6-28-23 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter
The Pirates finally won a game, and won it with the bats at that. One game is exactly that, until they do this sort of thing for a few games, a week, it’s just an anomaly. We’ve got some great questions this week so I won’t delay jumping right in.
Question 1
With Reynolds and Choi coming back soon, who do you think gets sent to AAA or DFA’d? – John @JGor492 on Twitter
Currently John, the Pirates have technically speaking, 47 players on their 40-man counting all those who are on the 60-day IL.
As you note, Choi is one poised to come off of it. I think we should also add in Colin Holderman, he’ll be back sooner than later too as he’s already begun his throwing program.
The best way to answer this in my mind is to first talk about who on that 40-man is vulnerable because to reinstate Choi, they’ll need one opened up as they have 7 players currently on the 60-day IL.
Mike Burrows – He’s out after undergoing TJ, clearly out all season, not yet on the 60-day IL, a simple move could be to transfer him to that list.
Rob Zastryzny – He’s on the 15 day IL, and honestly I have no idea how severe it is, but potentially they could transfer him to the 60-day or DFA him.
Ryan Borucki – I could see him being shipped, and DFA’d in one swoop.
Now, that’s who I think would be first in line for getting the 40-man spot opened for Choi.
On the 26-man, I think the vulnerable for demotion are in this order, Ji Hwan Bae, Rodolfo Castro, Tucupita Marcano, Borucki as mentioned.
Reynolds will probably cause them to feel they need to lose an OF, as Davis has entrenched himself already. That makes me feel Bae who could probably use a fine tuning.
If Gonzales can continue playing SS, Tucupita or Castro each could be vulnerable, but not both. If Ke’Bryan Hayes back is going to remain a problem, Castro will be safe because of his ability to play 3B.
Reality is though, a whole lot could happen before we get there. Choi for instance, the team wants him to play 1B when he returns so they think they’ll need a longer rehab to get him ready. That could be a couple weeks yet, who knows what will happen in that time.
Question 2
Who would get to the major leagues quicker? Skenes, Crews or Langford? – James Carr @JTCarr76 on Twitter
Anyone who answers this definitively is a liar. That’s the most important place to start, no matter how sure you are, you aren’t. All I’m saying is the Pirates number 2 pick in 1987 Mark Merchant (right after Ken Griffey Jr.), who never played in the league, was seen as “can’t miss” too. “Tool-wise, he’s got everything you’re looking for as a complete ballplayer,” Buzzy Keller, the Pirates’ director of player development, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in August 1987. “You might find some players who run faster and throw harder, but his combination (of tools) and makeup make him a complete player.” – From a piece in the Sporting News
He was seen as “The best prospect to come out of Florida in 30 years”. Eric Davis comps.
Point being, you can’t account for injury, or even just flat being wrong.
It really depends on how you’d deploy a guy like Skenes. the other two are going to take at least a season I’d wager, if only because transitioning to a wooden bat isn’t a snap of the fingers. Bryce Harper played 130 MiLB games before making his debut, but he came from high school, so I suppose that’s not a great comp either, regardless, If people really think they could have the draft and then that Friday be in an MLB lineup, I’d say they probably haven’t watched the game of baseball long, and I tend to lean toward the conservative when it comes to ETA’s.
Skenes, well, he probably has MLB bullpen stuff right this second. My guess is that’s not how you want to use him though, so I’d imagine he starts either in High A or AA and he could move quickly. Best case 2nd half of 2024, but again, if you held a gun to my head for an ETA where my correctness mattered, I’d tell you 2025 every time.
Question 3
Wouldn’t a Chad Kuhl reunion for a bullpen arm in place of Borucki be an idea worth exploring? I’ve always thought he’d make a great RP. – Shannon Gregory, @tnbuccofan on Twitter
I suggested largely the same thing the other day on Twitter, so yeah, I can dig it. Chad has a bunch of pitches but as a starter, he spends too much time trying to make some of the lesser offerings work, and they simply won’t. He also doesn’t reach his peak velocity because he’s trying to last.
In a RP role, I love his chances to be effective.
Not much more to say there.
Question 4
Why is Ji Hwan Bae playing so much. Defensively he’s the worst of the 4 options at both MI spots, and isn’t exactly carrying a big stick. – Taylor, @Taylor_Bauer11 on Twitter
I think he’s good enough to play 2B, but his best position is CF. With Davis playing out there, I’m not sure how much more opportunity there is to be had in the outfield at the moment.
They like his ability to use his speed, but they don’t coach him up to use it effectively.
They like his ability to slap the ball around, yet they teach him launch angle and expect pop.
Explain why they expect one thing and coach another, maybe it’ll make sense of why they sit some and work others when it makes very little sense.
He’s their best bet at game changing speed, and that’s probably the best answer, even if it simply doesn’t answer the question adequately.
I’d also say, answering an earlier question I think I illustrated why he might be in trouble.
Question 5
Pirates keeping Endy down longer so once brought up will replace Hedges or Delay this season? If so, Endy behind the plate and Davis staying in OF for 2024? – Rough Seas, @Rough_Seas412 on Twitter
They’re keeping Endy down longer because frankly, he hasn’t hit his way up here.
Starting this season Endy was seen as the more advanced catcher, and as we sit here, he’s seen as the more advanced catcher.
In 2024 I expect both will get time back there, and honestly, I’m not sure how it’ll shake out. I can say the team has repeatedly said Davis will still work on catching in the background this season, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they wound up letting him have a crack before the season is out.
Make no mistake though, Endy isn’t here because he didn’t perform, not manipulation. They may have kept him down until a week or so ago regardless, but that doesn’t discount that right now, with no restrictions and nothing to gain, they simply don’t see him as ready.
What he needs is a hot 2 week stretch, then we’ll start seeing how they approach it.
Question 6
What is Ben Cherington’s aversion to having a true SS on the roster, and with Peguero (who just happens to be in Pgh) performing well, do you see that changing soon? – JW, @silkychubs on Twitter
An aversion? Cruz got hurt, all the guys who could maybe play SS, showed they probably shouldn’t. Peguero could earn a call up soon, but he’s been an error machine too. Everyone is keeping a spot warm for Cruz.
This question to me would be like asking why Ben Cherington doesn’t care about the 3B position with Hayes being hurt.
Sorry, I’m not someone who’s going to pretend everything comes down to someone being dumb.
Question 7
I’m hearing rumors now that Dylan Crews won’t sign if the Pirates pick him. Not sure if that’s true but I think we should pick him anyway. He can only be offered so much no matter who picks him. If we do pick him and he doesn’t sign doesn’t he have to wait a year and we would get the 2nd pick in the 2024 draft plus our regular pick. I really hope we can sign him and what I’m hearing isn’t true. – Don Jacobsen
Don, let’s start by understanding the draft rules.
If a player selected in the first 10 rounds doesn’t sign, his pick’s value is subtracted from his club’s pool. If a team exceeds its allotment, it faces a penalty.
A team that outspends its pool by 0-5 percent pays a 75 percent tax on the overage. At higher thresholds, clubs lose future picks: a first-rounder and a 75 percent tax for surpassing their pool by more than 5 and up to 10 percent; a first- and a second-rounder and a 100 percent tax for more than 10 and up to 15 percent; and two first-rounders and a 100 percent tax for more than 15 percent.
That last part is super important. Essentially, a player like Crews really doesn’t have much choice. He signs for close to the suggested allotment or sits for a year only to be drafted again, probably lower for less money.
No agent in this set up is going to change the fact that players have very little room for alternate paths in the MLB draft.
A high school kid, well he could choose to just go to school. Crews, not so much.
The report was that Crews likely wasn’t’ going to sign for the Pirates first proposed number.
This was taken by idiots who pretend to be reporters and turned into “Crews doesn’t want to sign with the Pirates”.
The draft allotment goes down with each successive pick. Any team could give him their entire allotment and not pick another player, but exactly zero teams would do that.
Bottom line, if the Pirates want Crews, they’ll take and sign Crews.
Now, if say Crews has Boras as an agent (he has him as an advisor currently because we’re still pretending collegiate athletics aren’t pro sports), you can bet right now he will go to free agency after team control is exercised.
Will the Pirates care if he delivers 6 or 7 years of dominance, probably not.
Context is everything but this whole issue became an issue so a few people who think very highly of themselves could get clicks.
Steel City Pirates 