The Pirates made two trades at the deadline today, but hardly made a splash. They traded Tony Watson, getting prospects Oneil Cruz and Angel German in return for his final two months before free agency. They also added Joaquin Benoit for minor league reliever Seth McGarry.
After the deadline, I pointed out on Twitter that Watson had a 4.61 xFIP this year, while Benoit has a 4.66 xFIP. That's not really praise for Benoit, as much as pointing out that the Pirates replaced one struggling reliever with previous success for another. I'm not sure if either pitcher will bounce back, although I don't think it matters for the Pirates as much, since their chances of contending this year are low after the last week.