To say that last offseason was a busy one for the Pittsburgh Pirates would be a major understatement. The club shipped off several key performers – first baseman Josh Bell and pitchers Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon – in a bid to restock a depleted farm system. And – some Bob Nutting haters might say – to reduce the payroll.
Bell was the first to go, as he was sent to the Washington Nationals on Christmas Eve in exchange for pitchers Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean. Musgrove followed in mid-January, traded to San Diego as part of a three-way deal that ultimately netted the Pirates reliever David Bednar and four prospects – outfielder Hudson Head, catcher Endy Rodriguez and pitchers Drake Fellows and Omar Cruz.