In last week's column, I mentioned how the Pittsburgh Pirates had been in a tough position, having to take quantity over quality in a pair of trades.

As it turns out, they might have gotten both.

Some media outlets have slammed the Pirates for not landing a "name" player, such as Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria or David Price.

The Pirates weren't looking for those particular players, but players of that magnitude who are going to be All-Star caliber types.

The Pirates brought in eight players in the two trades and lost three players — outfielders Xavier Nady and Jason Bay and set-up reliever Damaso Marte.

Nady has gotten off to a fast start with the Yankees, as has Marte, but Nady has had a history of nagging injuries. As a set-up pitcher, Marte is great for a contender but useless for a team below .500.

Bay has been among the top National League outfielders for most of his career with the Pirates and he could excel in Boston.

The Pirates received several pitching prospects from the Yankees, including Jeff Karstens, who won his first start at Chicago Friday. They also received a young and immature outfielder in Jose Tabata, who has a boatload of potential but a poor attitude to go along with it.

The latter will be a problem for another day, perhaps a little humility will set in before he arrives in Pittsburgh by the 2010 or 2011 season.

The Bay trade brought a handsome reward — three 24-year-olds and a 19-year-old in third baseman Andy LaRoche and pitcher Bryan Morris from Los Angeles and outfielder Brandon Moss and reliever Craig Hansen from Boston.

LaRoche, Moss and Hansen give the Pirates three new players for the major-league roster who will get some valuable playing time over the final two months of the season,

LaRoche has excelled at every level in the minor leagues and there's no reason he'll can't the same in the majors. Moss was the Red Sox's fourth outfielder and Hansen was a future closer, but he was moved to being a set-up man for closer Jonathan Papelbon, a role he's not suited for.

With a little control work, he can be the future closer if Matt Capps, who's on the disabled list, loses the job.

The trades remind me of a pair the Pirates made in the mid-to-late 1980s that set the foundation of those National League East championship teams.

n First baseman Sid Bream and outfielders R.J. Reynolds and Cecil Espy came in a deal completed Sept. 9, 1985, for third baseman Bill Madlock.

• Outfielder Andy Van Slyke, catcher Mike LaValliere and pitcher Mike Dunne came in a deal for catcher Tony Pena April 1, 1987.

None of those players were bona fide superstars, but they helped turn the tide for the Pirates organization, which had suffered through losing records and the 1985 drug trials held in Pittsburgh.

That's the feeling I got with these two trades. The groundwork is being laid; it just will time to reap the benefits.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.