Should the Pirates trade Brad Lincoln?

With the trade deadline approaching, I though I'd take a look at one of the more intriguing trade chips the Pirates have: Brad Lincoln. Some people might be surprised that Lincoln would carry significant value in a trade, but he's under control for five more years at a low cost and has shown the ability to be effective as either a starter or a reliever.

Lincoln has been used mostly in relief this year and has posted impressive numbers. He has a 2.98 ERA (most of the damage coming from his five starts), a 52:13 K/BB ratio and has also finished five games, leading some to believe he could be developed into an effective closer. This year, his K-rate has climbed to more than a strikeout per inning.

And it's not just his numbers; Pirates fans have witnessed the fires he's managed to put out for the team, and he has the flexibility of getting a key strikeout with runners on or pitching three scoreless innings to pick up a struggling starter.

That is exactly why teams such as the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres have expressed interest in the right-hander. The Pirates are known to have inquired about Justin Upton of the Diamondbacks and Carlos Quentin and Chase Headley of the Padres as they seek for help at an infield or outfield corner.

So, it begs the question: should the Pirates trade Lincoln? In general, I think not. The Pirates do have a lot of starting depth in AAA (Rudy Owens, Jeff Locke, Justin Wilson) and they do have Bryan Morris ready to step into a relief role should a big league arm be moved. So, why not move him for a valuable piece? Well, in short, because he's controllable at a low cost and because the Pirates would probably be better off moving a guy like Joel Hanrahan who only has one more year of control and is due a hefty raise from his current $4.1 million salary. This front office has shown no stomach for pricey relievers, especially since they've done such a good job of finding gems on the free-agent market (see Grilli, Cruz) the past couple years.

That said, I would make one exception. I would move Lincoln in a package for Justin Upton. Upton is 24, has three years left on his contract and has a ceiling similar to that of Andrew McCutchen. A package for Upton will almost certainly include top outfield prospect Starling Marte. Beyond that, the Snakes would want a top pitching prospect and a third major-league-ready prospect. That means Jameson Taillon and someone like Jeff Locke who is ready to contribute in the majors today. That's a steep price to pay, but one that the Pirates would likely consider given the skill set that Upton would bring to the team. Now, if Lincoln were to replace Taillon in the deal (even if it meant adding another B-prospect to the deal), I think it would be worth it. Getting Upton would be a huge splash for the Pirates (well worth moving a valuable piece like Lincoln) and managing to keep both Cole and Taillon in the system would be big. So, even though I'd be extremely reluctant to trade Lincoln, I wouldn't think twice about it in the case of a potential Upton deal.