Charles LeClaire-USA Today Sports
Hey Pittsburgh Pirates fans, remember that trade from way back in 2010 that saw the Pirates trade closer Octavio Dotel to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for James McDonald and Andrew Lambo?
Well, if you don’t, I’m sure you at least remember the excitement surrounding McDonald in the first half of 2012 before he fell apart. Even though McDonald hasn’t worked out as well as the Pirates had hoped, there is still a chance for this trade to be a steal for Pirates GM Neal Huntington. If Lambo joins the Pirates at some point this season and excels, it’s an easy win.
At this point, it appears inevitable that Lambo will be called up soon. Will the Pirates wait until the rosters expand in September?
I hope not, because he will need plenty of playing time for the front office to decide whether or not he should be on the playoff roster. That’s right, “Pirates” and “playoff roster” were just used in the same sentence.
Lambo is absolutely crushing minor league pitching this season. After spending several seasons in Double-A, Lambo has finally had a true breakout season that forced the Pirates to promote him to Triple-A. Once a top outfield prospect in the Dodgers’ system, Lambo had pretty much fallen off the radar in terms of impact prospects. Now Lambo is trying to earn the prospect label again, and he’s succeeding.
The 24-year old is hitting for a combined .282/.343/.581 slash line between Double-A and Triple-A this season with 31 home runs and 92 RBIs. While he is still an unproven player at the MLB level obviously, it would sure be nice for the Pirates to give the guy a chance. 31 home runs are hard to ignore.
Sure, he could prove to be another Brad Eldred for the Pirates, but who knows, maybe he can help the Pirates down the stretch and in the postseason. The Pirates’ right field situation is far from pleasant to think about, and Lambo could easily find himself starting in right field at some point soon.
