According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Pirates recently expressed some interest in trading for Mets reliever Huascar Brazobán. This report came before the Pirates dealt for Camilo Doval, but given the state of their bullpen – which ranks among the bottom half of teams in ERA, SIERA, and Win Probability Added – there’s a good chance GM Ben Cherington isn’t done looking for upgrades. Last week, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the bullpen would be Cherington’s focus in trade talks.
Brazobán, 36, is a good fit for a team whose deadline moves will reportedly be limited by payroll considerations. The Pirates are not completely unwilling to absorb salary, but it isn’t clear how much Cherington will be able to take on. Brazobán is making $1.05MM in his first year of arbitration eligibility. If the Pirates were to acquire him on August 3, they would only owe him about $300k for the rest of the year. That’s a bargain for a pitcher with a 2.61 ERA and 3.88 SIERA in 51 2/3 innings pitched.
Indeed, Brazobán is a bit of an unusual trade chip. The Mets are sellers, but they aren’t about to enter a rebuild. One might think they’d prefer to hold on to a reliever with a career 3.50 ERA who remains under team control through 2029. Yet, Brazobán didn’t debut until he was 32. He’ll turn 37 this October. As consistent as he’s been over his first five seasons, the realities of the aging curve suggest he might not be a trustworthy, higher-leverage reliever for much longer. Add on the fact that he’s currently enjoying the best season of his career by ERA and xERA, and it makes sense why the Mets would consider selling high. Meanwhile, his low salary and years of control make him a smart target for a borderline contender and low spender like the Pirates.
