Red Sox about to aquire Hanrahan?

[Patrick Bateman]

I'm not following the high regards for Melancon. Right now, he's a one year wonder. I also don't see the connection between Bobby Valentine and a pitcher pitching bad. He gave up 8 homers in 45 innings. So Valentine influenced him to throw meatballs?

He pitched well at basically every step of the minor leagues. First exposure to big leagues over a full season was very good.

Last year, in 40 innings his peripherals outside of his HR/FB rate were still very good, and regression would be expected out of that 22% number because it is not in line with anything he has done in his career. The 40 innings with the BoSox is the number to me that skews the data, not the rest of his work. Red Sox bought him at his highest peak, and sold him at his lowest. They didn't do that one right IMO.

[traderumor]

He pitched well at basically every step of the minor leagues. First exposure to big leagues over a full season was very good.

Last year, in 40 innings his peripherals outside of his HR/FB rate were still very good, and regression would be expected out of that 22% number because it is not in line with anything he has done in his career. The 40 innings with the BoSox is the number to me that skews the data, not the rest of his work. Red Sox bought him at his highest peak, and sold him at his lowest. They didn't do that one right IMO.

I'll put it this way. A backend of Grilli, Hughes and Melancon is not likely the start of a contending team's bullpen. They now need what they just traded away. Instead of dumping Hanrahan, they should have been ADDING Melancon to shore up a bullpen with Hanrahan in it. Now, they have to replace Hanrahan. They did not have the depth to do this deal. And I'm not a big fan of Hanrahan, but he was an above average reliever for this squad, assuming Hanrahan isn't damaged goods.

[REDREAD]

I love this deal as a Reds fan.

Hanrahan was a decent closer that got the job done.. Now the Pirates have another hole to fill.. Maybe Melancon does it, maybe not.

[*BaseClogger*]

I'll put it this way. A backend of Grilli, Hughes and Melancon is not likely the start of a contending team's bullpen.

If Melancon can replicate Hanrahan's 2012 production they'll be just fine. Their bullpen ranked 7th out of 16 in the NL.

The Pirates problem has been offense for a while now, and that hasn't changed for 2013...

[traderumor]

If Melancon can replicate Hanrahan's 2012 production they'll be just fine. Their bullpen ranked 7th out of 16 in the NL.

The Pirates problem has been offense for a while now, and that hasn't changed for 2013...

I think that will not be easy. It isn't like the rest is a sure thing. Will Grilli continue to be the Pittsburgh Grilli or will he go back to the journeyman reliever of his youth? Would you be comfortable with Grilli as your #1 reliever? Is Jared Hughes EVER going to do again what he did last year? I'd say the most reliable reliever now falls to Watson, their LOOGY. And no bullpen is built around the LOOGY.

Absent another move up their sleeve, the bullpen has too many question marks. It looks like they have taken a strength and turned it into a weakness in one fell swoop.

[M2]

Sands might turn out to be useful. He's the kind of player a team like the Pirates can invest some ABs into. Jose Tabata sure doesn't look like the answer in RF.