My Reaction.

                  The Pirates did not make that one over the top deal that makes them instant World Series contenders. But take a look, Did anybody? I did not see one player that would completely separate a team from the pack.  The Pirates got good value for giving up little in value. Neal Huntington went out and got good pieces that can help this team win this year, but will keep this team in contention for a while.  The critics all along said the Pirates could not give up Starling Marte,Jameson Taillon, and especially not Gerrit Cole. The Pirates did just that. They gave up minimal prospects that were not untouchable.They did not land Shane Victorino or Hunter Pence, but from seeing the returns the Phillies received, it was wise the Pirates did not trade for those guys. Other than that, there were not many other big name players dealt. Chase Headley, Justin Upton, and Shin Soo Choo did not get traded. Obviously other contending teams did not want to part with their top prospects either. The Pirates may not have gotten the "wow factor" but nobody really did.

                   The Pirates brought in a Pitcher that will be a valuable #2 the rest of the way this year and will be around for next year. Wandy Rodriguez is the best acquisition the Pirates made. He was also one of the better pitchers on the market. Ryan Dempster and Zach Greinke were the only pitchers that commanded more attention. The Pirates were able to land Rodriguez for three mid level prospects. The Pirates also went out and got a player in Travis Snider, that could turn into the Pirates future five hole hitter. They gave up a good relief pitcher in Brad Lincoln, although Lincoln has had a very suspect career until this season. Neal Huntington has shown the ability of finding good relief pitchers in his tenure, I assume he will add a few in the offseason. The Pirates also went out and grabbed Gaby Sanchez from the Marlins for Gorkys Hernandez.  Hernandez is a good defensive outfielder, but has very limited offensive skills. He had no role with the Pirates any longer and the Pirates added a former All Star First Basemen in the process with Sanchez. He is having a rough season, but has played well in the past and is under team control for three more seasons.  The 33rd pick in the draft was also dealt to Miami, but the Pirates already hold two top 30 picks. The Pirates made a late move shipping Casey McGehee to the Yankees for veteran reliever Chad Qualls. This deal is not anything exciting, but McGehee no longer had a role on the team with the Sanchez acquisition.

          The Pirates have loaded up for the future. The core group that has led the Pirates to their record to date is in tact. Andrew McCutchen,Neil Walker,Garrett Jones, and Pedro Alvarez are all having successful seasons. Travis Snider and Starling Marte are young guys that will build the core and help now. Barmes and Barajas have been good veterans to hold this thing together. The pitching staff improved with Rodriguez, the other starters need to stay consistent.  The Bullpen is weaker, but is still one of the best in the league. This team will be the same team that has competed with the Reds all year long. Alex Presley,Jose Tabata, and Casey McGehee are not players that should be starting in a pennant race. The Pirates got rid of some dead weight in some regards and have a talented roster coming up next season. Huntington will spend some money on pitching in the offseason, and Gerrit Cole could and should be here next year. This team is young and competing, there is no reason to believe they will not continue to compete next year and beyond.