Folks, The Pirates Are BUYING: Rangers Closer Keone Kela Goes To Pittsburgh For A Pair Of Prospects
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Wow. Love to see this. You truly, honestly do. After an offseason in which the Pirates sold off their franchise player in Andrew McCutchen and their ace in Gerrit Cole, it was looking like Pirates fans were in for a disappointing 2018 season courtesy of an ownership that many would agree had failed their fan base. In a way, they still have. This 2018 Pirates team has not succeeded because of their ownership, but rather in spite of them. And that’s what makes them so easy to root for this year.
On July 7, Pittsburgh lost their fifth consecutive game to drop to 40-48 on the year. It was at that point that we started discussing which pieces, if any, that the team would continue to sell off in a few weeks once the trade deadline rolled around. Then, they won 13 of 14, including 11 straight games to improve to 53-49.
Now, we’re talking Wild Card. That’s what that second Wild Card spot does for teams like the Pirates. One second, you’re looking around the clubhouse, wondering which of these guys isn’t going to be here anymore after July 31. A few weeks later, and you’re wondering which shiny new toys are going to be walking through that clubhouse door to help out the cause.
The answer to that question is former Texas Rangers closer, Keone Kela. In his first full season as a closer for Texas, Kela has racked up 24 saves to go along with a 3.44 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts in 36.2 innings. Kela now joins forces with Pittsburgh’s All Star closer Felipe Vazquez, who has 23 saves of his own, along with a 3.02 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts in 44.2 innings.
While this is a move that will certainly help the Pirates’ chances of snagging that second Wild Card spot in the National League this year, as they’re four games back with the Dbacks, Braves and Rockies ahead of them, it also helps them in the coming years as well. Like Vazquez, Kela is under team control through the 2021 season, as this was his first year of arbitration. The 25-year-old right-hander still has three more years of arbitration remaining before he becomes a free agent.