a RH reliever who is coming back from TJ Surgery. He hits mid 90s on his fastball.

In a deal of failed prospects John Van Benschotten to Tampa Bay for Elijah Dukes. Throw in Bryan Bullington if you have to.

Wilson needs to go anywhere that they can deal him. Maybe the Cardinals would be interested with Eckstein a FA and Renteria no longer an option. The The Cardinals have lacked starting pitching maybe they'd take Matt Morris too. Maybe the Pirates send both along with some serious cash to St. Louis for Anthony Reyes. The word is that Reyes has his own ideas, resists Duncan's teachings and that the Cards have soured on him. If the Cardinals send Rolen off for young pitching they may want Bautista as well instead of some of that cash.

Send Nady to Minnesota for a young pitcher. Not sure if he'd net Slowey so maybe the better route would be to go for a couple guys with question marks. Glen Perkins (shoulder injury in 2007) and Anthony Swarzak (Drug Suspension).

Not sure that these deals would all really go. Reyes may be able to fetch more and the Twins may aim higher for offense, keep the questionable pitchers and trade a better guy for a bigger bat, but the apporach of clearing out middling major leaguers and getting high ceiling guys is needed and I think the trade bait is so mediocre that guys with flaws (injury or character questions) may be the best approach. Get numbers and hope a few work out.

They wouldn't all be ready at once but eventually you'd have this collection and could probably deal Bay or Laroche for more talent if the theoretical Dukes would work out in say RF. Pearce would play LF or 1B depending on which is dealt.

McCutcheon CF
F. Sanchez 2B
Bay LF
Laroche/Phelps 1B
Pearce RF
Walker 3B
Paulino C
Bixler SS

Doumit C/1B
Dukes OF
Castillo IF

Starter Pool
Snell
Gorzellany
Dukes
Malholm
Reyes
Perkins
Swarzak

Relief Pool
Capps
Marte
Grabow
Kensing
R. Sanchez
Sharpless
Osoria