La Roche deal a good one

The trading of first baseman Adam La Roche was a good one for the Pirates, even if the minor league prospects don't pan out. Getting rid of La Roche's $7 million contract, or at least what was left this year, is worth it. La Roche came to Pittsburgh with the hope that he would be the power hitter who could carry the offense.

But he couldn't live up to those expectations. La Roche was a decent first baseman, not a $7 million a year player but a so-so power guy with a good glove. He went into maddening slumps to start each season in Pgh., and he never really took advantage of the short right-field wall at PNC Park. He should have been what Garrett Jones is now, a feared power threat in the lineup. Most of La Roche's home runs came when they mattered least, mainly late in the season when the Pirates were long out of the race.

He wasn't the type of player the Pirates need now, even in a power-starved lineup. And if the savings on his salary helps sign Jack Wilson, then it's a plus.