Starter Spotlight: Load The Cannon

7-18-2025 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X

This team BADLY needed a breather heading into the All Star Break as many of the key offensive pieces – namely, Bryan Reynolds – have been struggling to hit in the first half of the season. They likely will be eager to face a team which has been performing even worse than the Pirates in the Chicago White Sox and their first starter for the weekend, Jonathan Cannon.

Cannon is in his second major league season pitching for the White Sox and enters play with a 3-7 record and a 4.44 ERA through 77 innings of work on the year. He has struggled with striking out opponents, missing bats or putting the ball over the plate as he has 5 hit batters, 2 wild pitches and a balk alongside 29 walks against 61 strikeouts.

The former third round pick in the 2022 draft out of the University of Georgia features a five pitch mix with his 4-seam/2-seam reaching 96 MPH but sitting in the low-90s in addition to a high-80s cutter, mid-80s changeup and low-80s sweeper.

Unfortunately for Cannon, these pitches all rate below average as only his changeup has a sub-.240 batting average and sub-.320 wOBA.

The changeup has been an impactful weapon against lefties as they are hitting .196 against the pitch but are having no issues against his other offerings with a .271 BA against his cutter, .318 versus his 4-seam, .381 on this sinker and .429 with an eye-popping 1.429 SLG against his sweeper.

Right-handed hitters have struggled against his 4-seamer (.174 BA) but have had no trouble with his sinker as they have posted a .270 BA against the offering with a .460 SLG and just a 5.4% Whiff rate.

The 24-year old has struggled especially in away games as his ERA jumps from a solid 3.42 mark at home to 4.97 when playing outside of Rate Field and takes a while to lock in as he is posting a 6.12 ERA and .991 OPS the first time through the order.

Lefties need to lay off the changeup and attack everything else. Righties need to look for sinkers middle and down that they can elevate. The kid is still fairly green and has every chance to figure things out in the big leagues but there’s no reason that the Pirates can’t put together some good at-bats and notch a couple crooked innings tonight with some cannonballs coming!

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Series Preview: Chicago White Sox (32-65) at Pittsburgh Pirates (39-58)

7-18-2025 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X

It’s a “battle of the bads” as two of the worst teams in MLB will face off to open the second half of the MLB season with the Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Chicago White Sox this weekend.

While the White Sox had no aspirations for success in 2025, it has certainly been a disappointing year for the Bucs as they headed into the break having just broken an 8-game losing streak and will look to try taking advantage of a struggling Chicago squad to get some more notches in the win column.

These two teams both rank in the bottom three in MLB for runs, slugging, home runs and wRC+ and have been in the bottom third for nearly every measurable offensive metric as they struggle to hit for any kind of power this year.

While the White Sox have also struggled to find much success with the pitching, the Pirates have continued to post a top pitching staff in MLB as the starting corp have posted the 9th best ERA on the year (3.71) while the bullpen is only a bit behind them with a combined 3.76 ERA this season.

7/18

White Sox: Jonathan Cannon – 3-7, 4.44 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 77 IP, 61 K/29 BB

Pirates: Bailey Falter (L) – 6-4, 3.79 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 97.1 IP, 59 K/34 BB

7/19

White Sox: Adrian Houser – 5-2, 1.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 57.2 IP, 39 K/19 BB

Pirates: Mike Burrows – 1-3, 4.83 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 41 IP, 42 K/17 BB

7/20

White Sox: Aaron Civale – 1-6, 5.30 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 52.2 IP, 36 K/22 BB

Pirates: Andrew Heaney (L) – 4-8, 4.59 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 98 IP, 73 K/33 BB

White Sox: Edgar Quero – There aren’t many bright spots on the White Sox team but the rookie Quero has shined in his brief time in the bigs. The #4 ranked prospect for Chicago entering this season has 7 hits over 25 plate appearances this month – including a 3-hit game against the Dodgers on July against future Hall of Famer, Clayton Kershaw. Given his splits this year (.952 OPS against LHP vs. 541 against RHP), expect to see him quite a bit this weekend with two southpaws going for the Bucs.

Pirates: Tommy Pham – What a difference correct contact lenses can make, right? Since June 22nd – when Pham reportedly corrected the keratoconus issues plaguing him early on in the season – Pham has slashed .415/.448/.717 with 4 doubles and 4 home runs over 58 plate appearances. He has benefited from an abnormally high .450 BABIP but his 93.9 average exit velocity, 54.5% hard hit rate and 13.6% barrel rate indicate that this is more than a flash in the pan situation and the Pirates may have a serious blue chip trade piece on their hands ahead of this month’s deadline.

White Sox: Aaron Civale – The low-hanging fruit that is the entire offense for the White Sox seemed too easy but Civale – who has routinely dominated the Pirates the past few times they have faced off – has struggled since being shipped out from Milwaukee. Through six starts, he is 0-4 with a 5.58 ERA – including going 0-2 over three starts this month as he has a 6.75 ERA over 14.2 innings pitched in July.

Pirates: Bryan Reynolds – Man, remember when the summer turned B-Rey into gold? The hits just haven’t been coming for arguably the worst offensive member of the Pirates as Reynolds has the most at-bats of any Pirate this season and has a .225/.287/.369 slash line that has only been worsened by a July mark of .098/.119/.122 with just one walk and 18 strikeouts over 41 at-bats. Yes, he’s gotten some bad batted ball luck this year but can’t chalk it up to luck when you head back to the dugout on strike 3 as often as he does.

White Sox: Prelander Berroa, Ky Bush, Miguel Castro, Davis Martin, Martín Pérez, Jesse Scholtens, Jared Shuster, Drew Thorpe, Tim Elko, Ryan Noda, Brooks Baldwin

Pirates: Ryan Borucki, Jared Jones, Justin Lawrence, Tim Mayza, Johan Oviedo, Chase Shugart, Endy Rodriguez, Enmanuel Valdez

Notes

  • Andrew Heaney has struggled his last few times out with a 9.61 ERA over his last five appearances, one of the few things the White Sox offense hasn’t looked completely overmatched with is facing left-handed pitching as their team OPS in these situations (.666) is tied for 18th in MLB – a sizeable bump from their .629, 30th place mark against right-handed pitching.
  • Tommy Pham spent part of last season with the White Sox before being dealt to the Cardinals midway through the year but the Sox are catching him at his best as he looks to improve on his career .176 batting average against Chicago.
  • Andrew McCutchen is two home runs away from posting his 17th straight double-digit home run campaign (including 2020). While he almost assuredly won’t reach the record (23 seasons by Hank Aaron), it is still a remarkable achievement that speaks to his sustained success throughout his MLB career.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates Second Half is a Fork in the Road

7-18-25 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on X

There are only so many ways the Pirates can go from here. And bluntly, we’ve talked them to death. We all know the guys they should trade, we all know the guys they could trade and we all know the answers would come a lot easier if we thought for one second they’d spend some money on a big Free Agent investment.

We all know the owner won’t sell, we all know to some degree Ben Cherington is in trouble, we all believe Travis Williams will be overseeing the destruction of regional treasures elsewhere soon too.

The Bottom line is this, is this team going to do the tear down and sell off rebuild with prospects thing again, or are they going to try to just pull over at the service station, fix what’s wrong and get the damn thing back on the road?

I think they have to pick one of these two, because frankly, the third choice is to just come back next year with a nearly identical, but year older version of your roster and put every potential improvement at the feet of your players getting better, or maturing, or whatever.

I mean, you can take either of those two distinct forks out farther if you like and defend the ultimate future you’re convinced will come from each decision, but for this piece, I’m leaving it at the fork.

And you know what I mean by that. Sure, it’s not Pham and Frazier again, but it’ll be say Dejong and someone else they lure away from the Social Security office and cross their fingers with internal options for just about everything good.

If you want the truth, and if there weren’t public pressure, I bet this 3rd option, the put the pot on the back burner and let it simmer method, is exactly what Cherington would prefer. At the end of the day, I simply don’t believe he thinks things have necessarily gone all that far off course. A few trains are a bit off schedule is all.

One thing this year brought I think is an overwhelming sense that something has to change, whether that be the right things to change or not. The owner is frustrated, the fans are frustrated, the players are frustrated. Nothing about that spells play it back.

So let’s cover the two other ways they could go.

Full Rebuild

Now, when you talk about wanting this team to trade Reynolds, Hayes, Keller, Cruz, or even Skenes, I’m not sure you truly realize what you’re asking for, but you should be. You’re asking for a full blown rebuild.

Now, that’s not to say all of these guys are untouchable, but keeping any of them starts to look real stupid if you move too many of them.

In a full rebuild, Nobody would be safe. In fact, you didn’t even see a 100% full rebuild when Ben Cherington got here. You still have Reynolds, and Keller. A full rebuild would likely have found a new home for them as well. Especially Reynolds, he had already proven enough value to move by then and was a young commodity with a ton of control.

A full rebuild would move all those assets. Might even include Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis in that mix. Anything and everything not nailed down.

The goal is to absolutely detonate what you have. Bottom out the payroll to almost all league minimums or close, stock the system with so much talent it’s bursting at the seams and let them start fighting it out.

In practice, it looks a lot like the Miami Marlins.

Yes, you’ll stink, but the way this team is set up, your pitching is already kinda close to being passible qukck. You still have Bubba, Barco, Burrows, Ashcraft, Mlodzinski, Harrington, and whatever shakes out of what you just acquired.

Your hitting is probably pretty sad. You’re almost all rookies, or young players. maybe even some waiver claims. If you do it well, you probably start to see some emergences early, but you absolutely feel like you have options. In other words there are more guys coming, held back by nothing more than you wanting to see someone else at the moment.

You can keep Cutch around, you can even sign some vets.

If you’re smart, I should say, a lot smarter than the Pirates ever have been in my lifetime, you bring in some high quality vets on 2-3 year deals and they make it a bit more fun for your fans and if someone offers something great for them, F it, you get even more prospects to add into the mix.

This should start to look better in 2-3 seasons, and I mean Wild Card threatening in 2-3 seasons.

Don’t get confused, I’m not saying that’s how long it should have taken Ben Cherington. Frankly, the situation this team is in right now is like light years better than what Cherington inherited.

I mean, for starters, a new GM would likely be able to watch his minor league system play the first year he’s around. He’d also have a much better crop of prospects, and a solid shot at a quick turnaround if the moves you made with unreal commodities to sell were even halfway smart.

If they’d do this, and provided competence of course, I think this gets you a winning team for a decent stretch.

It would hurt like hell, they’d lose even more of this fan base, at least until it works, but even then it’ll be a whole bunch of Randy Quaid in Major League II begrudgingly enjoying the team even as you hate them and yourself for loving it.

Yup, it’s the same old promise this team has made a dozen times, and yes, at the end of the day when they need that one more piece, you’re right, if MLB doesn’t change their system, they absolutely won’t go get it. I mean, they will, but it’ll be the Aldi version.

This is by far the cheapest way to go, and all jokes aside, it’s the last thing Bob Nutting wants to do right now. I don’t believe he’d hire someone who’d want to do this, at least not now, let’s not pretend it’s going to suddenly leave their DNA.

Take the Spooky Road to the Right

This is what I think we’ll see. I wish I could promise it’ll be done well, or by some magic GM you’ll pretend you had your eye on for a couple years when they hire them.

I can’t. I just think it’s what they’ll choose, because it’s the one the looks the most like trying to win to an audience who has absolutely no patience left for stories about mythological futures unless they’re the latest Marvel flick.

I think this has to come with some rules.

  • This team has to have a winning season in 2026, and within 2 games of the Wild Card
  • Trade every last rental player
  • Commit to an MLB payroll that can supply a professional LF and SS minimally
  • Every move is about getting better now, not in the future

Sounds simple, but they haven’t been here.

Because these were pretty much the agreed upon marching orders entering this season. Now, I’ve seen it reported that Cherington used dollars allocated for on field talent for analytics expansion, but I can’t imagine this was enough money to turn Tommy Pham into a real attempt to fill a very necessary role on this team.

Bob isn’t Snow White here of course, he does need to spend more, I just don’t believe he’ll do a whole lot more than he planned to.

So, I’d say I need to pick what I can move for help. Maybe that’s prospect arms, maybe it’s an MLB starting pitcher, whatever, these moves need to get more aggressive. Either don’t be afraid to extend yourself financially, or don’t be afraid to sell off some prospect assets.

I don’t care who’s fault it is. Blame Bob, blame Cherington, whatever, the point is, this is going to be the direction this team likely tries to go, and no matter what, it’ll be because they think it’s what you’d prefer.

I bet most of you do, even if you don’t have faith in them to execute it, but you’d still rather have some decent players and friggin’ try. Let them grow, add some help, better is better amiright?

There are some fans who think the entire team stinks, yet will absolutely be set off by trading a guy like Adam Frazier. LOL Guys, that shiz has to stop. You can’t possibly think this team finds a way to get better by holding onto 95% of what brought them this record can you? Every trade isn’t same old Pirates, sometimes it’s just making a necessary move.

Little more than the equivalent to agreeing to terms on an app you downloaded drunk.

It Just Didn’t Come Together

I don’t need to tear down everything Ben Cherington did here.

How we got here kinda doesn’t matter anymore.

They managed to build one of the strongest pitching farms I’ve ever seen in this city. That’s not nothing, for years and years the Pirates couldn’t develop pitching to save their lives. And it’s not just recency bias, this regime worked hard to create Mitch Keller. Sure he worked his ass off too, but the team developed him. Nursed him back from near death if memory serves.

They have some interesting bats, including a few who haven’t performed up to standard this year and a few interesting coming, but too far away to help immediately.

The Ben Cherington regime built a system that is almost entirely tilted to the pitching side of things. It took them too long to realize their scouting only had an eye for half the talent they’d need, but the changes they’ve made there are starting to show some better results in the lower levels. Here’s hoping they identify trade targets better than they have on this side of things too.

I’d also say, Ben Cherington’s overall offensive philosophy, well, I’ll probably die on this hill if I have to, it simply saps aggressiveness from everyone collectively. It maybe makes an average player be average more consistently, but it prevents greatness a hell of a lot more than it ever uncorks it.

I don’t have evidence for this mind you. It’s not like there is a trail of failed Pirates prospects who’ve cropped up somewhere else crushing it. I think it’s a great system for a guy like Tommy Pham, or Adam Frazier. I think it’s about the worst system in the world a player like Oneil Cruz could be coming up in.

They built what they could, time to balance the scales and start making this incredible pitching lead an improved offense into a better spot next year.

I Love the Pittsburgh Pirates. I’m 48 years old, I’ve never seen my team win a World Series without a pacifier in my mouth, and I badly want to be talking about baseball. Unfortunately, because of MLB’s system, and my owner always skewing toward the bare minimum these are realities we have to face.

It would be doable if we got regular payoffs for regular medicine we had to choke down, but we instead far too often have to take the medicine only to find out our doctor should probably be issuing dog licenses.

There is a path to get this back on track. Bob can make it easier and give it a better chance to work if he hires the right GM and opens the wallet a bit. The good GM isn’t negotiable, because a good GM probably could use what’s here and not have to ask for all that much more than they’re spending right now to at least make a better effort apparent.

I think they have a coach in Don Kelly, let’s see how he handles keeping the walls up while the house falls down around him and he introduces new players into the mix.

Fix the game MLB. I should be talking about a completely doable player acquisition plan for 2026 to fit in what we need under the cap.

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Pirates add infielder Cam Devanney from Royals in trade for Adam Frazier

7-16-2025 – By Ethan Smith – @mvp_EtHaN on X

The Pittsburgh Pirates and general manager Ben Cherington began their assumed busy trade deadline period over the next few weeks on Wednesday, adding infielder Cam Devanney from the Kansas City Royals for utility-man Adam Frazier.

Frazier, 33 returns to the Royals after spending the entirety of the 2024 campaign with Kansas City, where Frazier slashed .202/.282/.294 with 22 RBIs. Frazier’s play has been considerably better than last season in his return to Kansas City, as Frazier departs Pittsburgh with a .255/.318/.336 slash and 21 RBIs.

Meanwhile, the Pirates acquire Devanney, 28, a career minor leaguer who made his professional debut in 2019 after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 15th round that year. After rising through the Brewers system for a few years, Devanney was dealt to Kansas City ahead of the 2024 campaign as part of a prospect swap.

Primarily a shortstop across the entirety of his minor league career, Devanney was a 2022 MiLB.com Organization All-Star with the Milwaukee Brewers before making his way to Kansas City’s system as a non-roster invitee in 2024.

Devanney has spent the past year and a half with the Royals AAA-affiliate, hitting 37 home runs in that span, including 18 just this season. Devanney has been an above-average player at AAA this season, posting a .272/.366/.565 slash and 137 wRC+ in 69 games with Omaha while playing primarily shortstop but also having appearances at second base, third base and left field.

This season has been the best Devanney has seen in his professional career, posting a career high .931 OPS. He has fared well due to his increase in 90.1 mile per hour exit velocity from last year, a nearly two mile per hour jump from his 88.3 clip last year.

His swing and miss is worrisome this season, as Devanney’s whiff rate has considerably increased to 33.6-percent compared to his 25-percent mark from last year. The bat has some pop though when he makes contact, as Devanney has posted 18 or more home runs in three of his past four campaigns.

As where Devanney fits, he has already been optioned to AAA-Indianapolis, where he’ll find his footing in his third big league organization, but with expectations from the Pirates to move on from players like Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who is on an expiring contract, Devanney could see big league opportunities once those deals are potentially made.

Devanney enters the Pirates organization hot, slashing .368/.429/.947 in 19 plate appearances and five games in July. He also has a 1.001 OPS in the minor league second half thus far, compared to a .917 OPS in the first half.

This move won’t, and shouldn’t, light up the radar as Frazier was never going to warrant a massive return, but with expiring deals, its always better to get something rather than nothing, and the Pirates got a career minor league player with some pop who should at worst be depth in the infield that could look very different in just a few weeks with more trades on the horizon.

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Gary’s Five Pirates Thoughts – New Blood Meets Bad Blood

7-14-25 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on X

Lets Go!

1. Day One of the Draft

The Pittsburgh Pirates made four selections on Day One of the 2025 MLB Draft, focusing on a mix of high-upside pitching talent and promising college bats. Here’s a quick breakdown of their picks:

Round 1, Pick 6: RHP Seth Hernandez (California H.S.)

  • Grade: A
  • Hernandez, the reigning National Gatorade Player of the Year, is widely regarded as one of the best high school pitching prospects in recent memory. He boasts at least three plus pitches and a polished delivery for his age. With elite athleticism and a high ceiling, he projects as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter. The pick carries some risk, as with any prep pitcher, but the upside is immense 1.

Round 2, Pick 50: RHP Angel Cervantes (California H.S.)

  • Grade: B+
  • Another high school righty from California, Cervantes features a strong pitch mix highlighted by a standout changeup. Though younger and more raw than Hernandez, his projectability and potential for added velocity make him an intriguing developmental arm. He’s seen as a long-term investment with considerable upside 1.

Comp Round B, Pick 73: 3B Murf Gray (Fresno State)

  • Grade: B-
  • Gray brings serious power potential, having slugged 18 home runs with a .639 SLG in his junior year. At 6’4″, 230 lbs, he’s a physical presence, but questions remain about his speed and defensive fit. This pick may have been a slight reach, possibly to save bonus pool money for other signings 1.

Round 3, Pick 82: C Easton Carmichael (Oklahoma)

A steady, well-rounded catcher, Carmichael impressed in the SEC and the Cape Cod League. While he may not have standout tools, his athleticism, defensive skills, and consistent performance give him a high floor. He’s a safer pick compared to the earlier high-risk arms.

Grade: B+

So, listen, here’s the thing. I think the feelings about this GM are interfering with your ability to see the good here. Seth was the top talent on the board, and man, you just have to take it when it’s there. This team has done very well at developing pitching, and this guy is a player I think fits what they like to do and coach well. It’s a good pick, even if the guy who gave the final thumbs up isn’t the person you wanted to be in charge.

2. Paul Skenes Starts All Star Game…Again

Paul Skenes has etched his name into MLB history by becoming the first pitcher ever to start the All-Star Game in each of his first two seasons in the majors 

1. This remarkable feat underscores not only his elite talent but also his immediate impact on the league since debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in May 2024.

Historic Context

  • In 2024, Skenes became the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Hideo Nomo in 1995.
  • In 2025, he repeated the honor, making him the only pitcher in MLB history to start the Midsummer Classic in both his rookie and sophomore seasons.
  • He joins an elite group of just five players to start All-Star Games in each of their first two seasons, alongside:
    • Joe DiMaggio (7 straight starts, 1936–42)
    • Ichiro Suzuki (4 straight, 2001–04)
    • Rod Carew (3 straight, 1967–69)
    • Frank Robinson (2 straight, 1956–57)

Performance Highlights

Despite a 4–8 record in 2025, Skenes has been dominant:

  • ERA: 2.01 (lowest in MLB)
  • WHIP: 0.93 (tied for 5th)
  • Opposing BA: .189 (4th)
  • Strikeouts: 131 in 121 innings

His win-loss record is misleading, as the Pirates have provided four or fewer runs of support in 16 of his 20 starts 

Pirates Franchise Legacy

Skenes is one of just five Pirates pitchers to start an All-Star Game, joining:

  • Bob Friend (1956, 1960)
  • Jerry Reuss (1975)
  • Dock Ellis (1971)
  • Rip Sewell (1943, 1944, 1946)

He’s also the first Pirates pitcher to earn back-to-back All-Star selections since reliever David Bednar (2022–23).

3. Historical Lack of Power

Since the year 2000, eight different Pittsburgh Pirates players have hit 30 or more home runs in a single season. Here’s a breakdown of those players and their respective seasons:

Pirates Players with 30+ HR Seasons Since 2000

PlayerHome RunsYear
Brian Giles352000
Brian Giles372001
Aramis Ramírez342001
Brian Giles382002
Jason Bay322005
Jason Bay352006
Pedro Alvarez362013
Andrew McCutchen312012
Josh Bell372019

Some players, like Brian Giles and Jason Bay, achieved the feat in multiple seasons.

Cincinnati Reds

  • At least 10 players have done it, including:
    • Adam Dunn (multiple seasons)
    • Ken Griffey Jr., Joey Votto, Eugenio Suárez, Jay Bruce

Milwaukee Brewers

  • At least 11 players, with several repeat seasons:
    • Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Richie Sexson, Christian Yelich, Chris Carter, Rowdy Tellez

Chicago Cubs

  • At least 12 players have hit 30+ HRs in a season:
    • Sammy Sosa, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramírez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber

St. Louis Cardinals

  • At least 10 players:
    • Albert Pujols (dominant stretch with multiple 30+ HR seasons)
    • Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Matt Carpenter, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado

The Pirates trail the rest of the division in both total and unique 30-HR seasons, reflecting a more pitching- or contact-oriented roster construction over the past two decades, purposeful or not.

As Oneil Cruz participates in the Homerun Derby tonight, I hope it ignites a fire in him to get at least 14 more this season and crack that 30 homerun ceiling. We haven’t had many here in Pittsburgh this CENTURY!!! So I’d really like to see this kid get the mark even while not playing his best. I think that would give me some hope for his progression.

Adding another guy capable of hitting 30 would give me a lot more.

4. Will the Bucs Make a Roster Move Before the Break Ends?

Let’s just think through some things…

I’d think they’d want to get a reliever up here, but I’m not sure whom it’d be. Part of me thinks it could be Bubba with a Burrows move to the pen, but that might be hasty on Burrows part, he’s just had the one poor outing. I can’t see them pulling a Heaney trade before the break ends, so that’s not going to make room either.

Needs to be a reliever, doesn’t sound like they feel Holderman or Moreta are there yet. Nicolas has just not worked all year really. They have that new Darrell-Hicks guy, I guess that’s a dude. But yeah, I dunno, I wouldn’t want to run it short until Borucki, Mayza or Lawrence are ready.

To get a right handed first baseman, you have to think Billy Cook or Nick Yorke would get consideration. Can’t imagine they’d think Nunez. Endy isn’t ready. So if it’s Cook, he kinda just started hitting, but he can do a lot of things, which they kinda need with the Triolo demotion.

Yorke can do a lot of things too, but not as much in the outfield. Even first base is kinda based on seeing him try it in Spring, I don’t believe they’ve had him play there in AAA. That said, the team does need someone to help at third, unless they think Gonzales can do that, in which case you’d need a 2B which I suppose could be Frazier too, but you get it.

Now if one of them is called up, then someone here has to go. And I’d think it would have to be an outfielder. Canario who has no options so he’d have to be DFA’d, or Suwinski who could be optioned, but it feels like they’re in the middle of trying to give him another look. That’s up to you to defend or hate on or whatever, I’m just saying what I see. Canario got a shot, a pretty nice one actually and I’m not sure it really showed up. I saw some better at bats, but really, his magic trick was that out of this entire lineup, he was the only one who was going to take 3 swings just about every at bat and by shear volume of how many more times he swung he hit more than the rest of them.

OK, maybe I made that part up a bit, but I guess I’m asking, are you willing to move on from Canario for Yorke or Cook to get a chance?

Just some things to think about, there are some players making a case for a chance down there.

5. Did the Players Give Up?

I have felt this watching them play during stretches this year. You just feel like you see it on their faces, or at least that’s what it feels like from your arm chair or your seats behind the dugout.

But no, they haven’t given up. Frustration is a destructive virus that infects every aspect of a team and I think that’s a lot of what we’re seeing. More than that, I think it’s been building since last year’s trade deadline.

The Pirates traded for 4 hitters at the deadline. One was injured and came back late after not playing the game for way too long in Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Bryan De La Cruz was acquired to I guess be a right handed Jack Suwinski, and his main reason for being an attractive acquisition was that you could keep him for a few more years, yes, more than the recent evidence about his offensive performance.

Of course they also got Cook and Yorke. So when you add all that up, everything screamed all of these moves are really about 2026.

Well, then they weren’t. One of them was a bomb out. The two prospects came up and looked hungry in September only to show up this Spring blocked by future Hall of famer Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier.

Now I’m writing 3 or 4 paragraphs trying to find a spot for them to get a peek.

They have a lot of the same types of bits and pieces for sale this deadline, and I bet we should expect similar. That’s just kinda what’s going to be there unless you get lucky with Bednar or part ways with Keller.

I feel like at the end of the day, we shouldn’t expect anything big really this deadline. But then again, look at last year, that’s probably his definition of big, so…

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Starter Spotlight: Some ASMR For SWR

7-13-2025 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X

Entering the final game before the All Star Break, the Pirates are badly in need of a win as they have lost 8 straight and are in danger of back-to-back-to-back sweeps on the road. Opposing them today hoping to finish their fate is Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson, who is having a solid follow-up to his rookie season as he enters the day with a 5-4 record and 4.08 ERA over 68.1 innings pitched with Minnesota this season.

The Bucs last faced Woods Richardson last June, when he threw 6.1 innings with just one run allowed in the game as he utilizes average-to-below average stuff by changing speed and location in order to find success.

SWR offers a fastball/slider/curve/changeup mix against lefties dropping the change when facing righties. Primarily, he works off the low-90s 4-seam up in the zone and the mid-80s slider running down arm-side.

It’s a small sample size on the season but lefties have had much more success against  Woods Richardson, posting a .821 OPS compared to .613 OPS for right handed hitters.

Much of that damage has come against his slider, against which lefties are hitting .458 and slugging .792 as he has struggled to get the breaking ball to, well…break, leading to some devastating results. 

Stay on the breaking balls and do damage against any meatball heaters. 

I mean, at this point, I think most of us are just looking ahead to seeing Oneil Cruz crush bombs in the Home Run Derby and Paul Skenes striking out the best of the best starting the All Star Game but a team win to end the first half would sound pretty nice too.

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Starter Spotlight: Sands of Time

7-12-2025 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X

After yet another poor offensive showing, the Pirates will see a bullpen game in the second match of the weekend series with Cole Sands up first to face the bumbling Bucco bats with Travis Adams likely to follow in a bulk innings role.

Sands is typically a SIRP as just 3 of his 39 games this season saw him recording more than three outs. He features a fastball-heavy approach with a mid-90s 4-seamer paired with his cutter and splitter in the high-80s with a low-80s curve and a low-90s sinker.

Batters are hitting .286 against his cutter and .368 against his 4-seamer, which make up 57.2% of his total pitches thrown this season and which he typically locates up in the zone.

Looking at Adams, who made one appearance for Minnesota this season lasting 4 innings while giving up 5 runs off 9 hits and just one strikeout.

Adams is currently ranked the #21 prospect in the Twins system (per MLB Pipeline) and has a 3.68 ERA over 63.2 innings with AAA-St. Paul Saints this year.

He offers a 4-seam/slider/cutter/sinker mix with a lesser-used changeup and curve as well.

Small MLB sample size but he exclusively used the 4-seam against lefties and they were CRUSHING it for a .667 batting average and .833 slugging.

Even in the minors, lefties have been hammering Adams as they are batting .312 against him compared to .197 for righties.

Look to get to Adams early and attack elevated heat. These are not the best that Minnesota has to offer and the Bucs need to make it clear that they won’t lose against just anybody…though, time is running out for them to prove that.

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How Could the 2026 Bullpen Take Shape?

7-12-25 – By Josh Poe – @DaRealHanYolo on X

As we try to keep our sanity about the 2025 season, there is one thing I’m sure you’ve heard before: The Pirates will be better next year.

As hope is at an all-time low, I don’t think it’s too complicated to see that the Pirates should be better in ’26 – if they make the right moves. So, I want to tackle who I think will be in the bullpen because, to compete, they simply must have a strong bullpen.

Heading Out

I wanted to first discuss who from the pen I think will be dealt with at the deadline, as it is a few weeks away, and I’d like to speculate.

This is gonna hurt me as I look at his bobblehead, David Bednar is probably gone. I think his value right now is too high not to trade as he has not allowed an earned run since May 23rd – a stretch of 16 appearances, 15.1 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts to just 4 walks.

Caleb Ferguson is also gone. He’s a left-hander who’s been very good (2.77 ERA over 30 innings) and a pending free agent. The last name I’m going to mention isn’t one I think they will move, but if the Pirates are going to try to find a controllable piece, I could see Carmen Mlodzinski being packaged in a deal for a player. So, now let’s build a pen:

Holding The Fort

For a closer, Dennis Santana. Santana has been really good this year. As of writing this, he has a 1.60 ERA over 39.1 innings and 39 games. You can’t trade both Bednar and Santana as one needs to anchor the pen next year, and I don’t see this team going out and spending on the pen (and they don’t have to).

I feel like Bednar can also get a better return purely based on his turnaround and what he was like when he was on; however, I would try to add someone (and we will get to it) who could shoulder some of the load from Santana in ’26. But I want to see Santana get a run at closer. His work has been too good this year not to give it a try. Just check his savant page it looks amazing.

Justin Lawrence and Dauri Moreta. I’m going to put both of these guys here, as I think both will be back and hopefully healthy for 2026. Lawrence only threw 11.1 innings for the Pirates, but he looked really good, and his stuff looked nasty in that short amount of time. I think he could be a good 7th inning guy.

Moreta, whom we haven’t seen in a year and a half, was part of the team in ’23, and he performed decently with a 3.72 ERA in 58 innings. So, he could be a middle guy as well.

I’m pairing the two young guys, Isaac Mattson and Braxton Ashcraft, together. Both of these players have had limited MLB time, but have performed well. Ashcraft has a 2.05 ERA in 22 innings. Mattson has a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings. I see both of these guys put in when a starter is struggling to get them to the back-end boys. Your “bridge boys,” as I like to call them, could now see bigger roles, sure, but they are both young, so let them work their way up to it. (Mattson is 29, but he’s young in terms of Baseball.)

Predictions For Acquisitions

Okay, so my favorite section is where I predict and hope which free agents the Pirates could get. I’m gonna put two names down here, both lefties, as we do need some lefties in the pen (sorry, Borucki.)

Gregory Soto was once an insane closer in Detroit. Posting two All-Star seasons where he had 60 or more Ks. Since then, he hasn’t been as dominant, bouncing from Philly to Baltimore, where he is now with a 3.90 ERA over 32 innings.

The point being, his work isn’t too bad, but it’s definitely not as good as it used to be. But, given the knack this team has to find stuff in pitchers, especially lefties, let them give a run at Soto. He hasn’t been too good, so I would imagine he isn’t gonna cost that much. And man, if he could find it again, how insane that could be for the Bucs so…why not try it?

Next, I want to mention a story that came out in April about Aroldis Chapman saying he wanted to return to the Bucs, but they didn’t call him, resulting in him signing with the Red Sox. If he has an interest, I say go for it. However, I know his price may be too high, so I’ll move on to the next.

Drew Pomeranz has had a very interesting career, first as a starter, and in the latter half of his career, he’s become a pretty effective reliever. What’s funny is that if you check his savant page, it would appear that he shouldn’t be good. But this year, he has been one of the best pickups for the Cubs, throwing 24.2 innings and having a 0.73 ERA and a 1.014 WHIP. He would be entering his age-37 season, so he may or may not want a multi-year deal. But, he could be someone who could be thrown into many roles and multi-inning set-ups, a piggyback start with Ashcraft and Pomeranz could be amazing.

Now, before I go, I want to mention one more player I find interesting if the Pirates want to add some arms. Shelby Miller has been putting up a very good season in Arizona. His fastball is a bit above average, as well as his K, Whiff, and chase percentages, which have been above league average, with a 1.98 ERA. He is another one for whom you may be able to get a good deal, and he has some closing history, so could he help out with Santana? You may want to look into him, but he is a bit of a pipe dream, like Chapman.

So, these are the arms I expect/want in the Bullpen for ’26. I think the Pirates can compete (I really do!), and to be able to compete, they need a strong bullpen. So keep faith, y’all things look bleak, but there could/should (fingers crossed) be a light at the end of the tunnel.

And one more quick thing….GIVE HENRY DAVIS THE CATCHING JOB!

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Series Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates (38-56) at Minnesota Twins (45-48)

7-11-2025 – By Drew Cagle – @_dcagle on X

In search of a win to snap their six-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates continue their road trip into the Twin Cities for a three-game set with the Minnesota Twins.

Last time out, the Buccos took one on the chin from the Kansas City Royals. Despite keeping the final two games of the series within a run, it was KC who prevailed to complete the sweep.

With their recent run of offensive struggles, it’s even more clear that Pittsburgh is far away from contention. Minnesota, on the other hand, sits four games out of a A.L. wild card spot.

The Pirates turn to Paul Skenes on Friday night to serve as their stopper. After a red-hot homestand that saw them sweep the Mets and Cardinals, the club has lost that ground on this road trip.

7/11

Pirates: RHP Paul Skenes – 116.0 IP, 4-7, 125 K/30 BB, 1.94 ERA, 0.92 WHIP

Twins: RHP Joe Ryan – 104.1 IP, 8-4, 116 K/21 BB, 2.76 ERA, 0.89 WHIP

7/12

Pirates: RHP Mike Burrows – 39.2 IP, 1-2, 41 K/14 BB, 3.63 ERA, 1.31 WHIP

Twins: TBA

7/13

Pirates: LHP Andrew Heaney – 96.0 IP, 4-8, 73 K/32 BB, 4.41 ERA, 1.24 WHIP

Twins: RHP Simeon Woods Richardson – 68.1 IP, 5-4, 59 K/27 BB, 4.08 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Pirates: Outfielder Tommy Pham has turned a corner over the last several weeks, enough to where manager Don Kelly has entrusted him with hitting out of the leadoff spot. Dating back to June 22, the veteran is slashing .444/.480/.733, good for a remarkable 1.213 OPS. He’s given an low-scoring offense a spark, heating up with the weather.

Twins: Shortstop Carlos Correa has begun the month of July the right way. The 30-year-old sports a .276 batting average and .323 on-base percentage over those 8 games. On Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI double.

Pirates: Over the past road trip, Buccos catcher Joey Bart has found himself mired in a cold spell. He’s hitless in his last 10 at-bats, striking out six times. After a breakout 2024 season, his average has dropped to a meager .230. He’ll look to grab some momentum before the All-Star break hits.

Twins: Former No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis hasn’t been the fastest out of the blocks. After coming back from a hamstring injury early in this season, he’s hitting just .227, a far cry from his career-best .309 in 2023.

Pirates: Justin Lawrence, Tim Mayza, Jovan Oviedo

Both Lawrence and Mayza have progressed their throwing programs, per MLB.com.

Twins: Luke Keaschall, Zebby Matthews, Bailey Ober

Ober is currently on the 15-day IL with hip inflammation.

Notes

  • In last season’s meeting between the teams at PNC Park, the Pirates took two of three from the Twins. Both wins came via shutout.
  • Minnesota owns a 17-10 lifetime record against Pittsburgh at home.
  • On the season, the Twins sport a 26-19 home record, while the Pirates are a dismal 12-35 on the road.
  • Friday night’s pitching matchup won’t be easy, with Joe Ryan opposing Paul Skenes. If the Pirates can take that series opener, they’ll be in prime position to win the series by splitting the final two games.

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Starter Spotlight: This Offense Needs A Cup of Joe

7-11-2025 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X

Another road series, another sweep as the Pirates offense continues to look like it needs a cold brew to start the game. Can the Buccos find success on the road? They head next to the Twin Cities to face the Minnesota newest minted All Star, Joe Ryan, who has most deservedly earned this nod.

Ryan ranks 6th in batting average against (.192) and 3rd in WHIP (0.89) behind just Cy Young front-runners Tarik Skubal and Zack Wheeler, while only those two and Garrett Crochet sit ahead of him in K-BB% among qualified starters.

While Ryan lost last time he faced the Pirates 13 months ago – despite pitching 7 strong with just 2 runs off 2 hits and 2 walks to 8 strikeouts – he’s in prime form this year as he enters play today with a 2.76 ERA, 

Ryan features low-90s velocity on his fastballs, works in the high-80s for this splitter and slider, a low-80s sweeper and high-70s curve – but his best pitch has been the fastball.

Lefties are batting .202 against Ryan’s 4-seamer while righties are hitting a paltry .137 against the offering as he has the highest run value in MLB off the pitch.

His other fastballs have not been as effective for Ryan. He uses the splitter as his main secondary pitch against lefties while pivoting to the sweeper and sinker against righties – all of which are better options to attack as lefties have a .250 BA and .556 SLG against his splitter while righties have hit .308 against his sinker and slugged .500 against the pitch.

He will look to locate both the splitter and sinker low in the zone (compared to up and in for the 4-seam) but he doesn’t get a lot of chases or groundballs, and gets barreled on these pitches a TON – his sinker, in particular, has an average EV of 92.4 MPH – and he can’t stop the runners coming home once that happens.

Bucs bats will need to pick up the spin and location, attack the lower fastballs and pounce on the mistakes. Ryan is going to fill up the zone on fastballs but if they can find their pitch and are ready for it, this team can get back in the black.

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