So Mark Melancon is with the Washington Nationals, and you want to know if the Pirates made a good trade.
Can you hold for about two years, please?
Sorry, but that's the only valid answer for Saturday's deal that sent Melancon to Washington for set-up reliever Felipe Rivero and prospect Taylor Hearn.
Melancon is the proven commodity who has had a near-perfect record on save opportunities over three All-Star seasons.
His departure speaks to his impending free agency and general manager Neal Huntington's aversion to committing too big a percentage of his payroll to a closer. Huntington not-so-secretly believes that closers aren't that difficult to find, and this deal puts that theory to the test.
Tony Watson ascends to the ninth inning role, and Neftali Feliz takes over Watson's old job as the eighth-inning man and occasional alternative as closer.
Rivero is slotted as the seventh-inning set-up spot, a job that became vacant as Watson and Feliz were promoted, and Jared Hughes continues to disappoint.
The Pirates' two new pitchers are also evidence of Huntington's unabashed love for power arms. If they happen to be lefthanded, as they are in this case, so much the better.
The Pirates would never say this publicly, but there must be an expectation that Rivero can be considered as a potential closer within a season or two. In that time frame, Watson will be in the position Melancon was this season, and the order of succession will become important again.
Hearn is pitching in Class A. He's widely regarded as a fine prospect, but who knows what might happen along the way? Jameson Taillon, who is finally in the major leagues, is pitching again after failing to appear in a game over two seasons because of injuries.
In the short term, this depends on the new configuration of the bullpen crew's ability to handle the new responsibilities. Watson has been an effective reliever who doesn't get rattled. Feliz has a history as a closer. Rivero has to be better than Hughes has been.
Can they be as automatic as Melancon has been?
These questions will be answered, which is why the cop out was offered in the second paragraph.
The issue with the 2016 Pirates remains the starting pitching. So far, mediocre starters have been commanding big returns on the trade market, which doesn't bode well for a trade of any consequence.
The answer in that case remains improvement from within, as soon as possible.
It doesn't take two years to figure that out.
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--FEELING BETRAYED
Ben Roethlisberger sounded like a disappointed parent the other day when he expressed his dismay over Martavis Bryant.
Bryant is sitting out this season after running afoul of the NFL's drug policy. This penalty comes a year after Bryant sat out a four-game suspension.
Roethlisberger said he spoke to Bryant almost every day last season, and concluded that Bryant looked him square in the eye and lied.
The life lesson to take from this is that people's who lives are ruled by substances are very unreliable.
The Steelers should realize this, too, and end their relationship with Bryant at the first opportunity.
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--CUT RATE SALE
Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is one of the best in baseball, but he's famous now for destroying the team's throwback jerseys.
Apparently Bryant found the old-style shirts uncomfortable, and responded by mutilating them so they couldn't be worn.
He was suspended for five days.
How long until the White Sox auction off the shredded jerseys?
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--OH YOU KID
You could see this coming: Root last week featured the kid who became a star with his reactions to the 18-inning game at Washington a couple of Sundays ago.
Oh boy. After the interview, you were left with the feeling you'd move if you had seats near the kid.
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