The Pirates announced a series of roster moves today. In addition to exercising club options over Chris Archer and Starling Marte — moves that were all but a given — the club has outrighted four players. James Marvel, Alex McRae, Yefry Ramirez and Wei-Chung Wang were all dropped from the Pittsburgh 40-man roster.
The Pirates don’t have a general manager at the moment — assistant GM Kevan Graves is filling that role on an interim basis — though it was still undoubtedly easy for their front office to pick up Archer and Marte at their 2020 tabs. Archer has been surprisingly below average since the Pirates acquired him from the Rays in a July 2018 trade that’s looking like one of the most regrettable deals in Pittsburgh history. Nevertheless, as someone who’s due an affordable $9MM in 2020, it’s worth keeping Archer around and hoping for a bounce-back season or trying to shop him during the winter.
Marte, who’s owed $11.5MM next year, looks like an even more obvious trade candidate than Archer. The 31-year-old Marte’s fresh off yet another strong campaign, one in which he totaled at least 3.0 fWAR for the sixth time since his first full season since he debuted in 2013. However, Marte’s down to his last two years of team control, so if the Pirates don’t expect to push for contention during that span, putting him on the block may make sense. That’s all the more true when considering the lack of appealing center field alternatives on the free-agent market.
Of the players the Pirates outrighted, Wang worked the largest slate of innings in 2019. While he only tossed four frames for the Buccos, the 27-year-old logged another 27 innings with Oakland prior to landing in Pittsburgh. On the season overall, Wang posted a solid 3.77 ERA, though he did so with a grisly 18-to-14 K/BB ratio in those 31 innings of relief. He held lefties to a lowly .220/.298/.280 batting line through 57 plate appearances but was tagged for an .823 OPS by righties. Wang, McRae and Ramirez will all have the option to elect free agency.
I’ll admit, it’s a Marvel that James even lasted this long…
Chris Archer should be traded , maybe to a team with a bit of momentum
For what? You’re telling me some other moron out there is willing to give THREE consecutive top prospects for him?
If a team had “momentum” why would they want Archer?
amazing Wang can never stick anywhere.
You don’t wanna stick a wang anywhere
i swear…
Tee hee hee!
I don’t think Wang throws fast enough for the Pirates.He might be a good pitcher,but they do not care.
I am surprised Marvel is out righted in all honesty. The bullpen is in shambles and Marvel could be a middle reliever. Wasn’t a fan of the others out righted though.
Wei-Chung Wang was pretty good in Oakland. I was going to say that they should resign him but after the claimed T.J. McFarland I’m starting to change my opinion.
Bringing back Archer for yet another poor season of pitching is brain numbing…waste of millions
It’s still absolutely amazing how many people are shocked by this result. It was 100% predictable.
Players can turn it around in one year. The Pirates will have a new pitching coach that could spur a very good season for him. Who saw the numbers coming that Bell put up? Not you or me for that matter!
If they trade Marte, they need to trade Archer, Bell, Kela, Williams, etc. and do a full rebuild.
Their 1.3% chance of competing with him becomes 0.000% without him.
Whatever you think of their pitchers, he makes them look better than they are…
I just can’t figure out exactly where they are. They shoved Cutch, Walker, Cole, Morton ( and I guess, Harrison, Mercer) our the door. Ok. Rebuild mode
But then they peddle Meadows, Glasnow and Baz to make a run at a WC spot
And on top of that, they make no attempt to sign Dickerson and ship him to Philly for some pine tar
That’s what’s most maddening. They’re all over the road with no sense of direction. No catcher on the farm, no pitching prospect other than Keller, no outfield help
You almost sense that whoever comes in will have to trade some talent just to restock the minors. Who knows?
True, but Reynolds in Cutch trade looks pretty good right now & if Crick can “turn down the music” & return to 2018 form, then that trade was pretty good
I think it’s time to rebuild, thanks almost exclusively to the objectively (even in foresight) imbecilic Archer trade. As much as I like a lot of the supporting cast, I don’t see any player at arbitration or later who is indispensable. Marte, for example, is great, but he’s 31, not a superstar, and has just the options remaining.
The big problem is the lack of reliable starting pitching, without which no team should expect to win.
The pitching staff seems to be in the same place as the late 2000s, when Duke, Snell, Gorzelanny, and Maholm were all seen as possible top-to-mid rotation guys. But only Maholm ever was a No. 3 for any significant period of time, and even that’s generous.
Williams and Musgrove = Snell and Maholm
Brault = Gorzelanny
Kuhl = Duke
Agrazal = Ohlendorf
Archer = Matt Morris
Strong outfield without really a standout superstar.
One good fielder and one great hitter in an otherwise bereft infield.
Catching situation that seemed secure last year suddenly a major question mark.
Ragtag bullpen with a few solid pieces wasted on a last-place club.
Farm system in shambles.
We’ve truly come full circle from a decade ago.
Yipes! It’s so damn spot on.
Marte debuted in 2012