The Pirates announced they’ve added right-hander Braxton Ashcraft and infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the 40-man roster. Pittsburgh’s roster count now sits at 39.
Ashcraft, 24, was a second-round pick out of a Texas high school in 2018. The 6’5″ hurler has moved slowly through the minors. The canceled season cost him a development year in 2020. He subsequently underwent Tommy John surgery and barely pitched from 2021-22. Ashcraft returned to the mound this past season, logging 52 2/3 innings through 19 starts. He posted a 2.39 ERA while striking out just under 30% of opposing hitters against a tidy 5.2% walk rate.
Baseball America recently slotted Ashcraft as the #10 prospect in the Bucs’ system, praising a four-pitch arsenal. Cheng slotted just above him, ranking ninth on that list. A native of Taiwan, he’s a 5’7″ middle infielder. As one would expect given his size, the left-handed hitter draws more praise for his contact skills and athleticism than huge power upside. He split the season between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, faring far better at the former stop. Between the two affiliates, Cheng hit .278/.353/.456 with 12 homers and 26 stolen bases. He struck out just 18.7% of the time while drawing walks at a 9.7% clip.
Trade coming soon.
Wow, you’re a psychic now!
Question is for whom will Cherington trade for and who will he give in return?
Should’ve protected Jase Bowen too, especially after his “season” in the Arizona Fall League but smart moves here to protect two guys who’ve shown a lot of upside
Honestly I would have protected Bowen before Cheng, but I get why they left Bowen off.
Yeah, it’s funny that he’s alternately ranked the 18th best prospect by MLB Pipeline but 9th by BA. Another middle infielder with a good glove and speed. Ok
I get why they left Bowen off, too. And Nunez. And Gorski. To me, they’re going to package a middle infielder or two for pitching this winter. What else could it be?
Why would there be a trade coming?
Spot left open on the 40 man should they want to take someone in the rule V.
But I will say they should start looking to package some of their prospects if they expect to sign anyone. They already purged a lot of dead weight from the 40 man already
I don’t expect a Rule 5 pick, unless someone is available who is too good to pass up. Generally Rule 5 guys aren’t that, or they’d get a roster spot.
I totally agree that they’ll probably have to trade a few prospects to land some sort of pitcher. With the Oviedo situation, they’re at a point of needing two SPs from outside the organization just from a depth standpoint.
They pretty much have to have one of Priester, Ortiz, Contreras, Falter or Jackson become a reliable #4/5 starter, get a decent multi-year FA pitcher as a #2, and a couple of rebound candidates to fill the rest of the spots. That alone is probably about $25 million in FA commitments. Another $5 million for Cutch (which is looking more like a luxury than a possibility now) and at least a 1B option, you’re looking at $40-45 million. The Pirates we know and love will balk at that kind of FA spending.
A trade is almost inevitable to fill all of holes in the rotation and/or first base. Take your pick of one of the 2B options (Bae, Peguero, Gonzales) + an up-and-comer like Harrington as the kinds of pieces it will take to land a somewhat reasonable pitcher. I’d sure as heck be calling the Braves to kick the tires on Soroka or Cleveland on Quantrill to see if they could grab either for a little less than that.
I think BC has to seriously consider cashing in on Bednar with the way the rotation is panning out.
I would certainly listen to offers on Bednar, though his value to the Pirates in particular is higher than almost any other team. While he is a very solid closer, he is also a draw being a hometown kid – and a very good ambassador for the team, who frankly could use any goodwill they can foster with the casual fanbase.
While we would understand a Bednar trade from a business sense (young, controllable starters are simply harder to come by than closers), the casual Pirate fan – ones who only pay attention when the Steelers aren’t doing anything at all – would dig out the pitchforks and torches, tailgate at Acrisure for a while to get good and drunk, then head over to PNC to burn the place down.
If the Braves rolled in and said they’d give us Smith-Shawver AND Vaughn Grissom for Bednar and one of our spare middle infielders, I’d risk the yinzer idiots for that. But I just don’t see that kind of offer emerging. There aren’t enough teams out there who have pitchers to deal, and certainly not ones who need an elite closer (LA Angels, White Sox).
The division is completely wide-open as I see it for 2024 and I’d be OK with a bold move to create more long-term competitiveness, I’d listen to offers on everyone except for probably Skenes, but I’d only take deals like the one I mentioned above. You could pry away a Griffin Canning from the Angels, maybe for one of the spare middle infielders and a reasonable AA prospect, without giving up your hometown (and beloved) closer.
Who exactly do you replace Bednar with if he’s traded?
They want to be competitive next year, having an unreliable or unproven closer, they will remain in perpetual rebuild mode again
Holderman, injury aside, is probably the next man up and wouldn’t be any worse than a lot of other closers around the league.
Selby did it in Indy with a fair degree of success, and also did well when he knew he was only pitching an inning. Wouldn’t be my first option, but a possibility.
From a pure “stuff” standpoint, Luis Ortiz could absolutely do it. I’ve always thought his lack of a good 3rd pitch made him a BP guy anyhow. That 2-pitch arsenal was exposed as a starter, but could play as a closer. If they went that route, I’d ease him into Holderman’s role for now, then once Holderman goes down (he’s establishing a pattern with that), let Ortiz give it a go. Without the pressure of having to show guys different looks throughout the game, he could be aggressive – which is when he was at his best the past two seasons.
Agree with all of your thinking here and while the hometown angle is huge in this market, the franchise survived getting rid of Neil Walker, arguably an even more egregious move
If Bednar returned that kind of haul, how do you decline? Whether Holderman, Selby or someone else, the role would be filled just as it was after Hanrahan, Melancon, Grilli and others moved on
It’s odd to read a number of posters here say “the Pirates don’t have the money”. Sure they do. It’s a matter of them wanting to spend it at this point in time.
Again, I’d wonder if there is anyone in the inner circle saying “we’re on the cusp of contention, so let’s spend the money”
It’s going to be an interesting off season
You’re spot on with the “Pirates don’t have the money” statement – people have been practically brainwashed by the local and national media into believing Bob Nutting is a cheapskate. The correct statement is that the Pirates’ margin for error with spending is razor thin, akin to going to the casino with your grocery money – you can afford to gamble a little and maybe end up making money, or you could be eating ramen for the next month because you took too many risks.
I’d have to think that the Pirates’ brass realizes that while 2025 would be a better year for making a run, the stars are more aligned in the here and now for a chance at the division. I still feel the Brewers are a mess; the Cards are much closer to the last place team of last year than a contender; the Cubs are good but not elite; and the Reds are going to have some growing pains now that the league has a book on some of their rookies (just look at how Elly fell off a cliff).
If you piece together an 87-win team in the NL Central, you’re going to be in the hunt for the division title in 2024. The Pirates were an injured SS from being a .500 team last season, they just need to keep from taking on too much water early next season before some of the reinforcements arrive (Skenes, Brubaker, maybe Solometo). As such, I’m good with them trying to get a longer-term pitcher, a few bounceback candidates and a platoon partner for Triolo at first. That will take some money, but I think the discussions now are about how much value you’d get back if you went for a 3/$50M for Jordan Montgomery or something to that effect.
We’ll essentially know their thinking very shortly when the organized chaos of free agent signings and trades begins. To me, if they decide to stock the starting staff with Rich Hill-types, serviceable vets but really not a shutdown starter variety, they’re either saying that they’re a year away in their business model/timeline or they’re praying that the three guys you mentioned—Skenes, Solometo, Brubaker or some similar group therein—can come charging over the hill with the advent of summer. I tend to think this is going to be their methodology—sign a “better” starter and use Shelton’s “reliever game” approach that worked so well down the stretch—until the reinforcements get here
And yes, that’s not because ownership doesn’t have the money. Its just that they need to think hard about where they are with relationship to truly contending
I agree. This year’s Rich Hill would be Wade Miley. Now if they swung a minor trade (in terms of what it would cost the Pirates) to get either Soroka or Quantrill, that’s kind of playing both sides of the fence. If the Pirates could swap someone like Canaan Smith-Njigba and a lottery ticket for Quantrill, I’d view that as fair for both teams. Cleveland’s OF was an offensive black hole last year and CSN hasn’t really gotten a full look with playing time, something he isn’t getting in Pittsburgh next season.
Soroka might take a little more than that, but he’s a serious non-tender candidate for the Braves, who want more reliable arms in their rotation. I’d be trying to work the Braves over for him right up to the deadline, then if he gets non-tendered, I’d immediately offer him a deal with a team or mutual option for a second year. IMO you can get that deal for just north of $3 million, provided his arm is good for next spring. If you get pre-pandemic Soroka, that’s a total steal. If you don’t, hopefully he could soak up some innings until the cavalry arrives.
From a pitching standpoint, it’s pretty clear that 2025 is going to be better than 2024 (at least on paper). But it wouldn’t surprise me to see them try to get someone for a couple of years now, figuring they might have a shot this season, then they’ll have depth heading into 2025.
Would love Soroka and/or Quantrill to be a part of the mix next year and in addition to giving them a competitive chance, it would take the pressure off of minor league studs (aside from Skenes, I actually believe Chandler has the most promise) and the guys coming back from surgery. Add a Miley into the mix and you’re set
I’d wonder what it would take to get these guys, however. The team is deep in middle infield talent and a few outfielders that didn’t impress here but not much else
Soroka to the ChiSox for Bummer. So much for that idea
Yeah, I couldn’t really see a match for that trade in terms of what the Pirates could give that the Braves would want. Surprised the Braves gave up that much, but the move looked like they were a little desperate to package Soroka and Lopez (two non-tender candidates), and that ran the return up.
And the Pirates don’t really have a good bullpen arm to spare, which is clearly what the Braves were looking for in getting back someone who wasn’t as good as Ryan Borucki for 5 players.
And now Quantrill is gone, too. Hey, good call on your part to begin with. Too bad they went elsewhere
Only the Rockies were stupid enough to pay Quantrill $6m – and him pitching in Coors? A complete disaster.
It’s unfortunate BC couldn’t swing a deal for the two Braves SP’s, but Bummer’s underlying stats have him tagged as a high leverage RP despite the high ERA in 2023.
Yeah, Quantrill’s price and the looming potential injury were probably factors in that trade – it’s doubtful the Pirates even called about him.
I’d say they probably looked in on the Braves, but found they didn’t have the pieces to match on that one. The Braves are shopping Vaughn Grissom, not looking to take on another middle infielder, so they probably either asked for too much (a current BP pitcher) or just said they’d think about it while they used any offers for Soroka as leverage against each other.
They almost certainly won’t trade for Dakota Hudson, but he could be worth a flyer if he gets a non-tender. Not as much upside as Soroka for sure, and probably gets traded for next-to-nothing to any team outside of the NL Central.
Chang fared far better in High A than AA according to this article.
He is a middle infielder,one of thousands in the Pirates organization.
Would he have lasted for a full year on a major league roster?
And he is the Pirates’ ninth leading prospect?
Maybe he is a great fielding shortstop.
He’s like 20 years old give him a chance
Roster spots have started to become important.
Would he last one whole year in the ML’s,especially at 20 years of age?
Or could another player have been given a chance?
He still would have been kept in the organization because he would not have been drafted.
Cheng is 22.
Idk man, I really don’t think he’s the Pirates 9th best prospect. He’s good, but I think Baseball America got that one wrong. Imo, there are like a half dozen other position players and a half dozen more pitchers I’d put over Cheng. I’m a little surprised he got protected in the first place.
Cheng is underrated as a prospect. More of a good floor over high ceiling guy. Very good plate approach with decent speed, should profile as a top of the order hitter if he can translate those skills against better competition. He’ll be 22 to start next season and possibly in AAA right out of the gate.
He’s not flashy but he’s got the makings of a solid 2B.
Another list had him at 18 which seems to be more apropos.
Bowen looks like a good prospect but he is a ways from the majors. I doubt he could stick in the majors if selected. I would kinda say the same thing with Cheng, except defensive players with speed could potentially last a season in the right situation. I think the list confirms that guys like Nunez and Gorski are long shots to ever make the majors. Between cutting dead wood on the 40 man and not protecting some previously high po guys, they are coming up with a stronger roster.
I walked away from watching Greensboro thinking Jack Brannigan was a better prospect than Bowen, and honestly Sightler too. Not saying Bowen is terrible, but he’s got a streak of Mason Martin in him – absolutely can crush mistakes – but will get humbled as he moves up and sees better pitching.
The only teams who could possibly consider poaching anyone left off the Pirates’ roster would be Washington/KC/Oakland/CWS – none of the guys left off should last on a team looking to contend. And if they are picked off by another team, I’d be looking to make a trade with that team to restock the system while giving the other team the flexibility to send a guy down.
Williams has shown that he is a major league shortstop at least and thus Cheng is redundant.
I have no problem if these guys have at least done well in AA but even that has not been proven by Cheng.
They need these roster spots,especially for starting pitchers.
are you serious about Williams?
He bats right handed and can’t hit lefty to save his life
Yeah. Someone called him a modern day Clint Barmes. Jeez. I wouldn’t even say he hits as well as Tim Foli or Gene Alley. In the logjam in the middle infield, ok, put him down as a late inning defensive replacement. Do they even have those kinds of players anymore?
Perhaps a few teams have those types of guys, but nearly all are better on the field (and most with the bat) than Williams. He’s not enough of an elite defender to warrant a spot on the roster – considering his only real usage would be a start a week and the off-chance that the Pirates are up by a half-dozen in the 7th inning and they want to get Cruz off his feet. Unless you can think up a situation where it’s a close game and you’d rather have Williams’ defense over Cruz’s offense — yeah, I can’t think of one either.
We don’t know if Cruz can handle SS yet. Feeling soreness while working out, seven months after the original injury is a worrying sign, IMO.
in Gene Alley’s prime he was a pretty good hitter
Williams hits more like Freddie Patek
Mister and Pundit-see Terrier’s and my posts.
Cruz is not guaranteed to play. let alone be mobile enough to play shortstop.
Paul- Alley was one of the top players and hitters in the NL from 66-68 until he hurt his knee.
He was never the same afterwards.
Freddie Patek was a good hitter who made his name with the Royals.
Tim Foli was pretty good too for a couple years of years and was the starting shortstop with the 1979 championship team.
Mister-Mostly outfielders but for shortstop you need a good fielder starting the game too.
Saw Cruz working out on the infield prior to the games vs. the Yankees in September. He looked like he could have played. Didn’t see any limping/favoring/etc. I think he could have came back if the Pirates were in a position last season to actually make the playoffs heading into September, but since they weren’t, it made more sense to claim a “setback” to keep the roster spot clear for guys they wanted to look at. I’d play him there until it’s clear he’s so much of a defensive liability that he can’t make up for it at the plate – which is a long runway in his case.
Paul-I did not say that Williams could hit.He cannot hit righthanders either.
He needs to gain weight and muscle.
But he is. a good ML shortstop.
They are playing with fire if they think anyone else is and Cruz is no guarantee.
My point is Cherington does not need Cheng since he kept Williams.
And all of the “dead wood” that he dropped for Cheng were placed on ML rosters except for Yerry who is hurt.
He has put himself into a corner for Cheng and he did not need to do so.
They are placing all of their eggs in Cruz’s basket and for the long haul. While I’m likely reading too much into the decision to move Termarr Johnson to 2nd base as a clue to what the middle infield of the future will be, it seems sort of apparent. I’m interested in what their timeline is for him, as he’s only 19
Given that, I’d think that they have to choose very wisely as to whom they keep and whom they package.
You have a nice rendering of shortstops here. I remember Patek being midget-like but still occasionally hitting a homer. Foli was nothing but a punch-and-Judy hitter and his choking up on the bat was unforgettable. I remember Alley in much the same way
Hey, I remember Jackie Hernandez and Frankie Taveras, too.
Thank you mister.Taveras was an original member of The Lumber Company although batting eighth but someone had to.Unfortunately,he would forget to bring his glove sometimes hence the trade straight up for Foli.
Patek went to the Royals after the 1970 season which brought Bob Johnson and Jackie Hernandez and included Bruce Dal Canton and Jerry May.Johnson had one good year and lasted only two or three with the Pirates but the good one was as the fourth starter in 1971.
I graduated high school in 1971 and played two years as the starting shortstop so I remember this stuff like it was yesterday even though I forget most of what I did yesterday.
Hernandez was a utility man after 1971 for a couple of years but I remember Curt Gowdy distinctly saying on air immediately after the seventh World Series game that Hernandez had done a fine job playing shortstop even though Earl Weaver had said before the season that the Pirates could not win with him at shortstop.
Present day,Cherington will be earning his money knowing which cards to hold and which cards to fold.He has gotten a small picture of several young players but how complete is it.