The Pirates have designated infielder Josh VanMeter for assignment. In other moves, right-hander Hoy Park and left-hander Eric Stout were called up from Triple-A, with Stout acting as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader with the Mets.
Acquired in a trade with the Diamondbacks in March, VanMeter’s first season in Pittsburgh has resulted in a .187/.266/.292 slash line over 192 plate appearances, a step down even from the modest offense VanMeter produced in 649 PA with the Reds and D’Backs in 2019-21. VanMeter’s biggest asset has been his defensive flexibility, as he has mostly played first and second base this season while also making a few appearances as a third baseman, left fielder, catcher, and three mop-up pitching cameos.
This versatility has kept VanMeter in part-time and bench roles over the last four seasons, though with the season winding down, the Pirates will now open up more playing time for their younger players. VanMeter is out of minor league options, so the DFA route had to be pursued in order to remove the 27-year-old from Pittsburgh’s roster. A team in need of infield depth could potentially have VanMeter on the radar for a waiver claim, and the expanded September rosters create a bit of extra leeway for VanMeter’s out-of-options status.
Yes! Christmas came early! Or really really late. Either way, i’m happy
Kinda late but better than keeping him on the roster
Worst offensive and defensive player in Pirates’ history with minimum 100 AB
Shelton and Haines should be next
Agree, lost confidence in GM when this guy was signed.
Shelton started Underwood in the first game of today’s DH, he lasted 1 inning but not before giving up a run
He’s been replaced by Wilson
Why would Shelton even use another worthless pitcher to start if he’s only pitching 1 inning
Back to my previous post, Shelton should be the next one to go
Because Shelton hasn’t a clue….he just knows that he has a job next year…they made a big deal when earlier in the year he won his 100th game as a manager…gee took him two and a half years …he couldn’t manage a peewee league team
And Underwood should also be DFAed. Has been given so many chances and he almost always disappoints.
I’m at the game. Probably less than 2000 fans here. I’m in section 301 of you want to buy me a beer. I’m the only one in that section, and several adjacent section. I’m in a gray Mazeroski jersey. No lite beer please.
Why do they even open the 300 level? Move down
Shelton is a manager, not a miracle worker. Give him actual major league talent to work with and you’d give him a chance.
BS…..I get it the pirates are young and they aren’t good…but when you continually bat Reynolds second…you DH van meter…you continue to use Underwood….he plays the worst players….he’s a scrub
A real manager would have DFAed Van Meter back in July
A real manager wouldn’t start a relief pitcher and repeatedly
A real manager would force his hitting coach to actually do his job
Claiming that Shelton’s working with the players he’s been given is an excuse for his own incompetence
.220 team batting average
10+ offensive strike outs per game the worst in the NL
Shelton runs this team… this year into the dwelling of incompetence
I like the upper level. Technically, section 301 is closed, but they are basically happy a fan actually shows up so no one hassles me. I have the $25 a month pass to all games, it’s SRO tix but you can always find a seat.
add another 10+ offensive strike outs to Shelton’s resume ( 1st game of the DH)
Will you be at game two?
I still believe he had money on the Jays lol
No
A lot of those seemingly inexplicable moves by Shelton are actually unspoken tanking, I believe.
Retire- I wish that they were that easily explained.
I think that there is a fair amount of plain stupidity going on.
Nj-You are correct,Shelton did not have much to work with but they have not improved at all except for a few pitchers so he needs to go.BC wants to keep him because he knows that he would be next.He is the one who put this team together.Granted,he also had constraints.but they are supposed to be rebuilding and they just keep getting worse.They are not any better at developing young players than the previous management group.
One of my favorite spots in pnc park is section 316. Right behind home plate as high up as you can go. Best view of both the field and the city behind it in my books. Added bonus that you can think of stone cold Steve Austin or the Bible when buying the tickets if you like wrestling, religion or somehow both.
A million Pirates fans cry out in joy at once.
In THIS case, there IS crying in baseball.
Yinzers are going to be dancing across the Clemente Bridge today.
Dreams can come true, Pirates’ fans.
Assuming they are modest, of course.
Clemente bridge is closed until late next year
Even better.
My prayers have been answered. Was there ever a worse player who played in this many games for the Pirates?
Easy yes, 2021 Michael Perez….more AB worse number.s…….
Hitting yes but he would field his position while VanMeter couldn’t, no matter where you tried to hide him. Good nomination but I am still sticking with VanMeter.
Not defending Van Meter in the least but sticking with Perez. He only threw out 26% of base stealers. League average is 30% He was bad all the way around.
The fact that Van Meter got DFA’d on the same day that the Reds did the same to Colin Moran… there’s a joke there somewhere, I just know it.
For a brief moment in time a couple of years ago, Moran looked like a fit at 1b and he was hitting…..The moment was gone so quickly……..
Moran could not hit lefthanders and was about league average against righthanders.He was also a mediocre fielder at best,basically limited to first base,or now DH against righthanders.He was also fairly slow,and not a real good athlete.He probably would have stayed if he had decent power,but he never really developed that which would have kept him up.He is an example,though,of someone who was decent enough who would have stayed inasmuch as he was a decent ML player.They did not want to pay him the money,but really had no one except Yoshi to play first base.And then there was a huge drop off behind Chavez who is not bad but with no one behind him.
I contend that the Marte and Bell trades two years out were salary dumps and these are all examples of where Nutting’s cheapness has caused the team to be horrid instead of just bad.
Except for Musgrove the Pirates were fleeced by the Astros on that deal. Their scouting missed seeing Moran’s limitations.
Hard to say what is a rebuilt vs what is a salary dump. Knowing Nutting’s track record I have to wonder how many of these rebuilds are really salary dumps in disguise especially the two you mention.
With NH they would trade future free agents a year or two before free agency and get ML ready or near ready players.It generally worked well.He traded Cole two years before and the question becomes did he have to do so then or could he have waited a half or a whole season.I do not think that anyone saw the bottom drop out in 2019 for the second half swoon.
I myself think that very few of these high priced free agents give even a decent return on the investment.But I do think that the Pirates do not invest in enough viable mid level free agents to have decent teams and at least some depth.I think that even this year it is one of the important reasons why they consistently do very poorly the second half of seasons.Look at Roberto Perez.He was a good mid level free agent signing but who in their right mind would swear that he would last a whole year.I think that in this regard BC is probably hamstrung and cannot have respectable depth to field a decent team.I am not nearly as critical of Nutting as most but in these regards he could be less of a businessman and more of a leader.
In any event the Pirates and other small market teams are doomed unless they have good scouting and player development teams which are even more important than having the best analytic teams.
If VanMeter is on your radar your indicator must be broken and you need a new unit. Can’t field and can’t hit.
If VanMeter is on your radar, you are doing some good drugs any you are seeing what is not there…………..
Dude got way more pro AB’s than most. Take it easy , he’s not the reason.
Pepper-But In a sad and perverse sort of way this is one of the few things that Pirate fans really could have to root for in an ever and ever more frustrating year-the release of Josh Van Meter.
This transaction is appropriate for setting off the Pnc fireworks.
The only way fans get fireworks is because Nutting would never pay for them
Between Josh VanMeter and Yoshi Tsutsugo, the Pirates had two players this year with 190 PAs whose slash line was .187/.266/.292 or worse in all three statistics.
From 1893-2021, the Pirates had two such seasons from anyone who wasn’t a pitcher or catcher
quote from Alex Stumpf on DK Pittsburgh Sports
He’s my nomination for this years Kai Tom award.
This news is like the Pirates WON the World Series. Fans are running through the streets rejoicing!!!!!!!
So VanMeter signs with Dodgers and magically becomes good?
I’m going to miss the JVM comments from the Bucs fans.
Like if you immediately read Java Virtual Machine instead of Josh VanMeter.
Months too late. When guys like Bae are hitting .300 in AAA.
I can’t wait for all the Bae memes with the frog. Bae says…
Bae isn’t on the 40 man roster and would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft next year if they put him on it.
I want him here too but it’s not worth the gamble
Someone said that Bae was on the injured list at Indianapolis so that may explain that but he could have easily been brought up before he got hurt.
Hoy Park should be dfa’ed next and hopefully Bae can get some at bats this year with the Pirates.
Your typical van is 5.15 meters, 203 inches, or 16.916 feet. We waited long enough for this VanMeter to hit the road.
Josh VanMeter is to baseball players what “Roadhouse” is to movies. You know they’re terrible, but they’re so bad they develop almost a cult following. And like watching a car wreck, you can’t look away.
Roadhouse? I would think more like “Mac and Me.” It wants to be the next ET, but it’s a confusing mess to the rest of us.
Congratulation Pirates fans. I was wrong. You spoke it into existence.
Joe-The roar from all 12 of us left was finally heard.
Fangraphs interviewed him this season because hes very intelligent on baseball . I suggest all the haters read the article be cause they’ll come away thinking that he probably helped the youngsters a lot.
Nothing personal against the man, just his stats.
Helped the youngsters do what?
Allow balls hit to go through your legs?
How to effectively strike out?
How to throw effectively for an error?
Knowing baseball doesn’t always translate onto the field
Van Meter is evidence of that
El Gaupo-Then he should have become a coach because he was wasting a roster spot.
too late to even matter for someone who doesnt matter
they worked out gamel and newman at first but who knows if they can even play it
should have done this when madris was here if they were going to do it
Who is going to handle the late inning relief pitching when the Bucs are trailing by 10 runs?
Why do you think they got Zack Collins for ?
Mario-Maybe Shelton will actually put an actual pitcher albeit a bad one in there.
VanWeezer, we knew ye all too well. Now beat it.
Why does this so called manager, Shelton, continually put Underwood and this scrub beetle beede out on the mound. Just goes to show that Shelton is a disgrace
Bubba- Beede was actually pitching reasonably well in relief until they had this bright idea to make him a starter.
Cheer up Pirates fans, your beloved VanMeter will be selected again next week!
about time. No offense to some of the vets that started the season… him and Yoshi especially were dead weight taking spots that should’ve been filled with some of those stuck in MiLB.