The Pirates have released right-hander Cody Ponce, according to the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. The right-hander is pursuing an opportunity in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, reports Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Reports out of Japan have suggested he’ll be signing with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Ponce has appeared in the majors in each of the past two seasons, combining to work 55 1/3 innings over 20 outings. Most of that work has come as a multi-inning reliever, but Ponce did make a more traditional five-inning start against the Cubs in May. Altogether, he’s managed a 5.86 ERA. Ponce has only punched out 19.6% of opponents and struggled with home runs, but he’s also been quite stingy with walks (6.9%).
Transactions of this ilk aren’t uncommon, as players on the fringes of a 40-man roster can often make more in foreign professional leagues than they’d stand to earn as up-and-down players with a big league club. It’s not out of the question Ponce returns to the majors at some point down the line, particularly if he settles in as a productive member of the Fighters’ rotation over the next season or two.
The move clears a space on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster. That’ll be needed for the signing of Roberto Pérez, who reportedly agreed to terms on a $5MM guarantee this afternoon.
genius club for not giving actually good arms a shot and just trotting out Chase De Jong and Dillon Peters. Ponce, Moran, Brault – all assets wasted.
Colin Moran has a 1.0 fWAR in over 400 MLB games with the Pirates. Steven Brault has pitched more than 100 innings in his career once and has an ERA closer to 5 than 4. Ponce is 27 and will turn 28 early into the 2022 season, and has a 4.86 ERA at Triple-A. Their combined career fWAR wouldn’t have even ranked top 75 in the MLB last season.
These aren’t really assets. I liked Moran, Ponce, and Brault as guys, but they just weren’t good ballplayers. I’d much rather give Dillon Peters a chance since he looked solid at the end of last season. DeJong isn’t even in the organization anymore.
Staying healthy is a skill. Moran and Brault weren’t healthy this “prove yourself” year.
There weren’t any really good arms after these guys in the organization at the AAA level and above other than the couple that did get some time on the mound though the year. Their better arms were in AA and below. Contreras would have gotten more of an opportunity if he had not been on the IL for a while while still in AA. Brault was on the IL for a good portion of the year, Ponce got opportunities and did not do much. As @mlb1225 Moran was given a shot, got hurt several times, and did not perform while on the field for much of the year. Moran got opportunities.
All three of those guys got opportunities. Moran and Brault have gotten years worth of chances. They are mediocre players and the Pirates rightfully feel that it’s time to move on.
Ponce was given 5 starts, and while Brault, Moran, and now Kuhl all got chances, it looks absurd now to let them go for nothing knowing they all had value in the not so distant past. just horrible asset management.
So the Pirates have to give a guy 400+ innings to make a decision 5 starts did? Kuhl and Brault had previously ranked as top 30 prospects in the Pirates’ system. Ponce never did. He struggled at Triple-A this year and wasn’t anything more than organizational depth.
I’m sure the pirates tried to trade them…no takers…you can’t be that dumb
What’s wasted is your posts
If he was such a good arm he wouldn’t be going to Japan.
Thanks god. Good look to these guys, but far from the Pirates. Time to show for the new players.
It’s just time to move on. None of these transactions so far have surprised me in the past couple days. Cherington is still slowly getting rid of players from the former regime (I know not all) and Ponce was apart of Cherington’s regime, but Brault, Moran, Kohl, etc… Will be interesting to see what route they go with catching. I didn’t think Stallings would be in the rebuild for the future what would think the Pirates had something in place before trading him.
No brainer for both sides IMO
He was just eating innings most of the time anyways when they were getting clocked
Who’s he going to be replacing? Curious, I can’t figure out who is leaving the Nippon Ham Fighters.