Per a team release, the Pirates have selected the contract of right-hander Rookie Davis from AAA-Indianapolis.
Davis, 26, signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh in February after three seasons in the Reds organization. In seven starts for Indy, Davis had posted a 5.35 ERA with mediocre peripherals – a 6.57 K/9 over 3.16 BB/9 with a meager 32.6% grounder rate. Rookie did make six starts for the Reds in ’17, where he didn’t acquit himself particularly well, and he’s struggled consistently since a breakout 2015 season with High-A Tampa in the Yankee farm.
The Pirates, though, are desperate for starters: each of Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, and now Chris Stratton have hit the IL, and the club ostensibly doesn’t have much trust remaining in either Steven Brault or Nick Kingham. Mitch Keller, a near-consensus top 20 prospect, has struggled a bit with command in his first AAA attempt, and the club’s apparently deemed him in need of further seasoning.
Oh boy…
Why not Escobar or Agrazal and just designate Kingham
Got to designate Michael Feliz first
I’m designating Feliz or Brault before Kingham. Feliz either can’t throw a strike or can only throw it down the middle. I continue to fail to understand what they see in Brault, who is the same guy he was 4 seasons ago, and that’s not a compliment.
On the note of Escobar and Agrazal, both just got to AAA. Tough to see them suddenly getting the call to MLB. It has worked in the short-term for some pitchers, but in the long term it’s usually not good.
Pirates continue their tradition of holding their talent down when it’s ready and they’re in need (Keller)
Except he’s struggling with command and hasn’t developed his third pitch well enough yet, but sure.
Poor guy. If he spends 15 years in the majors, it’s still okay to call out, “Hey, Rookie!!”
His older brother plays for the marlins system, Veteran Davis
Son of Retired Davis
That enough LOL!
his great great great grandfather is dead davis
great great great great great great grandfather is Fossil Davis
BEST replies in a long time!!!
They don’t have much trust in Kingham or Brault so they turn to Rookie Davis? Yikes… You would think they would switch to using the bullpen with openers and start a AAA shuttle rather than have faith in Rookie whose stats deserve a demotion to AA rather than a promotion to MLB.
They tried that last night, how did that work with Feliz?
Feliz proved conclusively last night that he’s terrible in any inning.
Yeah, they’ve actually already done all of those things. That’s how crippled the staff is.
Must be desperate. Not sure this guy will help much – more of a 4A guy. Great name tho.
I’d like to have seen Davis with Derek Johnson. Davis never did develop a put away pitch and could throw 100 pitches in 4 innings. He could rake though.
Left handers get a long leash…..
Talking about Brault…..
Davis has supposedly pitched better in his last couple of starts.
Escobar has not pitched well in AAA and Agrazal is young.
Keller is evidently also getting called up.
The Pirates are desperate,but this “opener” stuff is fine if you have pitchers like Tampa Bay who are used to it.Feliz had actually had a few good relief outings,believe it or not,and tried his best,but I do agree that he is often wild then grooves a pitch.
I think that they should send Kingham down as he may clear waivers with his very high ERA.He needs to pitch as he does not have a lot of innings on his arm because of TJ surgery.He needs a full year in AAA.
Brault is good one day and bad the next.
Why not use Liriano as the opener? He started as recent as last year. If he goes 2-3 innings, great. Why in Hurdle’s name do you start a guy with an 8 era, then when he struggles, replace him with another guy with an 8 era? As has been the case, game was over after the top of the 1st.
He does not want to be an opener.I think it difficult for most pitchers to swing back and forth between starting and relieving.There seems to be a trend to do this,like thinking that many players can play any position even though they have never played it in their life.I think that it can affect how well they pitch.I think that this may very well have affected how Clay Holmes is doing this year as he has started throughout the minors.
Brault and Kingham have let the Pirates down by pitching so poorly,but it is a tough position for them inasmuch as they do not pitch much in relief since they have pitched poorly,then they are asked to start games.because of injuries.
The other pitcher who needs to start doing well is Archer.