Is Headley a good fit for the Pirates?

Buster Olney and Jon Heyman today confirmed the Pirates' continued interest in Padres third baseman Chase Headley. Olney mentions that the Padres are asking for a significant package of prospects for Headley. It's obvious why the Pirates would have interest. Headley's had a very good season, posting a line of .268/.361/.425 with 11 HR and 50 RBI. Headley has always been an underrated base stealer and he has now reached double-digit steals for four consecutive seasons. His WAR so far this year is a very good 3.6. So, why wouldn't the Pirates want him?

Well, there are a few reasons a Headley trade might not make sense. Headley is in his second year of arbitration eligibility. He was a Super-Two player, meaning he qualifies for a total of four years of arbitration. With two plus years of control, Headley's trade value is very high and a trade will likely require a top prospect from the acquiring team. In the Pirates' case, that likely means parting with either Jameson Taillon or Starling Marte. Based on Neal Huntington's recent comments, that seems like something he's unlikely to do.

The other problem is that Headley is a third basemen. Third basemen are highly coveted at this year's deadline, driving up the potential price tag. Furthermore, the Pirates already have a third basemen in Pedro Alvarez. When the Headley rumors initially started, Alvarez was in one of his prodigious slumps, but recently he has found some consistency and is a regular source of power in the Pirates lineup. Alvarez is also doing well defensively this year at third, and he has yet to make a start at another position.

So, why not move Headley? He has made plenty of starts in the OF. The problem is, he's a below-average outfielder, but an excellent third basemen. This year, he has an outstanding 6.1 UZR at third base. In 2009, he earned a -7.4 UZR in 982.1 innings in left field. The year before, his outfield UZR was -9.5. Does that sound like somebody you'd like to plug in the Pirates outfield, especially given the defensive struggles the Pirates have had recently in the OF corners?

If the Pirates did trade for Headley, they would have to play him at third base. That's the only way they could get full value out of him. That would mean a long-term move to first for Alvarez, who would also lose some of his value because of the move. The Pirates defense at first has been surprisingly good this year and a work-in-progress Alvarez during a pennant race seems like a bad idea. As much as I like Headley as a player and as much as I think getting him out of PETCO Park could only increase his value, he just doesn't seem to be a quality fit for the Pirates.