Pittsburgh Pirates Trading For Francisco Cervelli Likely the End of Russell Martin
Joy. R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
For the third straight year, the Pittsburgh Pirates have landed a New York Yankees catcher. The Pirates traded relief pitcher Justin Wilson for Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli, and this could be the final nail in the coffin for Pirates fans who wanted the team to re-sign Russell Martin.
Cervelli comes to the Pirates with high praise from his teammates. Brandon McCarthy, who pitched for the Yankees last year, tweeted that “Cervelli is a stud.” McCarthy is a free agent pitcher the Pirates have shown interest in, so he and Cervelli may team up again soon.
In his seven-year career with the Yankees, Cervelli had a .278 average with 10 home runs and 92 RBIs. In 49 games last year, he hit .301 with two home runs and 13 RBIs. He missed 60 games last year due to severely strained hamstring. Cervelli hasn’t played more than 93 games in a season. In 2013, he was tied to the Biogenesis scandal that Alex Rodriguez was involved with and suspended 50 games for using performance-enhancing drugs.
On defense, Cervelli is a solid backstop. Former teammate McCarthy had more praise for Cervelli on Twitter: “he’s someone that could really benefit from a game calling metric.” This was in reference to Cervelli’s ability to frame pitches. Research by Baseball Prospectus shows that Cervelli is the 7th best at framing pitches for strikes, one spot ahead of Martin. The one drawback of his defense is that he has only thrown out 22 percent (31-of-113) of base-runners in his seven-year career.
Cervelli has repeatedly said in New York that he wants to be a big-league starting catcher. It appears he may finally get his wish, because Martin’s contract demands of five years for $75-80 million are way too high for the Pirates. Despite this move, Pirates’ management claims they are still pursuing Martin. I don’t know if I believe that. Plus, Cervelli has been on the Pirates’ watch list for a long time. Back in 2011, they considered trading for him before eventually signing Rod Barajas.
Whether the Pirates are still pursuing Martin or not, adding Cervelli is a pretty clear sign the Pirates are looking for an insurance policy.
Nate Vandergrift is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter@natevandergrift, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
Top 5 Blue Jays' Pitching Prospects In 2015
The Toronto Blue Jays gave a couple of their pitching prospects a chance in the majors at the end of 2014, so they expect to play a role in the 2015 season, but there is not much more in the pipeline. Read More
5 Players the Oakland A's Should Still Trade
The Oakland Athletics have been active this offseason, but here are five players they should still be looking to trade. Read More
Toronto Blue Jays Miss Out On Ben Zobrist
The Toronto Blue Jays' infield continues to pose a hole at 2B after missing out on trade for Ben Zobrist. Read More
Colorado Rockies: 5 Players That Could Be Traded
The Colorado Rockies need to re-tool to have any hope of becoming a playoff contender. On that note, here are five players they should still be looking to trade. Read More
Zobrist, Escobar Trade Makes A's Contenders
The Oakland Athletics continue to make a splash in the offseason by trading for Ben Zobrist and Yunel Escobar from the Tampa Bay Rays. Read More
5 Players The Braves Should Trade For
The Atlanta Braves have a lot more moves to make before the start of the season. Take a look at these players the Braves should consider trading for. Read More
Tigers Need A Break Out Season From Shane Greene
With multiple uncertainties in the starting rotation, it would be huge if the Detroit Tigers could get a breakout season out of newcomer Shane Greene. Read More
Tampa Bay Rays: 5 Players They Could Still Trade
With the Tampa Bay Rays heading into a transitional season, here are five players they should still look to trade. Read More
Assessing the SF Giants' 2015 25-Man Roster
The San Francisco Giants aren't as dangerous on paper as they were a season ago. Read More
Going Home To Blue Jays May Be What Axford Needs
It has been a long time since John Axford has been great. With a need for bullpen help, the Toronto Blue Jays should take a chance on him. Read More
Shields Would Be Best Ace Add For Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly interested in adding an ace, and signing James Shields would be the best way for them to do so. Read More
Power Ranking NL Central Starting Catchers
The NL Central boasts the best catchers in all of baseball. Here is how they rank heading into the 2015 season. Read More