As you might expect, the initial reaction (e.g. here and here) to the news that the Pirates had acquired a 39-year-old catcher for a 21-year-old prospect was not positive. I gotta say that I can't blame anyone who would take that kind of stance. Trades like Benito Santiago for Leo Nunez usually make sense for a top tier team that is looking for the final pieces to the puzzle. The Pirates, on the other hand, still have the puzzle pieces strewn across the table, hoping that none of them will be missing when the puzzle finally starts to take shape.

That being said, I am not outraged by this deal. Why, you ask? Have previous debacles (like the Aramis and Benson deals) exhausted my outrage? Have I forgotten my own previous diatribes about the disconcerting direction the team has been heading? Or, have I have dipped into the spiked eggnog one too many times? No, it’s none of these (tho' I am due for another glass of eggnog). It's simply that I think this deal will have no lasting effect (either positive or negative) on this team at all and, in that respect, it's not worth getting upset over.

I always think of baseball trades as these team-altering events. That perception is true a good number of the times. There are plenty of examples of trades that are either helpful or harmful to the teams involved. However, I think the majority of trades made in baseball really just don't matter when it’s all said and done. I think this trade will be one of those trades.

In all likelihood, Santiago's impact on the team (positive or negative) will be negligible. Unless something strange happens, he will be gone after the season. During his short stay here, I can't see him doing a whole lot to make things significantly better or worse. Think of Santiago like an "inbetweener" girlfriend. Share some laughs. Have some fun. And then go your separate ways (hopefully to a more substantial relationship).

One persistent criticism of the deal is that it takes away valuable development time away from Humberto Cota and J.R. House. Normally, I would agree with the sentiment. The Bucs definitely have a track record of going with stopgap veterans to the detriment of the development of younger players. In this case, however, I am skeptical about the possible development of Cota and House to begin with. I think Cota slots in as a very useful backup catcher whose usefulness decreases as his playing time increases. House is more interesting. He could have a plus bat at the position, but obviously the Pirates have serious reservations about his ability to play the position at the major league level. I think I might agree with them. I get the feeling that House will ultimately top out with a career similar to that of Todd Greene -- a useful bat that is best served coming off the bench filling in at catcher (as the third option on a roster), first base and outfield.

Another source of criticism for the deal is the fact that the team gave up a prospect to bring Santiago in. Again, I would usually agree with such criticism, but I don't think Nunez will have any kind of impact at the major league level -- if he even gets there. Nunez has been labeled "Little Pedro" because of his slight build and electric fastball. However, there have been a number of prospects that have been saddled with that label and none have been able to live up to it. Like most of those guys, Nunez has yet to develop the one pitch that sets "Big Pedro" apart -- an effective changeup. You can survive with a killer fastball at Low-A, but the higher levels will usually weed those guys out. It is also worth pointing out that Baseball America neglected to list him among the top 20 prospects in his league last year. Those lists are far from infallible, but it still telling that Nunez failed to stand out given the good numbers he put up. I think it is entirely possible that Nunez may reach the majors and become an effective middle relief pitcher or setup man. However, odds are if he remained with the Pirates he would have been the victim of a numbers game at some point.

I don't want to give the impression that I am happy with this deal. This is exactly the kind of deal that I loathe. The Pirates should be building a viable core that will set them up to compete for an extended period of time. Santiago is definitely not part of that. But the thing is I don't think that Cota or House (or Nunez for that matter) are a part of that either. If I had my druthers, I would have leaned towards giving the young guys a chance rather than bring in a veteran. Management obviously felt otherwise. It's unfortunate, but I don't think it’s worth losing any sleep over it.