7/19/24 By Drew Cagle – @cagles_bagels on X
As the Pirates exit the All-Star Break and begin a potential playoff push in the second half, the team is seeking pieces on the trade market. However, the most valuable improvements might just come from those inside the Pirates’ clubhouse. I decided to look back on how the team spent money in the free agent market this past offseason, to take stock of where each player is, and how they might fit into the team down the stretch of this season.
Rowdy Tellez, 1B
Early on, Rowdy Tellez was perhaps the most polarizing of this list, but things have changed. Fans watched as his platoon at-bats were slowly relented to surging Connor Joe. Countless times he looked lost up there at the plate, looking at middle-middle fastballs for a called strike three multiple times.
Things started to turn around on a weekend trip in Toronto at the start of June. Tellez entered the series against the Blue Jays slashing a woeful .175/.239/.222. He put together a 4-for-9 series, which included a 3-for-4 game and 3 RBIs in the Sunday matchup.
In the month and a half that has followed, Rowdy has looked like the capable power bat he was brought in to be. No longer has his $3.2 million salary been the butt of jokes in Western PA. A .321 average and .933 OPS in the time since the Blue Jays series has raised his overall batting average over 60 points, up to a respectable .243.
Heading into trade season, Tellez has quieted the doubters, and given the Pirates valuable production at the plate and in the field. Where first base was once looked at as a severe need for the club, now Ben Cherington can negotiate from a position of strength, and is not required to make a move in this department.
Andrew McCutchen, DH
Coming off of a solid 2023 campaign that saw him have an above-league average OPS of .776 but have the end of his season cut short due to a partially-torn achilles, Pirates fans were excited about McCutchen’s next home run, which would be his 300th. They had to wait until an April 14th four-bagger in Philadelphia.
Andrew McCutchen has sat in the leadoff spot and served as the designated hitter for almost the entire season, and has kept that OPS around league average once again. Some tough BABIP (Batting Average on balls in play) luck early in the season caused his numbers to suffer, but he has bounced back to be an everyday contributor for the team. He’s not what he once was, but that’s not what his $5 million salary suggests. Even if he’s struggling, McCutchen is a necessary veteran to have in the locker room for a team that still has youngsters trying to find their footing, such as outfielder Jack Suwinski.
Martin Perez, SP
Brought in for starting pitching depth, and on the back of a World Series title with the Texas Rangers, I’d say that I expected more from Martin Perez. He’s missed time with some smaller injuries, but has been a solid innings eater. That’s especially useful when Derek Shelton and company are looking to monitor innings from Paul Skenes and Jared Jones.
With an ERA at 5.15 and FIP at 4.66, it has been an uneven year from the southpaw, to say the least. He’s lost his last five decisions. He’s allowed more than five hits in six of his last eight starts.
Perez’s days with the Bucs may be numbered, as he could be dealt to a contender to fill a spot starter or bullpen role. The next couple of weeks will be critical for not only the Pirates’ immediate future, but Perez’s as well.
Aroldis Chapman, RP
Now baseball’s all-time leader in strikeouts by a left-handed reliever, Aroldis Chapman was another signing who had a less than stellar start to the season. The velocity was (and still is) there. The control has been his bugaboo at times. 32 walks in 34.2 innings tell that story.
He’s been better in June and July, save a blown save against the Mets on July 7th. Over his last 15 appearances, he’s recorded an improved 3.52 ERA, 9 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 15 ⅓ innings.
Though I’m still not 100% confident in him when he enters ballgames late, especially 1-run affairs, I can see the positive trajectory that he has been on. There’s an outside shot that he’s dealt at the deadline, but I’d like to see the Pirates stick with Chapman-Holderman-Bednar as the 7th-8th-9th combo.
Yasmani Grandal, C
Grandal made his Pirates debut on May 4th, following a bout with a foot injury. I understood the move to acquire Yasmani Grandal when they did over the winter. Add a veteran catcher with some defensive prowess to pair with a still-young Henry Davis. They did this before with Austin Hedges, and received some international bonus pool money in return at the trade deadline.
However, Grandal’s tenure with the team has been perplexing, to say the least. His bat hasn’t produced, slashing only .178/.207/.502. And even more troubling, he’s had gaffes in the field as well. The most well-known of these came when he lobbed a ball back to the pitcher’s mound, allowing a steal of home plate, but there have been other dropped foul tips and catcher’s inferences that have soured his reputation with Pirates fans. He’s a potential roster casualty, especially should the team want to bring Davis or Jason Delay back up.
Josh Fleming, RP
Josh Fleming is perhaps the most unremarkable of the bunch, only appearing in 24 games this season. Derek Shelton tabbed him as an opener in his most recent outing in Milwaukee. Having missed some time with injury, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Fleming as a contributor in the bullpen. His 3.99 ERA has been fine, but nothing more. Given his sample size, he’s likely a send-down candidate, should the Pirates want to go a different direction.
Michael A. Taylor, CF
When Michael A. Taylor came over from the Washington Nationals on a $4 million deal, I was excited about it. A former Gold Glove-winning center fielder who had flashed his power (21 homers in 2023) was exactly what the Pirates needed. Unfortunately, he’s fallen short of his billing, hitting a mere .203 with a pair of home runs.
As an expiring contract, he may well be a trade chip at the deadline for this Pirates club, as well. I could see a team acquiring him for his glove, and seeing what they can get out of him at the plate. If not, he’ll likely remain a Pirate until his glove is not above-average (less likely) or his bat is even less playable (more likely).
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