Jul 31, 2018 4 min read

I really didn’t want to talk about the Pirates this week.

I really didn’t think I would need to talk about the Pirates this week.

Then, the team had to go and do something completely out of character and show interest in the present rather than the future.

Instead of having a trade deadline day get buried below the latest Steeler injury news out of Latrobe, the Buccos not only forced the local media to make them front-page news, but worldwide outlets like ESPN, Yahoo and CBS did the same.

The best way I can describe the two moves, is to compare them to the management of another Pittsburgh franchise. One that has enjoyed A LOT more success in recent years. It seems to me that Pirate management team may have been locked out of the office, while Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford and his team took over the reins of the team and not only addressed a team’s needs, but did so by getting some of the best talent available on the market.

But no, it actually was Neal Huntington who made these bold deals.

Let me get this out of the way… I loved both of these moves.

Pittsburgh was at its best when its bullpen featured clear-cut seventh-, eighth- and ninth-inning arms that came to the mound with an air of intimidation. While the seventh-inning spot may still be up for grabs, Keone Kela should immediately slot in as the setup man for All-Star closer Felipe Vasquez.

Should anything happen to Vasquez, the 25-year-old Kela has already proven himself a capable two-pitch shutdown righty that has converted 24-of-25 save opportunities this year.

After Gerrit Cole fulfilled the expectations that came with being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft, the Pirates have been waiting for another of their early-round selections to take a similar path to the top of the rotation. With the exception of current ace Jameson Taillon, high-profile pitching prospects have not typically blossomed in black and gold.

Is Chris Archer going to single-handedly guide this team past the Cubs and finally get it into the postseason without the stress of a wild-card game?

Probably not.

Will he clearly surpass Taillon as the ace?

I doubt it.

However, what the former two-time American League All-Star will do is provide stability for a starter group that is clearly anything but stable.

Nick Kingham has been alright at times, but, much like the team itself, has lacked consistency and dependability. The injury to Chad Kuhl that opened a spot for Kingham is expected to last until at least Aug. 11. Should Kuhl need more time, there is now no need to rush him back.

All analysis aside, there is no chance Archer will not be in the rotation for the remainder of the season, short of an injury. Once rosters expand to 40 players on Sept. 1, it will be interesting to see what the team does with as many as seven starting pitchers with major league experience.

While the Kela move has received almost universal approval from both analysts and Pirate fans, the Archer move has been a much more divisive one. I can understand why those that cover the game aren’t willing to label the transaction a complete success.

However, those that moaned and groaned about the team not making impact moves over the past three years should be all in on this one.

Most of the disapproval centers around the loss of Austin Meadows, who played well for two or three weeks following his call-up earlier this year.

For some reason, fans immediately jumped on the Meadows bandwagon, despite a noticeable drop in his production before he was sent back to Indianapolis on July 14 and briefly brought back to the big team on July 29.

These moves are all about making the Pirates better, not the Indianapolis Indians.

Once Corey Dickerson returns, which is expected to happen this weekend, the hottest outfield in baseball will be reunited and the Bucs can seemingly begin their stretch run.

I would much rather watch that run in August, than take a guess at what the team will look like in 2021.