Nate McLouth had an outstanding season in 2008. He was an apparition on another laughably bad, contract-these-scrubs 67-win Pittsburgh team. He appeared to be the consummate centerfielder – speed (23 steals), power (26 homers), defense*, and he possessed the ability to hit leadoff. The Yankees, among others, supposedly coveted him.

The logical move was to sell McLouth high – deal the budding star to one of those silly, free-spending teams. Plus, 2005 1st rounder Andrew McCuthchen was waiting in the minor league system for his shot. What’d the Pirates do?

They kept McLouth, of course – perhaps because McCuthchen slumped a bit in the minors in 2008. McLouth opened 2009 slightly less impressively than he did last year, and two months into the season, and four games under .500, Pittsburgh traded him to Atlanta for two supposedly promising prospects and another guy. None of the trio appears Major League-ready (certainly not the guy who went 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in Atlanta last year). And it’s worth noting that the “best bat” in Atlanta’s minors, Jordan Schafer, who had a torrid April, is already back in the minors.

What a terrible move. Did they underestimate how hard the economy might affect ticket sales? (Pittsburgh’s last in the majors in attendance.) Why now? Seems like Pirates fans are, asking the same thing. One blog points out that in the last year, the Pirates have traded three very good outfielders: Jay Bay (Boston), Xavier Nady (Yankees), and McLouth. Despite getting some decent pieces in return, they can’t seem to land any studs the way the Marlins and Rays have in the past decade.

The Pirates have a total payroll of $48 million this season – by far lowest in their division (next worst: Cincinnati Reds, $73 million). There may not be a direct correlation between payroll and success (the Marlins and the Rays have been the exceptions to the rule in the last decade, with a couple of other teams), but there’s no way, with or without McLouth, that Pittsburgh is contending against the Cubs and Cards in the Central. So again – why deal him now?

Take two, maybe four teams out of MLB and you drastically increase the talent pool. It’ll never happen, but if a draft were held with players from, say, San Diego, Pittsburgh, KC and Washington, the bottom 1/3 of the league would be greatly improved and not looking to dump salary in early June.

* You’re either in the ‘he won a Gold Glove last year’ camp, or the kind of guy who swears by stats like ‘Defensive runs saved.’