Pirates Deal Bailey Falter To Royals At Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates will look a little different when they take the field on Friday to face the Colorado Rockies after taking part in three deals before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline. Following deals that sent third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds and closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees, the team sent left-handed starter Bailey Falter to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for left-handed reliever Evan Sisk and first baseman Callan Moss.

With the Pirates heading into the trade deadline 8-2 over their last 10 games, the late-season surge was a case of too little too late when it came to adding pieces to place them back in contention this season.

Currently sitting in last place in the National League Central standings with a record of 47-62, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington opted to sell high on Falter’s success this season and acquire young and controllable talent as the team switches its focus toward being competitive again next year.

Falter, who won’t become a free agent until 2029, joins a Royals rotation that recently lost starting pitcher Kris Bubic for the rest of the season with a strained right rotator cuff. In 22 starts this season, Falter was 7-5 with a 3.73 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 113 1/3 innings.

Sisk could join the Pirates’ bullpen soon. The 28-year-old appeared in five games with the Royals this season and has produced a 1.69 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2018 draft, Sisk was traded to the Royals last year in a three-player deal with the Minnesota Twins.

With Moss, the Pirates have acquired a power-hitting first baseman who has hit .270 with seven home runs and 70 RBIs while playing for High-A Quad Cities this season. The 21-year-old was signed as a minor league free agent last summer after not being selected in the draft.

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