Headlines

  • Hayden Wesneski To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Dodgers Release Chris Taylor
  • Jose Alvarado Issued 80-Game PED Suspension
  • Orioles Fire Manager Brandon Hyde
  • Ben Joyce Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
  • Dodgers Promote Dalton Rushing, Designate Austin Barnes For Assignment
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2025
    • Free Agent Contest Leaderboard
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Pirates Notes: Analytics, Walker, Alvarez, Park

By | November 1, 2015 at 8:08pm CDT

Much like every other team, the Pirates are striving to adjust to a pitcher friendly era, writes Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Pitchers have benefited greatly from the inflow of data. They’ve learned about specific hitters tendencies, strengths, and weakness in ways that weren’t available in the past. Now hitters are beginning to get more of that same information about pitchers. Per Pirates GM Neal Huntington, “So much of the advance work gave an advantage to pitchers in identifying hitters’ weaknesses…We…have worked hard to try to capitalize on how to give our hitters some advantage back.”

Here’s more from the Pirates as they gear up for free agency:

  • Pittsburgh hopes to improve their offense over the offseason, writes Sawchik in a separate article. Sawchik suggests that power could be a priority. Interestingly, the club has tough decisions to make on Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker. Both players are non-tender candidates – Alvarez is projected to earn $8.1MM via arbitration while Walker is pegged for a $10.7MM payday. However, they’ve also accounted for 84 of the club’s 296 home runs in the last two seasons (28%). If power is truly a priority, then it will be hard to replace their production for less money. It’s trendy to look to the Royals as an example, but they’re probably a great model for the Pirates. Pittsburgh has focused on pure hitters in the draft rather than power, and their cavernous ball park plays similarly to Kauffman Stadium. Perhaps aggression and athleticism are better traits to target.
  • Byung-ho Park of the Nexen Heroes will be posted tomorrow, but he’s unlikely to join the Pirates, writes John Perrotto of Today’s Knuckleball. Obviously, the Pirates have already received great value from fellow KBO import Jung-ho Kang. That’s part of the reason Pittsburgh won’t win the bidding for his services. Kang provided a successful use case for transition from the KBO to the majors. Teams should be willing to bet more upon Park’s success. With Michael Morse under contract for 2016 and top prospect Josh Bell lurking at Triple-A, the club also has some solid in-house first basemen.
Share 6 Retweet 39 Send via email0

Kansas City Royals Pittsburgh Pirates Byung-ho Park Josh Bell Michael Morse Neal Huntington Neil Walker Pedro Alvarez

Heyman’s Latest: Davis, Zobrist, Zunino
Main
Quick Hits: Mattingly, Royals, Mets, Murphy, Sveum
View Comments (12)
Post a Comment

12 Comments

  1. batman

    10 years ago

    You’re crazy if you seriously believe that Walker is a non-tender candidate

    Reply
    • jaysfan1994

      10 years ago

      No chance he’s non-tendered.

      Reply
    • joew

      10 years ago

      Yeah, very unlikey move to non-tender him, same with Mark. So unlikely that it shouldn’t really be mentioned.

      Reply
    • BurghFan99

      10 years ago

      All of those guys will probably be traded. Chance of non-tender is slim to none

      Reply
  2. joew

    10 years ago

    Look at a few key players that are probably leaving. Happ, Soria, Blanton and AJ. All pitchers all who provided a good amount of quality innings.

    The only key position player possibly moving is Pedro and Possibly Walker both of whom have acceptable replacements in Harrison, Hanson, Morse and Bell. 2nd base defense might be a little worse and Harrison doesn’t have the consistency or power that walker has. Morse hasn’t been anywhere long enough since being suspended and multiple injuries to show what he can do. But has shown good power in the past (roids?) and decent fielding and in a limited sample hit well for the pirates in ’15.

    If they move Walker or Pedro they should be looking for mid/bottom rotation guys

    If they can sign Soria again, or pick up another quality setup/closer then they have a little more wiggle room to move Mark, but as it stands now they need to keep him as they only have Watson to take his place and no setup guy.

    The wild card (other than Hanson and Bell who are ‘just’ prospects) is Kang whose injury may cause problems and will likely be ‘stuck at’ third, which is fine he has done well there.. and his recovery time.

    Reply
  3. Niekro

    10 years ago

    Didn’t the Pirates have depth at all the positions Kang played when they signed him too? I don’t think one guy is going to drive the KBO market way up out of the Pirates range.

    Reply
    • joew

      10 years ago

      Some yeah but not much really, which is why when Harrison and Mercer both went down they traded for Aramis to play 3rd. Next season Hanson should be available if a similar situation creeps up.

      Reply
      • ronnsnow

        10 years ago

        With Aramis retiring, Sean Rodriguez leaving as a free agent, and Jung ho Kang probably not being ready for the start of the season, I think the Pirates should sign Kelly Johnson. Having Johnson and Harrison sharing the Utility role, really gives the Pirates alot of options. The LH hitting Johnson would make a good platoon partner for Morse a first, and fill in at 3rd while Kang recovers.

        Reply
        • felinelopez2

          10 years ago

          Good suggestion. He’d be able to spell those guys perfectly and when Kang comes back he slides into more of a bench role with a quality bat that plays every third day. He’s the perfect compromise with all the impending IF free agents.

          Reply
  4. ronnsnow

    10 years ago

    Alvarez will be non-tendered if the Pirates can’t work out a trade for him. But no way will Walker be non-tendered.

    Reply
  5. npalley98

    10 years ago

    Am I the only one who thinks trading walker Alvarez is the best thing to do with them. I would even trade Melancon his trade value is through the roof and Watson and Hughes look like they are ready to make the jump to setup and closer rules.

    Reply
  6. TJECK109

    10 years ago

    Walker will be tendered for sure. It’s great that they used the analytics for the pitchers but perhaps the hitters need some of the same?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Hayden Wesneski To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Dodgers Release Chris Taylor

    Jose Alvarado Issued 80-Game PED Suspension

    Orioles Fire Manager Brandon Hyde

    Ben Joyce Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

    Dodgers Promote Dalton Rushing, Designate Austin Barnes For Assignment

    Major League Baseball Rules That Permanent Ineligibility Ends At Death

    Rangers Place Corey Seager On Injured List

    Cubs Promote Moises Ballesteros

    Evan Longoria To Sign One-Day Contract, Retire As Member Of Rays

    Diamondbacks To Promote Jordan Lawlar

    Rockies Fire Bud Black

    Cubs Promote Cade Horton

    Rafael Devers Unwilling To Play First Base

    Pirates Fire Manager Derek Shelton

    Mariners Claim Leody Taveras

    Rangers Hire Bret Boone As Hitting Coach

    A.J. Minter To Undergo Season-Ending Lat Surgery

    Blue Jays Sign Spencer Turnbull

    Blue Jays Sign José Ureña

    Recent

    Poll: Should The Royals Be Worried About Salvador Perez?

    White Sox Release Omar Narvaez

    White Sox Notes: Robert, Wilson, Benintendi

    Nationals To Promote Robert Hassell III

    Guardians Prospect Travis Bazzana Diagnosed With Oblique Strain

    Phillies Sign Lucas Sims To Minor League Deal

    Rangers Place Chris Martin On Injured List

    Mariners Select Casey Lawrence, Designate Austin Shenton For Assignment

    Pirates Select Isaac Mattson

    Tigers Designate Tomas Nido For Assignment

    ad: 300x250_5_side_mlb

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Nolan Arenado Rumors
    • Dylan Cease Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Marcus Stroman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2024-25 Offseason Outlook Series
    • 2025 Arbitration Projections
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version