7/30 Deadline Deals: J-Hay, Joey Bats, Wilson Arrive; The Shark, Gorzo, Grabow, Schmidt, JVW, Benson Go; More Wheelin' & Dealin'

• 2000 - The Pirates announced a deal after a 9-8 loss to the San Diego Padres: the St. Louis Cardinals sent young SS Jack Wilson to the Bucs for LHP Jason Christiansen. Wilson became the Bucs starting SS from 2001-09, winning an All Star berth and Gold Glove in 2004, while Christiansen tossed through 2005, but with only one strong year during that span. Though trade talks were in the final stages, Jimmy Leyland broke with usual protocol and used Christiansen during the contest, as the swap wasn’t finalized until late in the game. He was hammered for four runs in 1/3 IP, which fortunately didn't deter the Redbirds. 
• 2001 - The Bucs sent RHP Jason Schmidt and OF John Vander Wal to the Giants for OF Armando Rios and RHP Ryan Vogelsong. Schmidt went 7-1 the rest of the year for San Francisco and then signed a big four-year contract. Vander Wal played on four teams in the following four years, retiring in 2004. Rios tore his ACL on August 1st and got into 78 games over two years before he was released. Vogelsong underwent Tommy John surgery in September. When Vogey returned after missing all of 2002, he went 10-17/5.82 over four years and went to Japan. 
• 2004 - The Pirates traded RHP Kris Benson and IF Jeff Keppinger to the NY Mets for 3B Jose Bautista (who they had lost in the 2003 Rule 5 draft), IF Ty Wigginton and RHP Matt Peterson. Bautista became the 10th major leaguer to play for four teams in a season, having been on the rosters of Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. In fact, he was actually on five teams, as he was acquired by the Mets from the Royals but sent to Pittsburgh the same day. Benson, the other key player in the deal, won just 27 more games in his career. Interestingly, GM Dave Littlefield reportedly rejected an offer for Benson made by the Phillies for a power-hitting prospect named Ryan Howard, who would eventually become a National League MVP. The Bucs thought they had a Howard clone already in their system with Brad Eldred. After falling domino was 3B Chris Styne, who was released the next day as his roster spot was made redundant by Wigginton. 

Josh Harrison - 2012 Topps Update

• 2009 - The Pirates shipped lefties Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for IF Josh Harrison and RHPs Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio. Gorzo was converted to a bullpen guy for several clubs, Grabow’s last MLB season was 2011, Hart & Acasio succumbed to injuries and J-Hay ended up the keeper of the deal. For the Pirates, it was the end of a 10-day purge. Besides Gorzo and Grabow, they had earlier dealt away Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Ian Snell and Adam LaRoche. Harrison and Ronny Cedeno were the only prospects netted from those three deals to become starting players for Pittsburgh, flipping the rebuild into a veteran purge. 
• 2011 - The Pirates traded minor league 1B Aaron Baker to the Orioles for 1B Derrek Lee, the first time that Pittsburgh was a buyer at the trade deadline since dealing for SS Shawon Dunston in 1997 to bolster the “Freak Show” lineup. Baker never made it past the AA level while Lee hit .337 with seven long balls for the Pirates in 28 games (he missed a month with a wrist injury) as Lyle Overbay’s replacement before retiring at the end of the year at age 35. 
• 2012 - In a trade of 2006 first rounders, Pittsburgh sent RHP Brad Lincoln to Toronto for OF Travis Snider. The change of scenery didn’t help either player much - Lincoln’s MLB career ended after the 2014 season and Lunchbox bounced around before retiring in 2022. 
• 2015 - Keep the phone charged: The Pirates acquired veteran RHP Joe Blanton, 34, from the Royals for $660K after he had been DFA’ed. Blanton went 5-0/1.57 for the Pirates during the dog days. RHP Vance Worley was released to make room for him. 2017 was the last MLB season for both. In another deal, RHP Joakim Soria was picked up by the Pirates from the Tigers for Altoona SS prospect JaCoby Jones. The Detroit closer, slotted to work the back end of the bullpen behind Mark Melancon and Tony Watson, made 29 Bucco appearances with a 2.03 ERA, one save and 11 holds. Soria retired in 2022; Jones was released by Kansas City in 2022. Finally, IF Justin Sellers, who had been DFA’ed, was sent to the Chicago White Sox for cash and played into 2016. 

Joachim Soria - 2015 photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

• 2016 - The Pirates sent closer Mark Melancon and $500K to the Washington Nationals for a pair of hard throwing lefties (both touched 100), reliever Felipe (Rivero) Vazquez and prospect Taylor Hearns. The Shark was a bullpen backender that came over in the Joel Hanrahan deal with Boston. In four years w/Pirates, he went 10-10-174/1.80. Vazquez was on his way to becoming one of the league’s elite back-end relievers after taking over the closers’ job in 2017 from Tony Watson until he was arrested for child porn. Hearn was a 21-year-old lanky southpaw with an upper 90s heater and control issues who was already on the Bucco radar; he was the Pirates 22nd-round pick in 2012, but didn’t sign and went to Oklahoma Baptist. He’s currently in the Atlanta system after a stint with the Rangers. As for Melancon, he turned into a costly Nats rental, later signing with the Giants, then with the Braves, moving on to the Padres and is now with the D-backs. 
• 2021 - Righty closer Richard Rodriguez (4-3-14/2.82 in 37 appearances) went to the Braves for RHPs Bryse Wilson, 23, (2-3/4.83 w/Atlanta) and Ricky Devito, 22. Wilson is a starter who once was a Top 100 prospect and is now with Milwaukee, while Devito is playing in the Texas system. Ric Rod was banged with a drug suspension and is currently in the Miami system. Then LHP Austin Davis (0-1/5.59 in 10 outings) was dealt to Boston for UT Michael Chavis, 25. Chavis played 1B, 2B and LF and is currently with the Nats while Davis is a free agent this season. Finally, a minor league swap: Indy LHP Braeden Ogle, 24, (2-2-1/3.18) went to the Phillies in return for C Abrahan Gutierrez, 21, who was part of the deal that fell apart with the Phils a couple of days earlier. Ogle was thought to have a shot at making the club before he was dealt, and the Pirates reacquired him this season; he’s tossing for Altoona. Gutierrez is now at Greensboro.