Pirates Acquire Wandy Rodriguez from the Astros

The Pittsburgh Pirates have looked to bolster their rotation by acquiring Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros. (Pat Sullivan)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in playoff contention this late in the season for the first time in twenty years. As a result, they are actually buyers coming into the trade deadline as they try to make a push for a playoff berth. While finding a big offensive bat might be their biggest need, the Pirates knew the value that adding another solid starter could mean for their pitching staff as a whole.

The Houston Astros are years from contention. With many young prospects in their daily lineups, it comes as no surprise that they have the worst record in baseball. With the youth movement in full swing, the Astros were looking to move their ace Wandy Rodriguez. He is signed at $13 million per season through 2013 with a club option for 2014.

The interests of the two NL Central rivals seemed to line up for the time being. The Astros agreed to trade Rodriguez to the Pirates for three prospects, center fielder Robbie Grossman and left-handed pitchers Rudy Owens and Colton Cain. The three prospects help to add further depth to the Astros' farm system. While none of the trio of prospects are marquee players, each one is young enough to potentially grow into the difference makers the Astros hope they will become.

The Pirates add Rodriguez to a starting rotation with a 3.91 ERA, which is seventh best in the NL. Rodriguez and his 3.79 ERA in 21 starts with the Astros is expected to replace Kevin Correia in the rotation. Rodriguez is widely considered the far superior pitcher with a better strikeout/walk ratio. He should also benefit from improved support from Andrew McCutchen and the upstart Pirates offense.

I like the trade for both teams. While the bigger need might be offense, the Pirates will definitely benefit from adding Wandy Rodriguez to their rotation. Not only does it help the other starters, but it also aids the bullpen and gives them additional rest. The Astros got three young prospects. They can only hope that at least one or two of them will mature into everyday players. The real question for the Pirates is whether this is just their first move. I believe they have at least one more move to make. They need to find the right bat to add to their lineup, without giving up their best prospects. No doubt GM Neal Huntington is exploring his options right now.