Gorkys Hernandez Should Be Traded

Probably the biggest topic in Pittsburgh sports this month has been what the Pirates should do at the trade deadline. Should they trade away prospects to get a big name player to solidify the lineup and increase our playoff chances? Should we only go after a player that we can lose mainly cash for? Or should we ride out this magical season and see what this team can do without any additions? Big questions.

I'm not really super firm in any of these stances, honestly I'll probably be okay with whatever happens, just because I am on such a high from these 3.5 months of winning. One thing I am sure of though, is that if a trade is made, Gorkys Hernandez should be one of the players leaving our system.

The Pirates got Hernandez in the Nate McLouth deal that also brought in Charlie Morton and Jeff Locke. He is a great defensive centerfielder with good speed and offensive upside. Gorkys has played in 3 All-Star Futures Games (2007, 2008, 2010), has made the Midwest League All-Star team twice (2007, 2008), and has even won an MVP award in the Midwest league (2007). He was a top prospect for the Tigers before being moved to the Braves, where he remained a top level prospect before his trade to Pittsburgh. There were pretty big hopes for him after that trade, but since the he's trailed off quite a bit.

In 2008, Hernandez hit .265/.348/.387 with 5 homers and 20 stolen bases. He put together a very impressive first half of the season in 2009 with the Braves AA team, hitting .316/.361/.387, but struggled in the 2nd half of the year with the Altoona Curve, the Pirates AA affiliate. Hernandez hit .262/.312/.340 to finish out that year. His final 2009 line was .282/.331/.358 with 3 HR and 19 steals. 2010 was another disappointing year as he hit .266/.333/.334 with 2 HR and stole 17 bases while striking out 95 times in 368 at bats. With Andrew McCutchen turning into a superstar at the big league level and Jose Tabata developing fast, the future looked very cloudy for Hernandez in the Pirates organization.

Coming into this year, Hernandez had very low trade value and really no where to go. Despite those factors, he was promoted to AAA Indianapolis and has had a successful year, hitting .296/.347/.405 with 17 steals. He's lowered his strikeout rate and has continued to play very good defense against the better competition. At the age of 23, Gorkys has raised his stock quite a bit in these last 3 months.

One thing that isn't changing is Hernandez's future with the Pirates. There just isn't any room for a speed outfielder with no power with the major league club, and there won't be for a long time. Andrew McCutchen will be locked sooner or later and Jose Tabata is still expected to be a long-term player for this team. Starling Marte has continued to improve and looks like a possible option to be an every day right fielder someday, not to mention what we've seen from Alex Presley so far this year. It's a logjam in the outfield for the Pirates, and the last thing we need is another speed guy that can't hit the ball over the fence.

The longer the Pirates keep Gorkys in the system, the more his trade value sinks. Age is crucial with these low and mid level prospects, and there's quite a big difference between a 23 year old AA player and a 25 year old player. The time to deal Gorkys is now. Take advantage of his age and his good 2011 season, flaunt that speed and defensive prowess and find a buyer for him. The Pirates need help at the big league level, and they are going to have give up cash and some prospects to get it. Hernandez is the perfect guy to lose. He has no future with the team and won't have this much trade value for long. Pull the trigger. We won't miss you, Gorkys.