Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jeff Locke leads the team with eight wins, but his status in Pittsburgh is in jeopardy.
According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune, the Pirates are looking to make room for top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow, and Locke's name is surfacing in trade talks to open that spot.
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Youngster's Emergence Puts Locke on the Block
Thursday, July 14
While Locke leads the team in wins, his ERA of 5.26 is the second-worst among Pittsburgh starters. He's also had a problem with keeping the ball in the park, allowing 14 home runs in 101 innings.
Locke did earn a 2013 All-Star Game appearance with a 10-7 record, but he's never posted an ERA less than 3.52 and hasn't pitched more than 168.1 innings.
Glasnow, on the other hand, is the Pirates' No. 1-ranked prospect, per MLB.com. He has been lighting up the minor leagues.
Playing with Triple-A Indianapolis in 2016, Glasnow is 7-2 with a 1.78 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 96 innings. However, a frightening statistic for Pirates fans to see is his 52 walks in that span.
Pittsburgh called him up on July 7 to make a start against the St. Louis Cardinals. He gave up four runs in 5.1 innings while striking out five and walking two:
Earning $3 million this year, Locke is slated for two years of arbitration after the 2016 season, per Spotrac. With his uncertain contract future, he could be viewed as a prime candidate for a trade, though no specific suitors have been disclosed as of yet.
With a little over two weeks remaining until Major League Baseball's Aug. 1 trade deadline, the Pirates will have to move one of their pitchers in order to settle Glasnow into a regular starting role. And if the right team comes along, then Locke could be on the move.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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