The Pirates have been known coming out on the wrong end of trades in recent years.
This may not be as much of a statistically proven argument rather more of a coincidence, but I can definitely understand the Pirates being hesitant on trading any of their controllable starting pitchers. As the track record stands, many young starting pitchers that flash potential in Pittsburgh have a tendency to succeed once they leave Pennsylvania.
Many Angels fans know this well as their rival Houston Astros famously brought in a young promising starter in Gerrit Cole. Don’t really need to dive too far into that one. Another player that may come to mind is Tyler Glasnow of the Tampa Bay Rays. While Glasnow did not have the first overall pedigree that Cole had (5th round 1st pick), his 6’8″ frame and a 100-mph fastball give him the tools to succeed. It wasn’t until he was moved to the analytically driven Rays he had his biggest breakthrough in 2019.
Could Taillon and/or Joe Musgrove be the next players in line to see their best breakthrough happen away from the Steel City? The numbers have shown that both players are filled with talent, but, they will be limited playing for a Pirates team that will be drafting first overall this upcoming year. As a team looking to rebuild, the Pirates may trade away a starting pitcher. Though seeing the performance of players in the past could cause hesitation in trading without getting the value they want.
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Jameson Taillon is a young, controllable pitcher with a lot of talent and when healthy has been extremely effective. Based on the cost and track record, the Angels would be smart looking his way as they continue to build their rotation towards contention.