Neil Walker-Jonathon Niese Swap Proving Beneficial For Respective Clubs

Neil Walker was a hometown kid and fan favorite as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and when the team executed a deal over the winter that sent the second baseman to the New York Mets, there were a lot of unhappy fans. In return, they received starting pitcher Jonathon Niese, who hasn’t completed a season with an ERA under 3.40. Popular opinion was that the deal was made for money reasons, but if you look a little deeper, it makes more sense than you might have originally thought.

Walker, who attended Pine-Richland High School was drafted by 11th overall by Pittsburgh in the 2004 MLB Draft. He was selected as a catcher but after a few position changes, found a home at second base. He made his debut on September 1, 2009 and through the 2015 season, accumulated a career average of .272 with 93 home runs.

The Pirates lost a considerable amount of power when they parted ways with Walker and Pedro Alvarez in the offseason, but the offense hasn’t suffered. The move was ultimately made because the team had great infield depth and only so many positions available. The club dealt Walker in an effort to add depth at other positions. With the retirement of A.J. Burnett, it was necessary to bolster the rotation.

Niese has been serviceable this season with a 6-2 record, though it comes with a humdrum 3.91 ERA. Despite the uneven stats, he always has the potential to throw a great game, which he did Tuesday with seven shutout innings in the front half of the Pirates’ doubleheader against the Mets.

Walker, on the other hand has been outstanding for New York and is on pace to annihilate his personal best single-season home run mark of 23, which he accomplished in in the 2014 season. He already has 13 through 54 games which puts him on pace to finish the 2016 season with 39 home runs.

The Mets may be getting the most obvious production out of their acquisition, though considering the Pirates rank second in team batting average, they’re doing alright without their former Silver Slugger. The trade has added rotation depth and also made Josh Harrison‘s move to second base possible. With Jung-Ho Kang, Jordy Mercer and David Freese sharing time on the left side of the infield, it’s hard to complain about the Bucs’ infield.