After trading Jarrod Dyson, Pirates players waiting for next deadline-deal domino to fall

Once general manager Ben Cherington allowed that no one was untouchable at the trade deadline, the Pittsburgh Pirates were waiting for the first domino of deals to drop and to see how many would follow.

When the Pirates sent 36-year-old center fielder Jarrod Dyson to the Chicago White Sox on Friday for $243,300 in the international signing pool, it didn’t necessarily send shock waves through the clubhouse.

But it did serve notice that trades aren’t just talk.

“We lose a nice piece in Dyson, a clubhouse piece. The energy he brings in there and the excitement, that’s something we’re definitely going to miss,” Pirates pitcher Derek Holland said. “At the same time, we can’t worry about those things. If you start doing that, then that’s when the distraction starts becoming something else instead of doing what you should be doing on the field.”

But the last-place Pirates (9-20) are aware that more trades could be coming this weekend, especially with national reports that Cherington is listening to offers and willing to trade anyone and everyone. That could range from unproven rookies to an All-Star first baseman.

“I’ll just speak for myself. I haven’t really looked into any of those articles or heard any of those quotes,” said Josh Bell, who had a breakout season with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs last year and has two years of team control remaining. “I know every day is a blessing, so you’ve got to play this game like it’s your last.

“We have such a great group of young guys that I’m excited to be around and play with. I love being here. I love being a Pirate. I’m sure everybody else in the club also said the same thing. But, you know, those decisions aren’t for us to make. That’s above my pay grade.”

It’s in the wheelhouse of Pirates rookie manager Derek Shelton, who stays in close contact with Cherington on a daily basis to keep updated on baseball operations conversations but allowed that “this time of the year, we’re talking constantly.”

Now, every starting lineup and strategical decision Shelton makes will be analyzed as to whether it’s to showcase a potential trade piece. That was certainly the case on Friday night at Milwaukee, when the lineup had second baseman Adam Frazier in left field, shortstop Kevin Newman at second base and Erik Gonzalez at short.

It was the case when Shelton sent Jose Osuna into the game at third base in the seventh inning, moving JT Riddle to shortstop and removing Gonzalez. The watch was on to see if Shelton would give Gonzalez a hug in the dugout, a sign that he was saying goodbye.

No, Shelton said, it was just the score. The Pirates were losing to the Brewers by eight runs, and Gonzalez had played both games of a doubleheader at St. Louis on Thursday.

The Pirates are trying to treat the trade deadline as if it’s another distraction they have to avoid this season, the same way they can’t concentrate on contracting covid-19 even though they are tested regularly. It’s a part of baseball that players have learned to accept.

“If someone gets traded, they’ll let us know,” pitcher Trevor Williams said. “It’s one of those (things) where we can’t be worried about something that is out of our control.”

Where veterans on expiring contracts tend to be targets, nothing is normal about this season. With Dyson dealt, the attention quickly turned to the 33-year-old Holland before he gave up eight runs on three home runs in the 9-1 loss to the Brewers on Friday. Holland knows the anxiety that can come as the deadline approaches, as he was traded by the San Francisco Giants to the Chicago Cubs last year.

“The only thing I would say is, if I was auditioning, I’m going to be a bullpen piece, if anything,” Holland said. “I’m not thinking about being traded. It sounds weird to say, but, I mean, who wants a guy with a 15.00 ERA?”

Considering his ERA is actually 7.69, it’s possible a contender with the need for a lefty in the bullpen could value his postseason experience and ability to strike out eight Brewers. Perhaps a team will focus on Holland allowing only one run over his previous seven innings instead of the combined eight homers he allowed in two starts this month.

Since signing as a non-roster invitee to spring training and earning a spot in the starting rotation, the 11th-year veteran has taken it upon himself to mentor young pitchers and be a positive influence in a clubhouse that can’t afford to become consumed with trade-deadline deals.

“You want to try to enforce not to think about that,” Holland said. “This is a business. The last thing you need to be worried about is if you’re going to be traded. If you’re giving everything you have every single day on the field, the rest of it’s going to take of itself, whether you’re traded or not. You need to focus on what you’re doing now for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“With that being said, all the attention needs to be Pittsburgh and not worried about if you’re going somewhere else. I try to stress that to the guys, but we haven’t really had too much of a discussion of it, to be honest, because it’s not something that’s not been across our minds. … You need to remember that you represent what’s on your chest and worry about what’s on your back later.”