Least' the Pirates are on track with what they do best.

[xero380]

I'm a loyal fan but however they talk about building within but yet when they build within and have a good player...yet again they also trade them away.

_____________________________________________________________

ATLANTA -- The Braves acquired All-Star center fielder Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates for three minor leaguers on Wednesday, a move to beef up Atlanta's offense in hopes of contending in the NL East.

The 27-year-old McLouth set career highs last season with a .276 batting average, 26 homers and 94 RBIs. The Braves desperately needed more offense from an outfield that produced only 10 homers through the first 51 games.

Atlanta gave up outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, one of its top prospects, along with pitchers Charlie Morton and Jeff Locke.

Atlanta's Additions

McLouth Nate McLouth's fantasy value doesn't take a huge jump, but fantasy owners need to get Tommy Hanson. Spin

McLouth, who is hitting .256 with nine homers and 34 RBIs this season, fills several needs for the Braves. In addition to bolstering the lineup, he won a Gold Glove in 2008 and had 23 stolen bases. Since the start of the '05 season, he has the best stolen base percentage (64 of 69) in the majors.

Another plus: McLouth is under contract through at least 2011, having signed a three-year, $15.75 contract in spring training. The deal includes a team option for a fourth year at $10.65 million, with a $1.25 million buyout.

"He gives us everything we're looking for," Atlanta general manager Frank Wren said. "He gives us an extra outfield bat. He gives us speed. He gives us defense. He brings a lot to the table."

It was a day of big moves for Atlanta. The trade was announced less than an hour after the Braves released 305-game winner Tom Glavine, saying they didn't think the 43-year-old pitcher had shown during three minor league rehab outings that he could still be effective in the big leagues.

Instead, the team called up highly touted prospect Tommy Hanson, who has dominated at Triple-A Gwinnett and will make his first major league appearance Saturday against Milwaukee.

"We didn't want the season to get too far gone before we made some moves," Wren said. "We thought some aggressive moves would put our club in good position."

The Braves began the day trailing NL East-leading Philadelphia by 4½ games. Then they lost 3-2 in 11 innings to the Chicago Cubs.

Atlanta hasn't made the playoffs since 2005, the last of its record 14 straight division titles.

"McLouth is one of the top center fielders in the game," Braves catcher Brian McCann said. "He can do it all. He's a five-tool player."

Atlanta made the deal just one day after sending Jordan Schafer to Triple-A. The 22-year-old won the center field job in spring training and homered twice in his first three big league games, but he slumped badly after that. When it became clear Schafer wasn't ready, the Braves turned their attention to McLouth.

With the trade, Pittsburgh cleared a spot for one of its best prospects, 2005 first-round pick Andrew McCutchen. The 22-year-old outfielder was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, where he was hitting .303 with four homers, 20 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

He planned to catch a 5:55 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

"I'm real excited, but I really haven't been able to kind of sit back yet and think about it," McCutchen said.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said trading McLouth "may be the toughest decision we have made in my time with the organization."

"Nate is a quality player and person," Huntington said. "But as we have said several times, tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship-caliber organization. Nate has worked as hard as any player to become a starting major league player, proving wrong anyone who may have doubted him.

"When we signed Nate to a long-term contract, we did so with the intent on having him remain part of our core of homegrown talent. But the quality and quantity of talent we are receiving in this trade moves us closer to our goal of building that sustainable championship-caliber club."

Last summer, Pittsburgh had perhaps the best outfield in the big leagues with McLouth, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. All three have been traded since late July.

With the rebuilding Pirates likely to reach a record-setting 17th consecutive losing season this year and so few prospects in their organization, they're dealing what serviceable players they have for young talent.

Pittsburgh had coveted Hernandez when he was with the Detroit Tigers, before they traded him to Atlanta in an October 2007 deal for shortstop Edgar Renteria.

"A guy with impact speed, really play defense," Huntington said. "A dynamic, athletic outfielder."

Hernandez is headed to Double-A, and Locke will report to Class-A. Morton will go to Indianapolis.

"We anticipate Charlie being in the big leagues with us before too long. He's not far from being major league ready, and a guy who has the potential to be an above-average major league starter," Huntington said.

"This trade nets us three prospects that we believe have the potential to be three above-average major league players. Our players in the clubhouse are probably going to have a difficult time understanding this. They're probably going to have a difficult time supporting this. But as we know, they're professionals and we expect them to come out and continue to play hard."

The Pirates made room for their new players by removing reliever Craig Hansen from the 40-man roster.

[GoneForever]

When they gave McLouth, Doumit, and Maholm extenstions after last season, wasn't it so they had a group of quality players to build the team around?

[Asundor]

GOD I LOVE ATLANTA!!!!

[todd17063]

they still won't catch the Phillies

[Rich]

It's because the fans are so "loyal"... Why pay good $$$ for good players, when you make a profit every year??? From sales of merch and what not, to those loyal fans.... Quit going to the games, quit buying there merch. In a few years, they will have no choice but to pay for a winning team. Or move the team to Ohio....

Sounds simple to me.... ???

[songsmith]

The Pirates are the main reason I quit watching and following baseball years ago. They had Bonds and Bonilla and so many other great ballplayers, and I just couldn't imagine why they'd let them go... then they kept doing that over and over and over. It's as if management is short-selling their own team, and it's been going on far too long to be coincidence.
The legendary Pirates of the 70's will never exist again.--->JMS

[whitedevilone]

They make me sooooo f'in mad but i just can't quit'em.Let's face it you're a Bucs fan i guess we're just used to it.The dogs are good and the beer ain't always flat and hell it's baseball......and that beats the shit outa the NBA.

[Jim Price]

I think part of the reasoning for going through with the McLouth trade was the prospects, yes, but also because it gave them an opportunity to promote Andrew McCutcheon up from Triple-A (something they have wanted to do for a while). At least early on, the move has paid off; McCutcheon hit a single and scored in his very first major league at-bat this afternoon vs. the Mets.

[nitekast]

Can we trade the front office? What a bunch of dicks. I'm really glad I didnt order that Mclouth jersey last month. If i had I would have drove the damn thing to PNC Park and demanded my money back.

[edgecrush2003]

They make me sooooo f'in mad but i just can't quit'em.Let's face it you're a Bucs fan i guess we're just used to it.The dogs are good and the beer ain't always flat and hell it's baseball......and that beats the shit outa the NBA.

Yes It is better than the NBA.

[Hawk]

I'm always a Bucs fan, win or lose. Giving away good players has been a Pirate mainstay for a long time. I guess I just got use to it.

I still watch, and I love Blass and Walk. In fact, I'd like to see Bob Walk become manager, when they hang on to good players...

[ToonaRockGuy]

2 things...

1. Seriously, how can anyone really be a Bucs fan when, in your heart, you KNOW they will bé oue of contention by June 15th every year?

2. Why do the Bucs fail to at least trade their All-Stars out of the division? I mean, Nate to the Braves, and before thatt, Aramis Ramirez to the Cubbies. Seriously.

3. Its hard to post this from my PS3, even with the bluetooth keyboard.

[Baceman Spiff]

2 things...

1. Seriously, how can anyone really be a Bucs fan when, in your heart, you KNOW they will bé oue of contention by June 15th every year?

2. Why do the Bucs fail to at least trade their All-Stars out of the division? I mean, Nate to the Braves, and before thatt, Aramis Ramirez to the Cubbies. Seriously.

3. Its hard to post this from my PS3, even with the bluetooth keyboard.

1. When you grow up a Bucco's fan, it just sticks with you. There are too many fair weather fans in sports that jump from team to team, depending on who's the trendy winner. Example NFL Tampa Bay. Those of us old enough to remember when T-Bay was the perennial stinkers with the gay uniforms. Nobody outside of Florida was a fan. Change the uni's, get serious about the team, win a championship. Wham...instant fanbase.

2. I agree that trading to your division rivals is stupid. But there have been many bonehead moves by the Pirates before. As far as Ramirez goes, he had one decent season with the Bucs, the very next season he was dogging it the whole time. That is until he got traded, and became one the top players in the game. Surprise surprise.

3. Sucks to be you. jk


4. The wiseman fights always for the lost cause, realizing all others are merely effects.

[DirtySanchez]

2 things...

1.
2.

3.

I bet we had the same math classes.

[ToonaRockGuy]

2 things...

1.
2.

3.

I bet we had the same math classes.

I suck at math, Brian.

[Hawk]

Stay up until 11:56. FIFTEEN innings...They loose.