Through The Prospect Porthole: Centerfield Options For The Pirates

Prior to the start of the season General Manager Ben Cherington signed free agent veteran Jarrod Dyson to patrol centerfield at PNC Park for the Pittsburgh Pirates. From the beginning it was clear that this move was being made as a stopgap until the future player for this position was ready for the role. It was also seen as a probability that the team would move on from him prior to the end of year via trade or DFA, so that player may need to be identified sooner rather than later. When the season finally got underway the Pirates had identified former top shortstop Cole Tucker as a possible option, allowing him to roam the outfield first in an exhibition game and now for 17 games thus far in the regular season, 7 times as the team’s centerfielder. However, it has not been made clear that he is the long term answer for the Pirates, so they will need to keep their options open.

When I spoke with Garett Mansfield, Director of Communications and Play-By-Player for the Altoona, this past weekend a couple of these options became apparent as the conversation progressed. It all started when I asked him about the position players whose performances had been sticking out so far at the alternate site in Altoona. Almost immediately he jumped into talking about Jason Martin and Jared Oliva. He expressed the fact that Martin was itching to get back to the Pirates and looked to be performing at a higher level than many of the other players that were there. He went on to speak about Olivia’s overall ability and effort at length, including how he had robbed a couple of homers and hits from batters.

Jason Martin was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 8th Round of the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Orange County Lutheran High School in California. Acquired in the infamous Gerrit Cole Trade with Houston, Martin arrived in the Pirates’ System in January of 2018 and was assigned to the Altoona Curve to begin the season. This past year Martin was called up from AAA-Indianapolis twice, but he barely had a chance to do more than get his feet wet before Starling Marte returned from injury and then he was injured himself toward the end of the season. In 40 major league plate appearances he posted a .250/.325/.631 slash line, but showed some promise with a .346 BAbip (Batting Average on Balls In Play). Martin’s minor league career has been very encouraging at times; especially up through at least the middle of the 2018 season when he was promoted from AA-Altoona to AAA-Indianapolis. Prior to this promotion he had been hitting .325, with a .522 OPS and 9 HRs in 68 games. That same year he was listed as high as the Pirates #13 Prospect on the MLB Pipeline Top 30 and was listed as the Pirates #18 Prospect this past year, so it seems that something is still there. Martin may be the victim of unforeseen circumstances including his own injuries and uncertainty, although I would say that Martin looked pretty healthy at the original Spring Training in Bradenton, legging out a triple in one of 24 at bats.

To begin the 2020 season Martin was added to the expanded 30 man roster, but was eventually optioned to the alternate site after the opening series when Gregory Polanco was activated from the 10-Day/COVID IL having not taken a single at bat.

Oliva on the other hand is currently the Pirates #10 Prospect on the MLB Pipeline Top 30. After being drafted by Pittsburgh in the 7th Round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft out of the University of Arizona, he has always been a consistent and solid ball player. The times that I have seen him play in Bradenton for the Marauders or in Altoona for the Curve, I always know what to expect, 110% effort all of the time.

Whether it is in the batter’s box, in the field or on the base paths, you it has always been the same. However, in the beginning of the 2019 season Oliva was struggling. Through the first two months hitting only .206, with a .603 OPS, 2 HRS and 3 extra base hits. Then Oliva literally turned the page. For the next two months he was on an absolute force. His average over June and July was .342, his OPS ballooned to .923, and he had 4 HRs and 23 extra base hits. Toward the end of the season he cooled down a bit, but had already earned himself an invitation to the Arizona Fall League to play for the Peoria Javelinas, as well as the MVP award for the Altoona Curve.

After arriving in Peoria, he maintained the same mindset he has always had and continued to impress. He was one of the best hitters in the league and earned a spot in the Fall Star game. For the season he posted a .312/.413/.473 slash line, with 13 extra base hits. A huge strength throughout Olivia’s minor league career has been his speed, as he has stolen 87 bases across three levels and 36 alone last year in AA. Oliva’s impressive year was capped off as he was invited to Pirates Spring Training as a Non-Roster Invitee on January 20 of this year and was ultimately added to the player pool in Altoona once baseball resumed in late July. He was also rewarded for his hard work in Altoona with a spot on the 3 man Taxi Squad on a Pirates recent road trip.

It is not certain that either Jason Martin or Jared Oliva will get their shot in centerfield this season, but if they do it will clearly be earned. And with Jarrod Dyson sure to be gone next year, the Pirates will have at least a few more options to consider when trying to figure out who to play in front of the bushes at PNC in 2021.

The Story of Gregory Polanco: How He Got Here and What’s Next

On September 7th of 2018, Gregory Polanco was up at the plate against the Miami Marlins in the 6th inning. He hit a line drive into the right-center field gap that was cut off by the outfielder. Polanco hustled around first and then performed what might be the worst slide in major league history. This one play would end up changing the course of Polanco’s career.

Going into that September game, Polanco was enjoying one of his best seasons with the Pirates, hitting .254 with 23 homers and 81 RBIs. He also had 32 doubles, and of course the last double came in that game against Miami. He ended up having a badly injured shoulder, and it was one that resulted in surgery and obviously, the end of his 2018 season. 

After surgery, Polanco took a really aggressive approach to his rehabilitation. Because his injury was on his left throwing arm, this surprised many that he would try and come back so quickly. Before Polanco even played another game with the Pirates, many predicted that he would reinjure that shoulder. He would have a chance to prove those people wrong when he returned in 2019.

Originally, the Pirates projected at best an early June return, but instead Polanco returned to the field just about 7 and a half months after that slide, on April 22nd, 2019. In this game, Polanco batted 3rd and started in right field. His first game back was definitely a success, as he went 2-4 with a double. Luckily, he did not have to slide on the hit or really do anything where any injury would happen. Polanco would play in 42 games through June 16th, hitting .242 with 6 home runs and 17 RBIs. On June 22nd, one month after his 2019 debut, Polanco was placed on the 10-day Injured List with posterior left shoulder inflammation. After an attempted rehab assignment in Triple-A Indianapolis, the Pirates decided it wasn’t worth it to risk the rest of Polanco’s career, and he was shut down for the remainder of the 2019 season. Ironically enough, his final game of 2019 came against the Miami Marlins as well, just like the 2018 season. 

Polanco actually took the time to make a full recovery this time, and he came back on schedule for the 2020 Spring Training. While he wasn’t one of the big prospects that impressed like Oneil Cruz or Cole Tucker, he did go 8-21, which is a .381 average. Polanco also added a home run and 3 doubles. The big question looming was if Gregory Polanco could finally put it all together and produce a 30+ homer season with 85 or so RBIs. The even bigger question after that was whether or not he would be able to stay healthy.

Then, of course the coronavirus pandemic plagued the world, and everything was put on hold for at least the next few months after the MLB season was supposed to start at the end of March. Instead, the season was delayed all the way until the beginning of July, when players took the field for Summer Camp, or as some preferred to call it, Spring Training 2.0. One player was notably not there, and you probably guessed already, that player was Gregory Polanco. If you thought it couldn’t get much worse for Polanco, it did as he allowed the Pirates to reveal that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. This forced him to miss the entirety of training camp and start the season on the injured list. 

Fortunately, Polanco only missed the first series of the season against the Cardinals and was back in the lineup in time for the first home game against the Milwaukee Brewers. He went hitless in 7 at-bats, striking out 4 times. His first hit came in the first game of the series against the Chicago Cubs, where he went 1-4 with a double. In 10 games from August 1st to August 19th, he only had 2 hits in 32 AB’s. Both of those hits were home runs. He also struck out 16 times over that same span. That’s a strikeout rate of 50%. Gregory Polanco had only gotten 3 hits heading into the August 21st-23rd series against the Brewers. 

Derek Shelton, the manager of the Pirates continued to display confidence in Polanco, and he stuck him in the lineup for the series opener. It wasn’t a lot, but Polanco did have a nice swing for a single and an RBI in a big inning for the Pirates. In the next game, Polanco was back in there again, and he hit the ball hard twice for a 2-3 game. One of them was a double and then in the fourth inning, he blasted a Josh Lindblom breaking ball over the wall in right-center. In Sunday’s game, Polanco also went 2-3. In his first at-bat, he hit a hard ground ball, 111 MPH to be exact, past the shift for a single. He stole a base in this at-bat, and then again when he walked his next time up. He came up in the bottom of the eighth when the Pirates were down by 1 with 2 outs and Cole Tucker standing on first base. He was facing David Phelps, who had been virtually unhittable, only allowing 1 earned run up until that point. Polanco got Phelps’ cutter, which he hit for a no-doubt home run to right center. 

The Milwaukee series really showed what Polanco could potentially be, but it’s the other times, like his slump to begin the season that really shows how inconsistent he could be. Kudos to Polanco for sticking with it, and even though he’s not out of the woods yet, it’s a promising sign for what could come with his offense. Remember, he went over 4 months without facing any live pitching. 

So where does Gregory Polanco fit in with this team moving forward? Well, for starters he’s under team control through the 2023 season, although he does have buyout options for both 2022 and 2023. Next year, he does not have that option, but he does get 11 millions dollars in guaranteed money. So, the Pirates will probably give him the rest of this year, and then next year to see if he can get something going. Because if the universal DH becomes a permanent thing, then Polanco could become a big power bat with little worry about his fielding (although he has thrown out one runner this year). This year was supposed to be a year for evaluation, but 60 games is not going to be enough time to properly do so. Like I feel myself saying way too much, this is a case of we’re just going to have to watch what happens, and then decisions will be made based on that. Everyone can have their own assumptions and opinions, but they can’t and won’t be validated until we see how this ends.

Lucas Giolito No-Hits Pirates

Following the weekend sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers and a rare scheduled off day, the Pirates took a trip to the South Side of Chicago to begin a quick two games series with the White Sox. On the mound for the 7-17 Pittsburgh Pirates was the lefty Steven Brault, who on the season had posted a 3.00 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 12 innings and 5 starts; only one of them being a non “piggyback” situation. Unfortunately for Brault he was stacked up against a White Sox lineup that has absolutely destroyed left handed pitchers so far this year. As a team they have a combined .305 AVG, .994 OPS and 19 home runs against them, while earning a 7-0 record when facing lefty starters. Opposing Brault for the White Sox was 2019 All-Star Lucas Giolito. In the 6 starts prior to tonight Giolito had struck out 45 in 34.2 innings pitched, with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP; including his 13 K, 0 ER and 3 Hit 7 inning masterpiece against the Tigers five days ago.

In the first couple of innings it’s wasn’t the bats that got to Steven Brault, it was his own control as he walked three batters and hit another. The White Sox did sprinkle in a few singles resulting in a 3-0 lead at the end of two innings. After a leadoff double and a walk, Brault was saved by an outfield assist from Jarrod Dyson who nabbed Edwin Encarnacion trying to score. But Brault’s troubles were far from over as a wild pitch and sacrifice fly allowed Chicago to extend its lead to 4-0. This ended up being all she wrote for Brault as his final line was less than optimal at 4 earned runs on 5 hits and four free passes with no strikes in 72 pitches.

While Brault was struggling to get anything going, Giolito was cruising through the Pirates lineup. In the first three innings Giolito had thrown only 33 pitches and struck out 5 Pirates batters. Then things gotten extremely interesting as Giolito continued to work each inning with ease and without a blemish in the hit column. After 7 innings he was up to 10 strikeouts, with only one walk that came back in the 4th.

For the Pirates, Nick Tropeano had come in to relieve Brault and put a stop to the White Sox scoring as he struck out 4, walked none and only allowed 3 hits during 4 innings. But unfortunately for him this would be lost in the excitement of Giolito chasing the first no-hitter of his young career.

As the Pirates entered the bottom of the 9th they were set to send out Jarrod Dyson, John Ryan Murphy and Erik Gonzalez to attempt to break up Giolito’s no-hit bid. Dyson struck out swinging to lead off the inning. Jose Osuna was then called into pinch hit for Murphy and flew out to right field Adam Engel in foul territory. It was all up to Erik Gonzalez who promptly line out to Engel to record the final out of the game and secure the first no-hitter in 2020 in Major League Baseball for Lucas Giolito. All totaled he struck out 13 Pirates batters and allowed only one base runner on 101 pitches.

The Pirates and White Sox have a quick turnaround as they face each other tomorrow at 2:10 PM as Trevor Williams steps on the mound for Pittsburgh against Dallas Keuchel for Chicago.

Let’s Discuss Everything That Goes into Trades

It’s the silly season, and no I’m not referring to the election, I’m talking about the trade deadline. Every year when it rolls around fans and pundits alike predict who’s coming and who’s going. What package makes sense and who’s involved.

It’s good fun, well, it’s more fun when your team is looking to add, than being the team shopping your wares. If you throw enough ideas out there eventually, you’ll hit on something that happens.

As my Dad once told me, I’d rather teach you to fish than give you a stringer full. Sure I have my own ideas on who may or may not be part of a package, who might come back, I’ve written about one on this site as a matter of fact. There are plenty of things that go into trades and I’d like to cover some of those topics today. Maybe it won’t make you an expert (hint, nobody really is) but it can help you propose trades and be reasonably sure they have at least a chance of happening.

Trade Values – This has less familiarity with some of the older generation. A generation I count myself among at the ripe old age of 43. GM’s have used some type of system like this for quite some time, this simply puts numbers into more of a formulaic set up. For beginners I recommend this site https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/ They have definitions and explanations of all the metrics used to generate the values they assign to players, there’s even a separate calculator for MiLB players. One of the coolest features is a trade proposal feature, that allows you to plug in your suggestions and see how fair it is. Great tool, ton of fun to play with, not an exact science. I said up there all GM’s use some type of system, and that’s true, that doesn’t mean they use this one. There are countless variables and valuations weighed differently for every team. After all this isn’t The Show.

Trade Him While He’s Hot –Fans love this one. You’ve heard it a lot just this weekend, as the Pirates swept the Brewers. Polanco is hot, see what you can get for him while he’s hitting. Richard Rodriguez just closed the game Sunday and I heard people saying he added closer to his resume. In a normal trade deadline situation, this might play a bit better, but 24 games in, most players have barely had a streak, let alone a trend. If a GM is swayed to think Polanco is someone they need to go get after 3 good games, that’s a GM I’d like Cherington to keep on speed dial. If Keone Kela somehow is ok and pitches two more times prior to the deadline, it won’t be anything that ups his value per se, his health is the only thing anyone is looking for, that and his resume will be enough. In other words, it would be like thinking if Trevor Williams threw a no hitter on August 30th, he would return exponentially more than he would have on the 29th. That’s just not how it works.

Trade Block –Every team has a trade block. OK, it’s not a physical list maybe, but when you want to make changes to your team or have a specific need, just about every GM in the league will have a pretty good handle on who is being shopped, who might be available if you wanted it bad enough, and who is untouchable (no such thing for most teams). I bring this up because what other teams have available directly effects the value of what you put up. This is where the Trade Value category takes a bit of a hit. Take a trip with me, The Pirates have say, Trevor Williams, Joe Musgrove and Derek Holland on the block, meaning they’d be happy to move them if the deal was right. Before you tell me I’m a moron and argue about who is or isn’t on the block, relax, it’s just an exercise. Recently it was reported that the Angels have Dylan Bundy on theirs. So, say the A’s are interested in picking up a starter, the Pirates have three nice options, and the Angels have one, but the A’s have seen him and he’s at least this season less of a long odd bet. That probably does the Pirates value no favors. More names will be added, but this is part of the reason Chris Archer was a hot name at the deadline so many years in a row, he was clearly on the block, had pedigree and most teams don’t like to give up starters with any upside and control away. No that’s not an excuse for what was given for him, but it does explain why he would have brought a nice package from anyone.

Position of Strength –Long before we knew for sure the Pirates would be sellers at the deadline, I had Adam Frazier as a strong candidate. Part of that is his crazy valuation (seriously, use the tool and look him up), but more so, my reasoning is the insane depth the Pirates have at middle infield. This is exactly something the Pirates, and you if you want to play the guessing game, should be looking for in other teams. Want that catching prospect? Better make sure their starter isn’t 36. Might be nice if he wasn’t the only one, they had at any level. In fact, even if he isn’t 36, if they don’t have a ton of money, better make sure his contract isn’t almost up. Sometimes this is where you can find pitching, teams that spend tend to have a fairly locked up rotation and aren’t pining for their AA and AAA prospects to come save the day next season. It may or may not work out but that was the thinking on Musgrove, and it does at times really play to your advantage. That’s if you want the pitching to start relatively quickly, that may not jive with the window you’ve projected. Might want to look even lower and get a real high ceiling guy.

Missing Piece –This doesn’t happen often if I’m honest. But a good example happened last season, the Pirates could very much so have provided the Dodgers with the missing piece, a closer. It’s the one thing they needed to sure up and the fact it didn’t happen is really beside the point. The fact remains it was there, now this doesn’t often happen with position players, if it does, it’s usually a BIG move. If Kela remains hurt, Richard Rondriguez might very well be close for some club out there.

Control –To Small market clubs, there is almost no bigger commodity. It comes with relative cost control and it buys time. When making deadline deals this season, control will probably be more important to every club. We’re talking about buying someone for about a month plus the playoffs. For a starter that’s maybe 5 or 6 starts. For a reliever maybe 15-18 appearances. Some teams might not be inclined to pay for the very reason the Pirates or another small market team doesn’t want to let them walk for nothing. It’s tempting to go for it, and some will, but it better be one of those missing pieces we talked about.

Analytics Trends –Again, our age group is either saying bah humbug or trying like hell to get into it. Important things to look for are OPS, Hard Hit Rate, Spin Rate, Walks and Strike Outs per 9. Those are a few I really like to look for because they give you a nice picture into the performance and where it could be headed. Here is a glossary I like to use to understand what makes all the metrics http://m.mlb.com/glossary/advanced-stats, and here is a site to get a quick look at trends https://www.fangraphs.com/ both are free, but there are premium options should you convert to full nerd. Sometimes it is important to remember you are trading for what a player could be, not what they are.

That’s a few basic things to help make more enlightened proposals. None of these again will make you an expert, but they will make it a bit more fun and help you avoid trying to trade all our bad players for all their good ones.

Given all these angles, hit me with your proposals on Twitter @garymo2007 or Facebook at Inside The Pirates – Gary

Yinzer Reactions: Recapping The Pirates Series With The Brewers

It is a lot easier to find the positives in a series sweep, but please don’t mistake this for foolish optimism. I realize that three games don’t completely make up for such an awful start to the season; just let me be happy for a couple of moments because as Gary so eloquently stated, It’s OK to Enjoy Momentary Success Pirates Fans. However, even in winning three games against divisional foes,the Milwaukee Brewers, there were bound to be some negatives that found their way to the surface. That’s simply how things go for a team working it’s way through a rebuild.

Positive Takeaways

1) Jacob Stalling’s offense is catching up with his already solid defense. Stallings has a .300 AVG and a .786 OPS to go along with his 3 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved), good for 4th in all of MLB amongst catchers.

2) Richard Rodriguez earns his first save to add to an already impressive season. On the season RichRod owns a 3.09 ERA and a .51 WHIP in 11 appearances. He has also totaled 16 strike outs in 11.2 innings.

3) Gregory Polanco finds his bat. After being listed on the opposite side of the pendulum following the Indians series, Polanco went 5 for 10 against the Brew Crew with 2 home runs, including what would be the game winner in the 8th inning of Sunday’s contest.

4) Bryan Reynolds appears to have gotten his stroke back. Reynolds had himself a game on Friday night; going 3 for 4 with a triple and a homer, while knocking in 4 runs. He continued his success the remainder of the series and finished 6 for 13 overall. Not only did he hit well over the weekend, he looked more comfortable in the box and in his approach than he had all season.

5) The Pirates Starters put together three pretty strong performances. None of the three would totally blow you away, but they were each enough to give their team a chance to win the game. On Friday Chad Kuhl went 5 innings, giving up only one run despite not having his best stuff. Saturday, Derek Holland also went 5 as he struck out 5 and allowed only one run. The Pirates Starter for Sunday had a final line of 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 6 strike outs along with 1 free pass on 76 pitches in 4 innings of work.

Negative Takeaways

1) The Dovydas Neverauskas Experiment May be coming to an end. Neverauskas finds himself on the negative side of things for the second series in a row as he gave up another 3 runs on Saturday night; raising his ERA on the season to 11.00.

2) The injuries continue to pile up for the Pirates. Kela would only face one batter on Friday night, giving up a single, before he was removed from the game with tightness in his forearm. On Sunday the Pirates lost two more players to injuries. Colin Moran was removed from the game to be evaluated for a concussion and Kevin Newman was forced to leave with right lower abdominal muscle discomfort. Hopefully, none of these injuries are too severe and they can return to play sooner rather than later.

3) Erik Gonzalez has cooled off significantly. Since August 14th Gonzalez has seen his average drop from .349 to .273. Also during this time he has only one extra base hits and has struck out 7 times in 23 at bats; doubling his total for the season.

4) Nick Mears is sent back to Altoona again. In this instance I don’t really want to focus on the productivity. I would much rather take a look at a young kid being treated like a yo-yo. Have a good performance and you get sent down. Have a below average performance and you get sent down. I do like the experience and exposure he is getting, we just need to make sure he is also getting the right message.

5) The Pirates are still only 7-17 on the season. This just needs to said to keep things in perspective. Sure it is nice to see a sweep and there were many players that performed well, but it doesn’t completely change the outlook on the entire season.

Now let’s hope that the Pirates can build upon the positives, especially the individual ones, moving forward as they head into a quick two game series with the Chicago White Sox before taking on the St. Cardinals for a make-up double header on Thursday.

It’s OK to Enjoy Momentary Success Pirates Fans

This weekend the Pirates swept the Brewers at PNC Park. It seems like such normal reaction that Pirate ‘fans’ would be happy about that, right? Well, of course it’s normal, as with just about everything else on social media, someone is waiting there to make sure you’re significantly put in your place.

Look, three wins, that drag your record all the way up to 7-17 is nothing to crow about. Neither does it make them playoff bound. That said, it was a nice respite from losing every series. A chance to enjoy a few games on a Summer weekend and knock down a rival in the process.

I didn’t really get the impression too many people took it too far, in fact it seemed to me most people forced some qualifiers into their celebratory tweets or posts. Like ‘they still stink but…’ or something similar, almost bracing for the crowd of people who want to remind everyone to stay miserable.

Again, this doesn’t really change anything for the franchise. It doesn’t move them out of the seller mode they find themselves in, and because they need to make some changes moving forward, that’s a good thing. Teams that are floating close to .500 might be inclined to stand pat, seeking the appearance of success a playoff berth could mean in 2020.

I’ll be honest, go ahead and be happy.

When life throws you an opportunity to smile, take it and run with it. Sure, be realistic, keep your eyes open and understand exactly what it means, but don’t deprive yourself of joy, it serves no purpose but to keep you feeling melancholy.

Be happy for Gregory Polanco, that was a really nice series for him. And be happy for whatever that means to you, trade value, helping the team win, making a baseball series fun for you, who cares why. Being excited about that and happy for the guy doesn’t mean you think he’s the Dominican Babe Ruth. It means he did well and sometimes that’s enough.

About a year back my father in-law bought a new truck, he’s always wanted one, it was one of the first things I learned about him when I started dating his daughter, so to see him finally get it, well it was nice to see. Now imagine as he pulled it into his parking lot for the first time a group of strangers were standing there holding signs about gas mileage and the resale value. “Next week it’ll just be another vehicle you dumb a**” I can hear it now.

Clearly that would never happen, because when you take away the social media muscles the reality is people don’t talk like that to each other.

If you’re at a ballgame, remember that place we used to be able to go watch a game, and you cheer for a homerun from Polanco, nobody is going to turn to you and tell you to shut up because you’re being a moron. Nobody will make sure you see a chart they had at their fingertips to show you how many times he failed this season. You’re allowed to enjoy that moment, for what it is.

You’re allowed to finish watching that game, feel the happiness of knowing your team just flipped the script on the Brewers who were getting Hader ready to come in, then allowed themselves to miss the opportunity. You get the rest of the game and probably the drive home to enjoy this one outcome. Maybe an hour later you get to social media and see all the stuff I’m referring to.

Fans are in a unique position this season. Many of those people are now watching and commenting along with fellow fans on social media. Subject to the real time takes that come with it for the first time. They didn’t mean to make a deeper point than ‘what a great swing by Polanco’ but were met with detailed explanations of their false hope and stupid yinzer fandom.

Are there people who think this sweep has the Pirates poised to go on a 10-2 run back to contention? Of course, but even in that case, what harm does it cause to let them have the optimism? It’s not like Cherington is asking their opinion as to what the team should do at the deadline. It’s not like most of the players go out and seek what the fans had to say about that game. Even if they did, what harm comes from seeing some fans amped up about a win? Now if you ask me directly to help back up your feelings, I won’t most likely enhance your belief, but I certainly won’t try to make you feel like you are paid by Nutting.

If there is one thing, I don’t understand about the world today, it’s the near constant attempt to make sure everyone remains at least a little miserable. Last year I talked about a clean up project in a local park and how much trash we removed. I was genuinely happy that a small group was able to make such an impact. It was met with conversation about how disgusting it was we had that much to clean in the first place. Then what an insignificant amount that was in the greater scheme of things and spiraled into an overall discussion about how we’ve failed the environment.

See, you go from a group of people doing something positive, no matter the significance, and turn it into a reason to feel like you failed or were stupid for being happy at all.

Baseball isn’t life for fans, it’s just part of it. Ingest it as you like. Maybe for you that’s analyzing advanced stats literally as the game is going on. Maybe it means understanding the long-range picture and focusing on trade value, and playing GM. Maybe you just can’t see victory with Nutting, period. Whatever.

Try to allow yourself to experience joy, in whatever form that takes, because it really is what life is about.

The Pirates Sweep The Brewers, But Lose Two To Injury

After already having secured their first series victory of the season, the Pirates came into PNC Parker FF on Sunday looking to sweep NL Central Division rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers. For Pittsburgh it would be rookie right hander JT Brubaker taking the mound, searching for his first big league win. His counterpart for the Brew Crew, Corbin Burnes was making only his second start after beginning the year in the bullpen as a long reliever/swing man. Both young men had experienced some success in limited action thus far, but it has Burnes that has excelled more as starter; allowing just one earned run and striking out five batters in five innings of work. On the other hand, Brubaker has struggled in his starts; allowing three earned runs each time and only striking out three total in six innings.

The game was set to start at 1:35 PM EST, but unfortunately Mother Nature had others ideas as she delayed the start almost a full hour and a half with the first pitch of the game coming out of Brubaker’s hand at 3 o’clock; a 95 mph four seam fastball fouled off by Avisail Garcia. JT proceeded to make his way through the Brewers lineup for the first three innings, striking out 5 and not allowing a hit. In the top of the 4th Milwaukee finally got to Brubaker as he gave up back to backs by Keston Hiura and Justin Smoak to cut the lead to 2-1. It was much of the same in the 5th as another set of hits from the Brew Crew led to their second run and him being lifted from the game in favor of Geoff Hartlieb. Brubaker’s final line was 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 6 strike outs along with 1 free pass on 76 pitches in 4 innings of work.

The Pirates bats, which had heated up during the first two games of the series, remained hot in the beginning as Erik Gonzalez led off the bottom of the first with an opposite field double, immediately followed by run scoring single from Adam Frazier. In the bottom of the 2nd they kept the pressure on Burnes as Gregory Polanco singled, stole second, was moved over to third by a Jose Osuna ground out and ultimately scored on a Jarrod Dyson single to left field. Dyson then stole the Pirates second base of the inning, advancing to third on a catcher’s throwing error, but was stranded after arriving there with only one out.

For the next few innings Burnes kept the Pirates off the board in spite of a couple walks and some extended pitch counts, while Hartlieb gave up a 2 run home run to Smoak in the top of the 6th to put the Pirates behind 4-2. Then after giving up a leadoff double to JT Riddle and a ground out to begin the bottom of the 6th, Burnes was replaced by Freddy Peralta. Peralta subsequently allowed his inherited runner to score on a single from Bryan Reynolds, crediting Burnes with his 3 earned run of the game. The remainder of his line consisted of 7 strike outs, 2 walks and 5 hits on 87 pitches.

Over the next inning and a half the bullpens of both clubs kept the bats at bay, until the Pirates came into the box in the bottom of the 8th. Led by the surging Gregory Polanco on his second homer in as many days, the Pirates took the lead back 5-4; setting up Richard Rodriguez for his first save opportunity of the season. After striking out the first two Milwaukee batters, he induced a fly out by Garcia; securing the save, victory and sweep of the Brewers.

The Pirates were able to extend their winning streak to 3 games, but lost two of their players to injury in the process. Colin Moran was removed from the game to be evaluated for a concussion and Kevin Newman was forced to leave with right lower abdominal muscle discomfort. Hopefully, neither of these two injuries are too serious and they can return to play sooner rather than later. As for Pittsburgh the will get an off day tomorrow before taking on the Chicago White Sox for a quick two games series at Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side. Game time is set for 8:10 PM EST.

Five Pirates Thoughts

There is something calming about your baseball team hitting. At the end of the day, it won’t erase what’s happened but it sure makes watching more fun.

Let’s talk about a few things going on and see if we can’t jump start our thought process on this overcast Sunday Morning shall we?

1. Why Don’t Pirates Pitchers Go Deep? A gross oversimplification is probably they just aren’t that good. Reality is nobody throwing right now in the rotation with the possible exception of Kuhl has the type of stuff that allows in zone contact. And he’s on a strict inning and pitch count. Everyone else has to paint the black, that makes for deep counts. Add in that opposition knows getting to the pen will mean beating the Bucs more often than not, so patience is upped even further.

2. Trade Porn – when your team isn’t in the race, trades become more of a rooting interest than the games themselves. Beside the expiring contract guys, I’d recommend letting it play out. We just don’t have a good picture of what BC and crew are thinking yet. I get the impression they aren’t in the full blow it up camp, not yet, not even if they should be.

3. Projecting Early Arrivals for Prospects – No I’m not talking about Hayes, although I told you he wasn’t coming up ASAP, that won’t happen until they feel he can play everyday. Now I’m hearing fans thinking Peguero and Gonzales will be able to make the club next season, oh God no. And it really doesn’t matter how advanced they are, there is no reason to rush them to the Show. Not even the Pirates are dumb enough to hurt these kids in development by getting ants in the pants.

4. Opportunity for Some not All – I’m not sure why Erik Gonzalez got a shot but Osuna continues to imprint his cheeks in the pine. I can’t say why Dyson plays over Tucker or Olivia. If the Pirates are convinced Center is in Tucker’s future, he should start there just about every game, because there are players who have real pedigree there that deserve the same shot, and they have more upside at the plate.

5. Is There a Chance The Bucs Extend Any of the Expiring Guys? – probably not, although I do think Maile or Murphy will be brought back, Kela is interesting, I don’t think they’ll be able to move him because of his latest injury but extending him might be in play, remember he really likes Marin and I can’t imagine he gets too high up there for salary. Not predicting it, but it might be a way to get some value for him, or just cut ties with all of them. We shall see said the blind man.

Pirates Put a 12-5 Hurtin’ on the Brew Crew Ensuring First Series Victory

The Pirates experienced something they have only felt scarcely in 2020, coming off a win. Derek Holland took the mound following a bounce back relief appearance and his disaster of a start last time out.

It was hard to head into this game feeling too optimistic, I mean how many times have the Bucs scored a bunch of runs two games in a row, let alone won.

The Pirates finally clinched a series victory, the last team in baseball to do so. In the long run, this means little, it’s one victory out of the six they’ve notched, but part of development is seeing the work pay off and for some of the bats that’s exactly what is starting to happen.

Jacob Stallings has been seeing it much better in recent action his 2 for 3 performance today with a home run caps a week of solid contact and near miss drives to the outfield. With Jake’s defense, his offense only needs to be passable but he is becoming someone you’d prefer not face with runners on the base paths.

Bryan Reynolds importantly built on the success he found yesterday, collecting another two hits. Showing the swing change is going to stick and in general looking more comfortable with every at bat.

Gregory Polanco had his best day of the season thus far, going 2 for 3 with a walk and a home run. He too seems to have made some changes to his stance, not leaning nearly as much toward the plate which makes him less inclined to try to reach the outside stuff. This is one game, I hardly think it’s a turning point, but every trend starts somewhere.

Colin Moran continued to find his way back to being a threat. Going 3 for 4 and in general looking like a menace at the plate.

Not everything is perfect of course, Josh Bell went 0-5 today again and unlike some of his brothers he is not taking to the swing change. If anything he looks messier than ever. Sure he makes solid contact sometimes but Josh could check swing one to the base of the wall, he’s got that kind of power.

Derek Holland was very solid today. He fought through five innings only giving up one run. Exactly what you’d hope for from a pitcher like him. Being that the trade deadline is next week, this is a good development. Not a fun subject coming off the first back to back win of the season, but he could be part of what makes this club better in the future, staying here he might give them 4 more wins if everything goes right.

Dovydas Neverauskas came in with a six run lead after Bashlor provided an inning of scoreless ball. He promptly gave up a three run shot. We railed on the Pirates for continuing to toss Del Pozo out there, the time has come for Neverauskas. Not that this will be a hard campaign to start, it might be like getting a DNC fundraiser off the ground in Hollywood.

If this were a normal season we’d be nearing the end of April, and it would be easier to understand how two good games like this back to back could create seismic shifts in batting average. That’s what happens, early on 60 at bats leave room for fluctuation. For instance, Polanco raised his average 45 points today. If you’re judging the worth of a player based on their average this early, be prepared to eat crow, good or bad.

No Brainer Moves Become Unattainable Goals

Last night Keone Kela was taken out of the game five pitches in to his outing. Up five runs in the ninth, Kela was clearly not pitching in a save situation but the Pirates desperately need to get him on the mound and in the minds of scouts. He’s talented, but with only slightly over a month plus playoffs left of team control, he needs to make an impact right now.

His run with Pittsburgh has been littered by lost time and suspension, but when he’s healthy Keone is a difference maker. He also happens to be just about the most obvious trade chip on the club.

As the headline implies, moving Kela is, was, and will continue to be a no brainer. It’s also becoming less attainable. Nobody needed to see him get saves, or strike out 75% of batters he faced, all opposing GMs needed to see was he was healthy.

This is the reality of trades and timing associated with them.

Derek Shelton last night tried to downplay this latest hiccup, calling the forearm tightness something he pulled Kela over due to an abundance of caution. Essentially saying his team has suffered so many losses to injury in the bullpen he was overly worried. We’ll see, forearm tightness means many things ranging from not being stretched out all the way, to cramps, and of course the worst-case scenario, TJ. The Bucs have 8 days to get Kela back on the mound, and even that could leave suitors a bit wary.

If it doesn’t happen, he’ll remain a Pirate and fans will remember little more than the fact that Cherington didn’t get the job done. Kela will walk for nothing, and few will remember why.

It happens often actually. Many like to look back to 2019 when the Pirates had another chip they could have moved in the form of Felipe Vazquez. Think of the revisionist history practiced on that subject alone. In 2018 he was signed to a four-year extension at a reasonable rate, but the team clearly had no use for an elite closer as 2019 took shape.

The Dodgers needed a closer, in fact the perception was they were a closer away from winning it all, but Huntington wanted a king’s ransom. Rumors swirled about who he wanted and who the Dodgers offered, and then the law stepped in.

Game over, missed opportunity. Suddenly the ‘offers’ from the Dodgers became that king’s ransom and Huntington became even more stubborn, at least that’s where the rumor mill went. Reality of the situation hardly matched up, The Dodgers were never going to move Lux, and might have done May straight up. Ruiz would have brought a package of two other prospects not named Lux or May.

I recently saw some projecting Neal passed on a package of May, Ruiz and another prospect. Preposterous. And Neal wasn’t completely off base thinking he had the advantage of time, everyone was caught flat footed by who Vazquez really was.

The Pirates should be shopping any number of players on their roster as we speak, and they probably are. I’m sure there are teams interested in what Derek Holland can do for their depth. Maybe some team has the luxury of taking a flyer on Dyson as a pinch runner. John Ryan Murphy has shown himself to be a capable backup catcher. The list goes on, and those are just the easily moveable expiring contract guys. Just don’t expect to get anyone’s top prospect in return. The only member in that class was Kela and now they’ll be lucky to get much of anything.

Sam Howard is an off the wall option, he’s shown good in most of his outings, is a left-handed pitcher and has a penchant for getting strikeouts. He’s also a very hard-hit foul ball turned homerun away from some very sexy numbers. I’m not predicting this move so much as pointing out that who the club moves could catch you off guard a bit.

Sometimes a missed opportunity isn’t that at all, at times the opportunity never materializes in the first place. That may very well be the story of Keone Kela, if so it won’t be an example of Cherington’s failure, it’ll instead illustrate just how everything needs to go right to get the job done.