Pirates first baseman Will Craig has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was among those to report. Craig was outrighted in the past, meaning he could have rejected the assignment, but he’ll stick with the organization.
Craig, now 26 years old, has been a member of the Pirates since they drafted him with the 22nd overall pick in 2016. He remained a prospect of note for a few years after, as Baseball America placed him anywhere from ninth to 24th in the Pirates’ system from his draft year through 2020.
Dating back to the beginning of his professional career, Craig has hit .258/.349/.415 with 54 home runs in 1,950 minor league plate appearances. That includes 585 trips to the plate in Triple-A, where Craig has batted .248/.323/.446 with 26 long balls. Conversely, Craig hasn’t racked up much major league action, having collected 69 PA (including 65 this season) and posted an underwhelming .203/.261/.281 with a single home run. The Pirates designated him a week after he made a rather baffling and now-infamous defensive mistake against the Cubs (video here).
Had to
I’m rooting for him. No one thinks they’d make a mistake like that. They just happen. I hope he can keep his head up and enjoy a good career
Why are we still referencing that play in the article? It’s not like we’re linking to all your typos and poorly written articles. It is irrelevant to his DFA. Move on.
It may have factored into the Pirates decision.
It’s still noteworthy and recent history and I see nothing wrong with including it in the article.
Pretty sure Colin Moran and Philip Evans coming back from the IL and leaving no playing time at first for Craig caused the roster move. Not a singular error regardless of how egregious.
Will Craig, is that you?
It is relevant because it’s literally the only thing noteworthy about Will Craig
Surprised he he stuck with the Bucs. Thought he might have wanted a fresh start with another club.
Don’t think he had a choice. He was probably under a minor league contract to begin with. Sure if promoted he gets more salary and MLB service time but he was still bound by his minor league contract. Major league players that get dfa have the choice to leave.
Once you get your contract selected to the 40 man roster it is a major league contract. As Craig was DFA’d once before, he had the right to elect free agency and to hope to sign on with a new club.
Let him prove himself. Mistakes happen. Hope he makes them proud
Was a first round pick must have some potential. For a team with nothing try to develop more.
He was tied for #7 in team batting average. Can’t be that bad. Oh wait.
The Pittsburgh Pirates gaffs continue to show that they are a fundamentally bad baseball team. Even if a Team lacks MLB talent, there should be a culture created of what it means to be and play Pirates Baseball at all levels of their organization. I can’t image the two gaffes by Craig and Hayes would be acceptable by any other MLB Organization. Embarrassing display of poor baseball fundamentals. If this errors happened on my little league team back in the day I outdone have been sat by my coach just to send a message that this was unacceptable. Today, we say, oh he made a mistake. Oh. Well.
The Pirates Organization should be embarrassed by these two gaffes and take a look at themselves as an organization of what is acceptable and what isn’t to wear the Pirates Uniform throughout all levels of their organization.
This has to change!!!
True, that is why on May 29, 1959, after Henry Aaron left the base path on what should have been a three run home run by Joe Alcock, the Milwaukee Braves released him ending his career. Only one run scored, an out recorded and Alcock was awarded a double.
Get a grip, young players make mistakes in all organizations. Hayes is not the first nor the last player to miss a base on a home run or other play. No one called the Brewers organization an embarrassment after Carlos Gomez’s classic base running blunder.
Skeptical-And If Adcock had not hit that “single” Lew Burdette and Harvey Haddix May have each thrown a thousand more pitches..They weren’t on pitch counts then.
Henry Aaron should have released,however, for stepping over the plate to hit a “home run” off Curt Simmons.I think that the team with the worst record would have instantly picked him up though.
My God you trolls are obnoxious idiots. Craig screwed up,I big whoop. Get over it. Hayes’s goof was the result of a guy running and missed the entire d of the bag. Like it never happen as a kid growing up playing ball. I think it’s ludicrous to take a home run away because of it. Small error considering how umpires are idiots and are blind.
Now please get a life
I understand not overblowing it, but he never touches a bag – the opposing team notices it and tags the missed bag – and you’re saying they should have given him the run because he intended to touch it? Seriously? This is not a precedent. LAD noticed it, while Ke’Bryan either didn’t or didn’t care to call attention to it, break stride, go back and touch it in the trot and continue for the run, which would have been legal. Considering you’re given 4 bags on a HR and you don’t touch one of them — pretty big error. Obvs, they’ll get over it and Hayes will continue his ascent to stardom by being one of the most disciplined young bats out there, but the idea of giving him the run for clearly not touching the bag would open up a terrible bag of worms, not basing the game on actions and facts.
Eh it’s not all that different than not having to throw four balls for an intentional walk anymore.
Should have touched first base. It’s elementary.