Pirates Fire Sale - more dudes added

[Pirates GM (TJ)]

PIRATES FIRE SALE

With a combination of lots of injuries and some ADHD-induced missed starts (and the exceptional skill of my competitors), my team will finish this week not only out of the playoff picture, but below .500 as well. And four of my remaining 5 opponents for the year are ahead of me in the standings.

So while I might still shoot to finish above .500, this season is a lost cause.

To that end, the following players should be playing for other teams as soon as possible:

RP Clay Holmes (Yankees) $4.2 5th
21st among RP on the player rater, another great season with control for next year currently tracking at just $4.8 in salary for 2024

RP Ryan Pressly (Astros) $3.6 2023

28th among RP on the player rater, on a very reasonable expiring contract

RP Tim Mayza (Blue Jays) $3.5 6th

a top-90 RP on the player rater, would start for pretty much any playoff team this season, on a reasonable expiring contract

RP Jorge Lopez (Orioles) $4.1 6th

back from his mental health leave, has picked up 9 SVHD (and 3 W) during his 31 IP so far and may well be a strong contributor down the stretch

1B Christian Walker (Diamondbacks) $5.3 5th

6th among 1B on the player rater, another consistently stellar season, on pace for a manageable $7.0 salary for 2024

C JT Realmuto (Phillies) $7.0 2025

8th among C on the player rater in a down year but had 5 HR in June and already has a HR in July. He's likely heating up to his normal self again.

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Freshly added 7/16/2023

LF RF Alex Verdugo (Red Sox) $4.0 5th

17th among LF, 20th among RF on the player rater. On pace for a very manageable $5.1 contract next year

1B CJ Cron (Rockies) $4.8 2024

Was awful in May before finally going on the IL, but in his 12 starts since returning he is hitting a cool .333 while striking out just 14% of the time. His stats at Coors speak for themselves. He has 44 HR in 166 games there since becoming a Rockie. In a league like this one where you can play him only at home (or late in the week if ratios are out of reach) he is a weapon to be sure.

2B 1B 3B Wilmer Flores (Giants) $7.0 2024
Boring multiposition guy right? Well here's what Flores has done since June 1st. Triple slash of 365/438/540. A wRC+ of 169. Walking 11% while striking out just 9.6% of the time. He's been known to heat up before and seems to be doing so now.

C Salvador Perez (Royals) $9.0 2027
He's 6th on the C player rater and is available for FREE. I will take back up to $12 in 2023 salary (so yes you get him at a negative $3 salary), or $8 in 2024 salary (so you get him for net $1 in salary the next two seasons). Only restriction here is I won't take douchebags back. If your dead contract is attached to a racist or wifebeater, he ain't eligible, send me someone else.

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I'll take back truly TERRIBLE salary on these 5th and 6th and 2023 and 2024 guys. Priority is pieces that can help me in 2025-2027 whether young arb guys or prospects. I expect 2024 to be a below .500 season for me and I don't mind if I am holding your expiring cap dumps through that season.

Basically anyone (other than Bryan Reynolds) who is a 5th or 6th or 2023 or 2024 is ready to be shipping out.

Fair warning, I will take a 90 cents deal that requires no work on my part over a 1 dollar deal that includes a bunch of back and forth and dilly dallying every time. PMs of the form "I am interested in Tony Tacos, what do you want for him" won't be as successful as "How does one of these four guys for Tony Tacos sound" even if the whaddyawant guy would have ultimately paid more in the end.

[Pirates GM (TJ)]

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