Pirates Won't Spoil Giants Prospect Debut

Pirates vs. Giants, 9:45 ET

I've been looking at the trade deadline for weeks now with excitement, but it is probably my fault for having that excitement. They have been a bit of duds the past few years with most teams deciding to keep their players. The Yankees had Aaron Judge get hurt so that might shift some things, specifically if they decide not to be as big of buyers (though it looks like he may be okay). I kind of feel like that meme where a kid is poking something with a stick and saying "do something already!" I'm still hopeful a flurry of trades happen and both of these teams might be involved in deadline deals as the Pirates take on the Giants.

The Pirates have been floating players around, and are probably just waiting to see what their best return will be. Although the team is 18 games under .500, they do have some talent on the roster. Obviously, their best asset isn't going anywhere, unless there is some sort of Godfather offer. I wrote about Pittsburgh yesterday and was able to take a win, so there isn't much new to say than what I discussed about them yesterday. The difference today is they are traveling across country, where they have lost 24 more games than they have won, and their Ace is not starting. Today, they send Mitch Keller to the mound, a guy who has been in trade talks all year long and likely will bring a nice return if the Pirates do choose to trade him away. Keller is 4-10 for the season with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. I wouldn't say that Keller has a postseason pedigree, but those are numbers of a starter that you would want to help you get to the postseason. He has been very good on the road this season with a sub-three ERA, and has put together four straight quality starts. The Giants hitters are batting just .241 against him in 58 at-bats. 

May 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants were having a really good season for a while, but they have faltered a bit. I'm not blaming him, so don't take it that way, but ever since Rafael Devers came to the team, they have played under .500 baseball. They were around 10 games over .500 when the trade happened and are just two games over at the moment. They are one of the coldest teams in baseball, having gone just 2-7 since the All-Star Break. If there is any solace, it is that they faced the Blue Jays and Mets and went 0-6 against them. They plays six of their next nine games against the Pirates, so they could jump right back into the playoff race. They have Carson Whisenhunt making his Major League Debut today. He is a 24-year old left-handed pitcher that is highly touted as the Giants #3 prospect. I won't pretend I follow a ton of Minor League baseball, but reports say he has a great changeup. His numbers aren't overly impressive at Triple A ball this season, but there has to be something the club sees in his stuff that they don't care about a 4.42 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a .273 opponent batting average.

If you're going to get your Major League Debut against anyone, the Pirates are as good of a candidate as any. Sure, facing the Rockies or maybe the White Sox would be better for you, but Whisenhunt faces a team that doesn't typically score a lot of runs. Keller should be able to keep the Giants from getting too many here, so I lean to the under. However, I think you can fade a Pirates team that has only won 13 games on the road this year. Even with Keller pitching well on the road, the Pirates have won in just 25% of his road starts this season. Expect that number to go down, and back the Giants. 

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