Infielder T.J. Rivera has agreed to a minor league contract with the Pirates, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. The deal is pending a physical.
Rivera signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League just four days ago, but he’ll instead attempt to work his way back to the majors with the Pirates. Now 32 years old, Rivera appeared in the bigs with the Mets from 2016-17 and batted an effective .304/.335/.445 across 231 plate appearances. The Mets looked as if they had a quality piece in Rivera, but injuries helped to at least temporarily end his time in the majors during his last year with the club. He underwent Tommy John surgery then and dealt with an elbow sprain while recovering in 2018, after which the Mets released him.
On the heels of his Mets tenure, Rivera inked minors deals with the Nationals and Phillies, but he didn’t return to MLB with either team. Now, as long as Rivera passes his physical, he’ll have an opportunity to stage a comeback with Pittsburgh.
Someone didn’t feel like playing for the Ducks…
Gordon Bombay isn’t coaching. Long live the Flying V
Why sign a 32 year old infielder?
Why not? If he can find his form again he could help, if not it doesn’t cost you much
Because he has a .300 and above batting average in both the minors and majors. He’s a hitting machine
I remember that he was a pretty good hitter but you are right Metsfan.
The question is then-Why did he have to sign with the Long Island Ducks?
A lot of guys are there. If you ain’t getting minors or overseas, why not. Mlb takes notice of everyone.
My point is that why did he not get at least a minors offer from a ML team?
I know that he was hurt for a couple of years but he has not played in the ML since 2016.
He may very well be worth a flyer if he was that good of a hitter but the middle infield is an area that the Pirates seem to have covered.
To play with Kayleigh’s husband?
Because a ~.300 batting average is all he offers… can only play second base, and not well, little power, doesn’t walk… but he could be a good right handed pinch hitter if a team has that exact need
Thank you Cosmo.
Because the Todd father can’t hit
Because the guy can hit Andy he’ll be a good player coming off the bench.
And maybe, if he plays the way he did in New York, you flip him at the trade deadline fir young prospect.
Why do people think that a player who couldn’t even get a minor league deal til May will bring back a prospect in a trade in July? If they don’t want him now for minimal money they certainly aren’t trading a prospect for him later. It just makes no sense.
Have they abandoned Cole Tucker? Too bad, the man has an intense glove at SS. Not to mention the hair. At 24, and considering they bounced him around last year, he might be a cheap pickup for teams that do that kind of stuff.
Bob-You and I of course are on the same page on this one regarding Tucker.Methinks BC is confident that he can move Adam Frazier at the deadline and is tiring of Evans as a utilityman and wants to have a replacement for either set up well in advance.
T.J. is a much better hitter than I thought as pointed out above but I do not know why there would not have been more previous ML interest unless he is an awful infielder.
BC won’t have any problem at all moving Frazier, who despite playing in relative obscurity, is a very, very good player. (But again, I just don’t get the LF thing; you’ve got a 2B whose as good defensively as just about anyone else in MLB, and you move him…DUH!).
I can think of 5 teams off the top of my head, contender types, that can use Frazier, including of course BC’s original employer, the Red Sox. Legit lead off hitter, superb in-game skills, and he’d solidify a swiss cheese infield. And he’s relatively cheap, with another year of control.
You may be a smart guy,but you are not a chess player who thinks many moves in advance.You are taking the obvious route with Frazier.
All GMs know he is a fairly good second baseman.He has been a gold glove fielding finalist for two straight years.
The Pirates know they cannot win this year so it does not really matter where Frazier plays.
Move Newman to second base where he is a better fielder than at short.
Let Tucker play most of the year and at shortstop as we both agree.
I think that you know that the Pirates outfield save Reynolds has been absolutely horrendous this year,a true clown act.This would stabilize 2/3 of their weakest area.
What happens if a team needs a left fielder who can lead off and play well there?
One has to play many moves in advance and not just jump on the obvious pawn.
Alford and Fowler were awful and Polanco will be a burden until released, but I think you’re selling Tom and Stokes short here.
Tom’s patient approach smacks of a future lead-off guy to me, and Stokes is an excellent base runner with the speed to man PNC’s huge leftfield.
Terrier-You noted my frustration of a positional area that basically had 2-3 all stars Manning it as late as 2016.Those days are over.
In some regards I do agree with you,and blanketed them perhaps unfairly in my initial post.I actually think that both Tom and Stokes are capable of becoming decent fourth outfielders.At this point,though,they are more part of the problem rather than the solution.
BC gave an interesting take when he said that Polanco would still get additional playing time until the outfield situation gets resolved.GP is basically an all star compared to these other players at this time.I hope that Tom and/or Stokes can realize what you sense is their potential sooner rather than later.I think even Gamel May turn into a player.It is a year to experiment.But the lack of production from two positions that have to be productive for a team to be good causes frustration,and BC needs to figure out what to do about it this year.
Oh boy, Gamel and now TJ Rivera? Bucco fans better save up for those World Series tickets…
Hammer-Pirate fans appreciate your sarcastic comments.
There are no limits to the Pirates dumpster dives. There is only one qualifying standard to meet. Minimum wage player. Nutting and Dolan in neck and neck race as worst owners in professional sports.
Nutting and Dolan neck and neck? Really? It’s been a long time since Pitt has had success in baseball, I think they’d swap places with Cleveland in an absolute heartbeat, it’s not even close. Competitive every year, Cy Young award winners, players drawing a lot of trade interest.
Hammer-Not sure what a long time for you is,but the Pirates’three year record between 2013-2015 was the second best in all of baseball.
They have since been mediocre for three years,and bad for three.
NH came from the Indians.
The Indians have done a better job at drafting and teaching their young players.
Both teams are boxed in by being small market teams.The Pirates have bottomed out,and are starting to get better under BC.The Indians have not bottomed out yet.
For me,a long time is since 1979, which is the last year the Pirates won the WS.
The only one of the 16 original teams that is longer is Cleveland,since 1948.
They got the Wild Card those years, because truth is in a best case scenario they’re hoping to squeeze into the playoffs and don’t stand a chance at actually winning the division. Congrats on that 3 year run, even including those years they’ve been totally irrelevant in those scope of MLB for 40 years. Shame too, because they have a beautiful ballpark and deserve better.
While I appreciate your sentiments,they did win for three years in 1990-1992 also,but lost in the playoff to the Reds and then the Braves twice.
I also disagree with your first statement,as pertaining to the 2013-2015 period,they had the misfortune of being in the same division as the team with the best three year record,the Cardinals.
You are Otherwise correct,however.Their goal was to compete for the wild cards and hope for the best.That sounds good but usually does not work.
I do need to point out,in the interest of total honesty,that the interim years included twenty in a row of losses,the American record for all major league sports teams.That is the epitome of irrelevance.
You may also be a fan of a small market team.One WS victory since 1991.If so,you will share our pain if you have not already done so.
Mario-Who are the Pirates going to get but minimum wage players on the waiver wire?
They would have to give up a good ML player to get one.How many of them do they have?
Do you want to spend a lot of money on an older player who may win one or two more games this year?Would you if it was your money?
Happy to hear. Hopefully TJ can make it back to the big leagues.