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Pirates Sign Sergio Alcantara To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | January 11, 2024 at 10:25am CDT

The Pirates announced Thursday that they’ve signed infielder Sergio Alcantara and righty Hunter Stratton to minor league deals and invited them to spring training. They’re two of a slate of eight NRIs announced by Pittsburgh today, although the other six — outfielders Gilberto Celestino and Billy McKinney, righties Ben Heller and Ryder Ryan, infielder Jake Lamb, lefty Michael Plassmeyer — have all been previously reported.

Alcantara, 27, has appeared in three big league seasons, spending time with the Tigers, Cubs, Padres and Diamondbacks. He’s a career .209/.281/.343 hitter in 502 MLB plate appearances and carries a .275/.389/.412 slash in a comparable amount of playing time at the Triple-A level. Alcantara is an above-average runner with a plus glove and arm at shortstop, but his sub-par track record at the plate leaves plenty to be desired. He’s played shortstop, third base and second base in his limited big league career to date and will give the Bucs some depth all around their infield.

Stratton, 27, was the Pirates’ 16th-round pick back in 2017. He made his MLB debut this past season and pitched well in a small sample, holding opponents to three runs on nine hits and three walks with 10 punchouts in a dozen innings of work. Pittsburgh non-tendered him earlier this winter.

Stratton has long demonstrated worrying command issues in the minor leagues, however, and those were on full display again in 2023. Stratton notched a solid 3.99 ERA with a hefty 30.6% strikeout rate in 56 1/3 Triple-A frames, but that was accompanied by a 12.8% walk rate. He’s never posted a single-season walk rate south of 11.8% and has issued a free pass to 13.1% of the opponents he’s faced as a professional. Add in 24 hit batters in his career, and nearly 16% of Stratton’s opponents have reached base without needing to put a ball in play. Stratton throws hard, sitting just shy of 96 mph with his heater, and can clearly miss bats in bunches, but he’ll likely need to improve his command to carve out a longer look at the MLB level.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Transactions Hunter Stratton Sergio Alcantara

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View Comments (29)
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29 Comments

  1. Unclemike1525

    1 year ago

    This is more Nuttings expected signings.

    5
    Reply
    • TheMan 3

      1 year ago

      I agree, UncleMike

      It’s the annual Cherington dumpster diving festival beginning today

      2
      Reply
      • Robertowannabe1

        1 year ago

        Every team makes these signings. Heck, the Mets just signed Yacksel Rios yesterday or the day before.

        3
        Reply
        • TheMan 3

          1 year ago

          yeah but the Mets have actually signed major league free agents and to long term contracts
          The last free agent that the Bucs signed to a long term contract.
          Nelson Liriano

          1
          Reply
        • Mendoza Line 215

          1 year ago

          Close- Francisco Liriano

          4
          Reply
        • Joeydonuts

          1 year ago

          What mistake, Mr obtuse?
          You agreed with him

          Reply
        • panj341

          1 year ago

          And I don’t think they have signed a pitcher to more than 1 year since.
          Does not bode well for a Keller extension.

          Reply
        • Robertowannabe1

          1 year ago

          Francisco Liriano?

          Reply
    • Joeydonuts

      1 year ago

      Are you new to baseball?

      Reply
      • TheMan 3

        1 year ago

        people make mistakes mrjoeyperfrct

        1
        Reply
        • PuttPutt⁰³

          1 year ago

          Of course, but you’ve made this exact mistake AT LEAST 5 times that I’ve seen.

          Reply
  2. Mr. E Team

    1 year ago

    No relation to Sandy?

    1
    Reply
    • Monkey’s Uncle

      1 year ago

      Baseball Reference doesn’t mention any relationship on either guy’s page.

      Reply
  3. Slider_withcheese

    1 year ago

    Only 1,663 days until the 10yr anniversary of the Chris Archer trade for those who celebrate.

    3
    Reply
    • TheMan 3

      1 year ago

      that’s almost 5 years from now, at 68, I don’t even know if I’ll be around to care

      2
      Reply
      • Unclemike1525

        1 year ago

        At 67 I feel exactly the same way about the Bears.

        Reply
  4. Chuck from Uniontown

    1 year ago

    Nice way to spend the money they saved on not signing Imanaga.

    1
    Reply
  5. metalhead

    1 year ago

    Most of the time I think why I still support this team. They have done some good things with the recent extensions but unfortunately they just won’t ever spend enough to really compete.

    2
    Reply
  6. TheMan 3

    1 year ago

    and with spring training starting in about 6 weeks, the choices for decent starting pitching is slowly dwindling down.
    Cherington said that he was going to increase payroll, as of today and including arbitration, the payroll will be around $73 million
    He said he wants to add a starting pitcher and an outfielder
    Who’s left that BC is willing to pay for?

    1
    Reply
    • holecamels35

      1 year ago

      I may get bashed for this but I believe Nutting is as hands off as it gets and gives him permission to spend as he sees fit, but he’s too picky. Yeah there is risk with any free agent contract but the team needs to sign a guy who can give them plenty of innings with more upside. Stroman or Lorenzen at this point would be great moves.
      I am on record for wanting Lugo, Wacha, or Montas in that order and would have been fine with the contracts they received. Glad they didn’t sign Flaherty, Gibson or Lynn.

      2
      Reply
      • User 1404051815

        1 year ago

        Yeah, agree that they missed the boat on a number of guys who were “second tier” types and that there aren’t many left. And agree with you about the guys they *didn’t* sign.
        At this point, the bargain basement with guys like Keuchel, Syndergaard, Carasco and a couple others look more likely than Stroman or Lorenzen.
        But again, I can’t blame them. By mid-summer—and if all goes as planned—they’ll be on the cusp of having a glut of starters, as the surgically repaired and the young guns on the farm are ready
        Yeah, that’s pie in the sky as things never seem to go as hoped for this team.
        As is now, you’d have to believe that the first 4 months will have Priester and Ortiz penciled in as numbers 4 and 5
        Oh boy

        Reply
        • TheMan 3

          1 year ago

          Every year there’s injuries and we hear that next year is the one for being competitive
          Next year never arrives

          There’s no guarantee that these current players who are injured will make a complete recovery next year
          With the Bucs it’s always a crapshoot

          1
          Reply
        • User 1404051815

          1 year ago

          Perpetual rebuild. It’s the Pirates Way. But the most beautiful stadium in MLB, complete with pierogi races. Come on down for an evening of fun. And perhaps some baseball too

          Reply
    • Unclemike1525

      1 year ago

      6 Weeks? More like 4 weeks and then it’s my favorite words. Pitchers and Catchers report.

      1
      Reply
      • TheMan 3

        1 year ago

        I stand corrected, 4 weeks

        Reply
  7. Monkey’s Uncle

    1 year ago

    Happy to see Stratton return, live arms are always worth a further look. And good gloves are always worth a minor league deal.

    Reply
    • User 1404051815

      1 year ago

      Now if he can only figure out where the plate is

      Reply
  8. PiratesPundit51

    1 year ago

    I can’t imagine living my life with a perpetual Charlie Brown storm cloud over my head, somehow believing that minor league signings is evidence of “cheapness”. Luckily you all have your tinfoil hats in case your storm cloud sparks a little lightning.

    These are guys who can be stashed in the minors and pressed into service in an emergency for a week or so stretch without completely killing the team or putting pressure on a prospect who is not ready.

    I generally feel like the Pirates have dodged several bullets in terms of mid-tier arms on contracts that won’t pay for themselves. As we sit today, Eric Lauer still is a free agent – a higher upside arm than almost any of the already-signed guys – who will certainly take less money than any of them. I suspect we’ll have at least another arm in the mix within the next month, Lauer or otherwise. And I could be wrong, but I don’t believe any of the names mentioned above are going to even come close to being worth what they’re paid, let alone be big comeback stories in 2024.

    Reply
  9. TheMan 3

    1 year ago

    It’s not the concept of being cheap because they sign minor leaguers, it’s the concept that Cherington said and repeatedly that he’d be busy this offseason in negotiating trades and free agent signings
    With a little more than a month before ST starts, we’re still without a reliable starting pitcher. With a glut already of middle infielders, the last position they needed is another middle infielder
    So excuse me if I lack confidence in how BC has handled the offseason

    1
    Reply

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