The Pirates will be faced with a decision on Jung Ho Kang’s 2019 option this offseason, but GM Neal Huntington tells Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic that Kang’s performance in this weekend series won’t have an impact on the outcome (subscription required). “Truth be told, there’s not going to be a whole lot of value in the evaluation process of a one-game or a one-plus-game look,” said Huntington. Biertempfel notes, though, that the late promotion could earn a bit of good will with Kang’s camp in the event that the team elects to buy out his $5.5MM option and try to bring him back into the fold for a few million less than that. There’s been no indication one way or another as to how the Pirates plan on proceeding, though the very fact that he was brought up to the Majors at all indicates that they’re not totally closed off to the possibility of continuing the relationship in spite of Kang’s legal troubles over the past few seasons.
Here’s more from the National League…
- Padres right-hander Brett Kennedy underwent knee surgery that will sideline him for the first six weeks of the offseason, tweets AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. However, Kennedy is still expected to be able to have a largely normal offseason program, and the operation isn’t expected to impact his availability for the 2019 campaign. Kennedy, 24, didn’t impress in six starts with the Friars this season, working to a 6.75 ERA in 26 2/3 innings. However, the 2015 11th-rounder fired off 89 1/3 innings of 2.72 ERA ball with 8.1 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 52.6 percent ground-ball rate in an extremely hitter-friendly setting with the Padres’ El Paso affiliate in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. He posted solid numbers at Double-A in 2017 and at Class-A Advanced in 2016, and with multiple minor league options remaining beyond 2018, he’ll have ample opportunity to cement himself as part of the San Diego pitching staff in come capacity over the next few seasons.
- The Giants’ search for a new general manager and/or president of baseball operations isn’t expected to be a quick one, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. The process could take several weeks as Giants leadership interviews a wide range of candidates with varying backgrounds. Notably, Schulman adds that the Giants aren’t set on hiring any one specific type of executive (e.g. analytically inclined, traditional scouting background, etc.) and seem to be embarking on this process with an open-minded approach.
- With the Cardinals on the brink of elimination, Derrick Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes the uncertain future of Adam Wainwright, who may have made his final start yesterday for the only MLB team he’s ever known. Wainwright’s a free agent at season’s end, and while he spent most of the season sidelined by elbow soreness, he’s rebounded in September to pitch admirably for St. Louis. His 4.84 ERA across his past four starts may not look pretty, but his 3.20 FIP and stunning 6.25 K/BB ratio points to a much more effective pitcher than the version of Wainwright the world had seen across the rest of the past three seasons. Teammate Yadier Molina, for what it’s worth, doesn’t seem to think it’s the last time the two will be batterymates, saying he’s “confident” about that. “It may have been,” Wainwright himself said. “It doesn’t feel like it is. For whatever reason. I haven’t had those emotions. The way I’m feeling now, if that is my last start here it would be kind of hard to walk away knowing the way I’m feeling right now.”
I hope Kennedy makes it in the majors. Everyone loves a later round success story
Adam Wainwright pitched for the Braves prior to St. Louis
Wainwright never made it to the majors with the Braves. He made his debut with the Cardinals.
He was in the minors with Atlanta they drafted him. He only play for 1 team in the majors.
wainwright knew the braves
Wainwright saw the braves once on tv.
Really hope the Giants shake things up with this GM hire and don’t go with a yes man type who just toes the company line of late that is trying to create the illusion of fielding a competitive baseball team when the actual goal is to just doop fans out of money for overpriced tickets, beer, food, and stupid hats.
Couldn’t agree with you more. I don’t understand how the Giants have no clue or which direction they will go with this new hire. The offseason is just around the corner and this team has some important decisions to make. Hopefully they have their guy in mind, land him, and make some exciting moves this offseason, and by exciting I mean adding someone on the upside of their career for a change…
Sabean is still the gm. All these title changes are meaningless.
Agree
All upper management should be gone
Sabean admits he still make final decisions on trade or sign players
Then sabean should take part blame
Not just Evans
So… 3 World Series and a top 5 payroll toeing comapny lines???
No kidding – man, the Giants were in the playoffs as close in 2016 with this regime and won three trophies this decade. They simply tried to continue capturing that magic one more time with the current core. Think about it – Bums, Crawford and Posey are not going to survive a rebuild, so they did what they could to eek their talent out. I don’t blame them. Last offseason they overhauled their minor league management and drafted a no-brainer replacement for Posey. Now they will get an analytical MIT grad like every other major team to pick and choose their free agents better. They might tell the media they have an open-minded approach, but they have clear-cut candidates they are going after. They probably just are waiting until the season ends to go after them.
Resting on ones laurels and handing out ill advised extensions to “core” players and free agent contracts, and remaining overly loyal to fan favorite veterans who are no longer productive is basically the Giants company line post 2014 in a nutshell. Dwelling on past success ensures future failure, but keeps the dollars rolling into the owners bank accounts.
Joey your logic might make sense if they weren’t paying luxury tax fees out of the ass the last few years. Staying under that line would’ve netted the owner just as much cash as whatever theory you’re trying to propose there.
I sure do hope the Giants through a huge multi year contract at the Cardinals John Mozeliak. He would be fantastic with the Giants!!!
Cards on the brink of elimination. Hmmm. Where is Themed and Cards81 view on this, based on their proclamations mid season?
Lol you truly are ignorant…I never said thee Cardinals would make the playoffs…be my guest and find the post in which I did…I simply retorted to anyone who said they were done and had no chance…in which they made a great run and that was awesome…the future is very bright for the cardinals…honestly it’s probably a good thing they didn’t make the playoffs as you can tell all the young arms are getting tired…hey but good try bud
Typical Cardinals fan. Haha ok so you are happy to be sitting out the playoff AGAIN. That is a good thing you say? That is now 4 years since the Cardinals have been in the post season
What color is the sky in your world lol
Best farm system, best GM, best manager, best blah, blah, blah. Going to suck next year…..when reality, a concept you struggle with, settles in.
By the way, when you have a great GM, great talent, great farm system, and a great manager, you generally get in the playoffs. But again, reality is a tough concept for you, I know.
You are probably…no I take that back…you are the biggest tool on here lol the cardinals were still in the top 5 concerning NL records this year…they brought up pretty much their whole Triple A team to make a run at the playoffs…in which they are still not eliminated…then to top it off their triple A team won the championship..and Shildt took over mid season and did great.. cardinals haven’t had a losing record in 10 years…look at the nationals team…a lot of people had them picked to go to te World Series this year…stuff happens that’s baseball…I don’t know why you consistently come on here and look like a fool while thinking your clever…from asking what color is the sky to asking me to listen to certain songs for you lol you need to get a life weirdo and stop looking like the fool you are
You sound like a chump dude. Just letting you know
Still not eliminated
I think it’s going to be fun watching the cubs eliminated in a one game playoff this year
You and Card81 are exactly the pathetic “fans” where facts are minor inconvenience. Read half of the sentences, the good ones, and then spout off.
At least in Chicago the part time fans are easily figured out. You two? Youre so blinded by your own stupidity to see fact, you feel because you say it, its fact. Really the fact is, best GM, best talent, best manager, best farm, makes the playoffs. Period.
Dont let the fact that there are multiple layers of a farm system, not just AAA, deter you. Ignore that inconvenient fact.
Dont listen to the fact that most experts says St L has a middling farm system get in the way of your propoganda. I know, more inconvenient facts.
In the end, your 8th grade level logic doesnt permit sensible thought so as a free PSA, keep your stupidity to yourselves. I bet it must sting, but reality sometimes does. Going to sting more when they are closer to the bottom of the division than the top next year…
You know whats nice about the Nationals, since you mentioned them? Their fanbase doesnt nearly have as many “entitled, god’s gift to baseball” morons bringing down the quality of the fan base, which for the good StL fan is unfortunate.
Eh depends on who is playing them. I agree though I think they don’t get passed the wildcard this year. Not making excuses but they have a lot of shiznit to deal with this year. And it isn’t happening
Wow! Just Wow! One, don’t associate me with another when I am nothing like them…and Two, I never said the Cardinals GM, farm system, and manager where the best….that is you trying to manipulate your weak argument….I only defended the Gm, and defended the farm system…and I know that the analysts have the triple A in the middle now and even before we brought pretty much the whole Triple A team this year, they were mostly ranked 11…but most analysts will also tell you that the cardinals develop great players from low draft picks…why low draft picks you ask? Because the Cardinals don’t tank! You go ahead and think the Cardinals will suck next year…that’s how unrealistic you are…if they get eliminated it will have took till the last game of the season…Therefore I will have at least watched my team fight it out till the last possible game…this is almost every year with the Cardinals…I’m proud of them…and now this young team will be together all next year…yea they will suck lol and in defense of the farm…they brought up the Triple A team that made this great run…then…THEY STILL WON THE TRIPLE A CHAMPIONSHIP…go ahead and say that’s a meddling farm…I never said they were the best st anything…while you have argued that they suck…I’m only defending them and I will tell you they aren’t going anywhere
Best grammar usage too?
“Wow!Just wow” on your mastery of legible thought. And a hint, you are EXACTLY what I described.
The worst comeback I’ve seen in a while. Good job.
Lol need I say more
Eliminated, you clown. Stings, I bet. Enjoy.
top 5 gets a playoff birth
Lol no it doesn’t sting…actually I can’t wait till next year…what are you a cubs fan I’m guessing…hey the cardinals have a bright future …with about ten arms competeing for a rotation spot next year…can’t win every year but at least they compete every year…and they are already turning it around and did it without tanking…Cardinals have a model franchise…they don’t need to tank in order to compete…every year I get to watch my team win more than lose…everyone thinks that they have to tank now a days but the cardinals have proved you don’t have too…just proving how pathetic it is to do so..lol keep looking like the fool you are bud
Hmmm…are you smart enough to realize most people who claim their team has a “model franchise” are usually those living in the past, have no real fact to substantiate, and are usually those too dumb enough to realize it.
Next year is going to suck for you. Yikes.
@themed
If that happens we know it will not be the St. Louis Cardinals eliminating them. You see you need to actually make the playoffs, a foreign concept to Cardinal fans, to be able to so that.
The Cardinals made the playoffs … hhhmm … way back in 2015 … 4 years ago …. and the Cubs eliminated the Cardinals! And your team has not recovered from that Cubs spanking!
Boy I remember the Cardinals used to rule the Central … and make the post season ever year like the Cubs now do, boy it seams like the Cardinal dominance was like 108 years ago
Enjoy your plus .500 team ever regular season and then you and the Cardinals can all enjoy the big boys fighting for a championship in the playoffs. After the postseason is not what its about for the Cardinals as you admit. When is the last time they were in the post season? Oh 2015 when the Cubs spanked them so bad when they knocked them off the Cardinals have not recovered
I wish my Padres had the same problems as the Cards.
BTW, farm system “rankings” are utterly meaningless. I’ll take a lower “ranked” farm system every day if I can develop 1-2 above average players every year.
Wow JKB welcome to the conversation ..I want to help you out…18-15=3 so 3 is how many years the cardinals have not made the playoffs…I was looking at the silver lining of not making the playoffs…the young guys didnt need to throw more than they already did…yea it sucks not making the playoffs but geez it’s not the end of the world lol now I can gets things accomplished with my time lol although I’ll watch some games…Good luck to the NL but I don’t see any NL team beating the Red Sox or Houston…but anything can happen in October…Cardinals fans know all about that…welcome Cubs fans…it only took a 108 years
I got no horse in this race but it has been four years. 2018, 17, 16 is three. 2015 is four.
The Cards won 100 games, but lost the NLDS in 2015.
2015.
This is 2018.
2015 was THREE years ago.
FYI-The GM/Baseball Opps.has NOTHING to do with tickets ,hats or Stupid Fans.I like the fact that Sabean is looking for the new GM,the Team went down hill when he wasn’t making the decisions.
Who does?
Ownership and the business side of the front office. They have more to do with ticket prices, merchandise sales, marketing, etc. than the baseball ops people.
GM has a bunch to do with tickets. Makes good moves and the team competes and ticket sales increase. Makes poor moves and the team loses ticket sales drop.
It would be a dumb move if they buy out his option. It does not cost that much to where if he isn’t the same player, it is not a major loss on the investment. You won’t find his past production for that amount anywhere unless it’s a prospect which they don’t have
The only way I think they buy him out is if there is an agreement to resign with a more incentive based contract with an option for the 2020 season
Speaking of Dumb moves coming from a Nats fan wanting to be like a class organization like the Cardinals lol
So the Nats want to hack into other team’s computer systems too? That would make them classy then.
Do you really expect any other team to pay Kang a guaranteed 5.5 million for next season though? It makes a lot of sense to pay the 250K buyout and stay in touch with his agent to see what his market is like and be the highest bidder at 3 million or so and save money.
I have seen teams do some pretty stupid things. I agree that most teams would not but it would not surprise me if another team besides the Pirates did.
I think Wainwright will sign a cheap 1-2 year deal to stay til Molina retires and they can retire as Cardinals together!!
I have a lot of respect for Larry Baer and Brian Sabean. They put a great product on the field for nearly two decades. I think some suggest they haven’t been innovative every step of the way. They have. The game has changed, and they’ll adapt.
The 2018 Giants might have had a different fate if Cueto and Shark were healthy. They barely pitched all year.. If Bum, Longo, Belt and Posey were healthy, maybe things would be different.
They set out to make the 2018 team younger, more athletic. They failed at that. Bobby Evans is gone. It’s a home run hitting and fireballing reliever league and the Giants stadium and roster need to adjust to these trends. It can.
I’m OK sticking with my team. Wish Marlins, White Sox, Orioles and Nationals could understand having confidence with ownership, management, players and coaches year after year.
Sabean burner account?
Hold up hold up? They set out to make the 2018 team younger and more athletic? Cmon buddy. Was their big additions of adding mccutchen and Longoria In line with that plan? Trading away guys like Christian arroyo and Kyle crick. The signing of Austin Jackson to be your everyday center fielder? Is that what you call an attempt to be “younger and more athletic.” I don’t blame them for giving it another go but let’s not call that being younger and more athletic because it sure as hell wasnt that.
Crick is athletic and McCutchen isn’t? Arroyo couldn’t even crack the Rays’ 25 man roster, doubt his loss was a difference maker. And, Austin Jackson was not signed to be the everyday CF. With his extreme platoon splits the Giant’s plan was to platoon him with Duggar in CF, but Gorkys’ hot start changed all that.
I would pick up Kangs option in a heartbeat. We wasted the same amount on Sean Rodriguez, and Kang is a good cheap option. We’re better keeping him then letting another team possibly negotiate with him.
I really want wainwright to come back but as a multiple inning reliever like Devenski.
I think that curve/slider combo would play up more if he didn’t have to pitch through the order 2+ times.
Get Kang an Uber
Kang will sign with the pirates and have a year like he did in 2015
Not to Bader the Cardinal fans, but Bader is batting .219 while Tommy Pham (who loved the Cardinals) is just hitting .364 for Tampa Bay. Too bad that management couldn’t figured out that Pham’s lower numbers were due to his injury which wasn’t allowed to heal up! Oh by the way, the Yankees will be sending a Christmas cards to the Cards for Luke Voit! Nice job Cards front office!
I heard Pham was still ticked off at the Cards for keeping him in the minors for so long, and was still making noise about it. As a result, they granted his “wish” and traded him. True or not?
He had no reason to be ticked. After all, he came out the winner in the OF competition with Piscotty and Grichuk.