2:55pm: The Pirates have now made it official and announced the corresponding moves. Right-hander Quinn Priester has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 3, with a right lat muscle injury. To open a 40-man spot, lefty Ryan Borucki has been transferred to the 60-day IL. Borucki has already been on the IL for 60 days, landing there April 6 due to left triceps inflammation. He is eligible to be reinstated at any time but he has not yet begun a rehab assignment.
1:25pm: The Pirates are going to sign left-hander Justin Bruihl to a major league deal this afternoon, reports Alex Stumpf of MLB.com on X. They will need to make a corresponding move or moves to get him onto their 40-man and active rosters.
The lefty signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason but was released earlier this week, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Speculatively speaking, it’s possible he had some kind of opt-out in his contract because his results have been pretty good so far this year.
Bruihl, 27 later this month, had been with Triple-A Louisville until recently. He threw 23 1/3 innings over 19 appearances for that club, allowing 2.31 earned runs per nine frames. His 10.3% walk rate in that time was a tad on the high side but he also struck out 24.7% of batters faced while getting grounders on 53.4% of balls in play.
That wasn’t enough to get him onto the big league roster in Cincinnati but the Pirates will bring him back to the majors. Bruihl had some good results for the Dodgers a couple of years ago but struggled last season. He had an ERA of 2.89 with Los Angeles in 2021 and then 3.80 the year after, but had some rough outings in 2023 and got flipped to the Rockies in a cash deal. He had a 5.46 ERA last year between those two clubs and was outrighted by Colorado.
He reached free agency at season’s end, which led to his minors deal with the Reds and he seems to have bounced back enough this year to have caught Pittsburgh’s attention. He’s generally been more of a ground ball guy in the majors, striking out just 15.6% of batters faced but keeping the ball on the ground 45.5% of the time.
The Bucs currently have Aroldis Chapman as the only lefty in their big league bullpen, so Bruihl will give them a second southpaw in the relief mix. Bruihl still has one option year remaining, giving the clubs the flexibility to send him to the minors in the future without exposing him to waivers. If he manages to hang onto his 40-man spot, the Bucs can keep him around for a long time. He came into 2024 with one year and 39 days of service time, 133 days short of the two-year mark. Since more than two months of the season have already passed, he doesn’t have enough days to get to that two-year line this year.
Bet it was an upward mobility clause
Boo. His cousin tried to kill Captain
Low velocity lefty, doesn’t get hit hard and doesn’t give out a lot of free passes. That profile tends to do well in Pittsburgh.
Since when? Randy Tomlin? Jeff Locke? Luke Walker?
Liriano and Quintana to name a couple guys who have played this century. Man it was looking like Marco was next on that list before his injury.
Liriano threw some nice spin and off speed pitches, granted. But he had a mid 90’s fastball at times
But you’re right. I’d forgotten about 5 inning Quintana
I dunno. Marco and Martin are the kinds of guys who’ll fool a team every so often and then get hammered in the next two starts
Good acquisition by the Pirates. He’s 26, controllable for several more years and has proven that he can be effective on a major league level.
Replacing Hernandez is my guess. Since Shelton refuses to insert Hernandez into even blowouts, seems like the probable move.
Pirates only have 1 lefty in the bullpen right now with Chapman. They’ve not used Hernandez in a minute, so they probably want him to make a few appearances before recalling him.
Hernandez was sent down Tuesday.
Hernandez was optioned to Indy earlier in the week. If this pitcher is to be recalled someone from the major league roster will need to be sent down
Is Stratton out of options? He seems to give up runs every time he pitches
Taylor will be reinstated from paternity leave effective Friday so someone will be optioned back to Indy, probably Suwinski. His swing needs more work and he isn’t likely to figure it out with the team parent club
Not that Taylor is the second coming of Pete Rose, he’s having a horrible season, too, but he has a major league contract
There will be several roster moves in the very near future
Reds could’ve released him as a favor. They have enough lefties as is and have been forced to send down Sam Moll and Alex Young at different times this year. Bruihl was just a redundancy.
Damn, so who is going to replace Priester in the rotation?
My guess, it will be Ortiz. He’s pitched pretty well as a long reliever and has been a starter before
He can’t be any worse than Priester
I always wish my Pirate friends good luck. Bruihl could be a good addition to your staff (especially before any games with my Reds). Good luck.
I enjoy this site and its info. Posting of fans.
Can I offer a suggestion. When you have ads that block your ability to navigate your system. That’s a problem. I realize you need the income to support it. Just don’t make it that it gives you to click on it or not being able to click out of it. Baseball reference is even worse. Yes I do know about ad blockers but still.
Ads pay for the site because not enough people are willing to pay for the privilege of posting their comments
Yes I acknowledged that. I understand their purpose. Im questioning making it difficult to navigate the system because of them. Not that they are there.
I would just use the blocker and forget about it. They are likely getting paid still or they wouldn’t have ads that would turn people off or force them to get a blocker. Or maybe the ad pay is so bad they try to turn people to the premium service. I know in other areas companies make more from ads then selling ad free. Maybe sites or this one is different. Or maybe they are losing $. If the ads bother you then you have a free option or you can reward them for annoying you into a paid solution. I just come for the comment section but the paid service gives you additional articles and chats not available otherwise.
There is a better way, join us.
Cherington adds a pitcher while ignoring the albatross of a very weak hitting first baseman and 3 regulars batting well below the Mendoza line including the starting center fielder who has only 1 homer and a paltry 9 rbi
Where’s he going to get a bat at let alone 4 of them? Are there above average mlb hitters just sitting around waiting for a phone call? Hard to make a trade before end of July. Pitcher is only available because it took a mlb contract. Pirates know how to maximize this type. And they play half their games at pnc.
you mean like signing Heller?
except that there’s two players at Indy that might be able to contribute
Improving the team doesn’t have to require trades
They promoted Heller and he didn’t do anything to help the game yesterday
Plus this offense struck out 15 times last night, so I guess you’re happy with that type of performance
There’s likely no help at Indy. Gorski projects to strike out over 30 percent of the time. Doesn’t walk. He would really need to crush hrs. Lamb is having a great AAA season. You know what, he had even better seasons in 2023 and 2022. Turns out if you put a mlb veteran in AAA they hit AAA pitching. Cherington doesn’t know everything. Doesn’t even know enough. But he is looking at more than RBI.
They struck out 15 times last night, Davis alone 3 times
This offense strikes out often and achieves double figures in almost every game. But apparently you’re happy with that stat because in your opinion, Gorski’s k ratio would be too much for a team that already ks too much
Know who else ks too much
Cruz with 81 ks in 52 games
Cherington certainly doesn’t look at pitchers to sign
Ben Heller should have stayed at Indy
Because no one in baseball management has looked at rbi this century. It’s a old useless stat. If anyone didn’t read the Moneyball book they seen the movie. I know by his transaction history he isn’t looking at it.
Gorski is probably same as Suwinski. Taylor may be worse but proven defender who they paid already so won’t cut bait yet.
yes, driving in runs is a useless statistic , so I guess using your logic, runs scored is also useless
Games are won by which team scores the most runs and they ordinarily don’t happen without someone driving them in
It is. Both factor heavy on others.
I wish I could copy and paste Mark Madden’s column here from the Trib today. It discusses what so many of us have—-what a con job this owner and GM have been conducting.
Madden notes that the front office had to know that Jones and Skenes would join Keller in comprising one helluva starting staff–and signed retreads to play positions around them
Madden. Mackey. Starkey. Glad media is tired of the propaganda coming from this pathetic management and owner
There weren’t any great options or even good ones. There was 3 all glove no bat cf and pirates went with the cheapest by far option. I can’t blame them. Over 20m for Hoskins was a easy pass. Debate was Santana who showed signs of decline so far he hasn’t declined much or at all but it’s still early. Vs Tellez who had more risk but much much more reward. The positions they needed there simply wasn’t a option. They tried to trade for Taylor who would have been the upgrade Madden wanted in his fantasy piece. But he wasn’t traded. Cleveland was just seeing if someone would do a massive over pay.
Santana has 9 homers and has driven in 25 runs to go along with his drawing 20 walks
That’s better than any first baseman we have
You don’t know what options existed, Dream
Undoubtedly, there were offers for Skenes and Jones. Perhaps Keller. Glad they balked.
Everyone else should be on the table this winter. Simple as that. If the return is an established hitter, do it
I’m only iffy about Cruz, but he’d be taking a lot of ground balls at 1st base, I promise you that.
Build around your pitchers, however you can. Those three guys alone are the hope of the future
Offers for Skenes Jones Keller were never made. Any gm would know the Pirates wouldn’t trade them. You don’t sign Keller and draft Skenes to trade them for a 1b. Sure thing pitching is so valuable and Pirates can’t afford it in free agency. Sure thing pitching is rarely traded for anything unless it is ready to become a free agent.
On the other thread you stated, “…the asking price was too high”
Beyond these 3 pitchers and Cruz, who would you as GM say constitutes being too high of an ask? Hayes? Reynolds? Knowing you, I think you’d pull the trigger on either guy going if the return is a bonafide big timer, offensively speaking. Where Cherington is concerned, yeah, you’re right. Probably too much.
But both of those guys have shown what their ceiling likely is at this point. And the tinkering with Reynolds is mind-numbing, isn’t it?
The Dodgers line up will make any adjustments to good pitching. They’re just loaded and as shown here this past week, I have to think their starters are a great concern. I put the Phillies right behind them
It is what it is here. I just don’t see the front office making moves at deadline time that will significantly—significantly—improve their hitting
It’s going to be all on their starters moving forward and the hopes they can scratch out runs with assorted guys taking turns to come through here and there. Worked for the ‘69 Mets, I guess
The 69 Mets didn’t play every team in the majors like teams do today. Plus there was 2 divisions if I am not mistaken and 12 teams in the national league, the first year of expansion and divisions
Granted Keller was exceptional last night and the bullpen pitching was great, the offense still managed to strike out 9 times and only managed a handful of hits
If not for Cruz, Reynolds and Joe, they wouldn’t have scored any runs
In essence, the pitching must be relied upon to win games and the offense must have just enough gas in the tank to score enough runs to keep them in any game
Davis’ time at Indy hasn’t translated into hitting major league pitching yet having struck out in 6 consecutive plate appearances
The pitching will have to be close to perfect if they want to be competitive and sorry I don’t see a happening
Price was too high on rumored available players like Naylor. If it was a reasonable price and they actually wanted to trade them they would have traded them. Teams will want starting pitching prospects. If it’s a big time player they will want Bubba or TJ. They better the stuff, especially velocity the more valuable. Each team will be different. Pirates don’t want to trade someone they think will be good. So if another team likes someone more than the Pirates you will have a trade.
It won’t be Skenes Keller Jones. They are off the table. Another team wouldn’t even bother. Cherington would literally laugh out loud. They won’t want Reynolds Hayes Cruz. Most teams trading veterans are doing what the Pirates did. Being awful to get draft picks and build up farm system. They will want prospects. Only exceptions are the few always contend teams. Rays if out of it would love to trade Randy. If he was actually doing good or turns things around well they plan to contend next year so would take mlb talent back. They would gladly take prospects though and even prefer it.
Exactly. In the era of applause for 5 inning starts and bullpen games, it’s hard to imagine. The caveat here is that they play NL Central teams a helluva lot and really can control their own course in a division that doesn’t have any clear “great” team or two
5 inning starts are fine. Contenders have 3 or 4 pen arms that are better than starters 3rd 4th time through lineup. You may have been the worlds greatest hitting coach. But if you haven’t done it in the last 10 years so much has changed. 5 years so much has changed. New equipment comes out yearly. The scouting, data, technology. It’s Tony Gywnns wet dream. They have I pads in dugout. After seeing every at bat how he attacked you 2 or 3 times you are probably going to do better next time. But instead of a next time you get a guy throwing from a different arm pitches that launch 2 inches above the dirt. If your starter is doing really well you will get 6 7 innings. Even if pitch counts weren’t a thing by going to the pen you give hitters a different look. You control the match ups. They also think they are protecting arms.
Very well stated. (I was a pitching coach and manager. But I found it helpful that in the latter instance, I understood hitting. World’s best? Not hardly)
Agree 100% with your idea about things having changed. My era is gone. My ideas are based in that era and are antiquated. Athletes are better. Training is better. Technology is better. This is true in all sports
Shelton proved last September that you can literally have two reliever games within a five game period and succeed. He proved it again today. Lends a great deal of credence to what you’ve said. Why allow a hitter to see a pitcher a third or fourth time?
But even so, you can have Keller, Jones and Skenes but your set up men had better be just as effective.
My dad was is old school. That’s why I was able to get through highschool and college without a major injury. Also why no mlb teams wanted to give me a million dollars. Perfect mechanics. Rarely maxed out. Never pushed my body to it’s limits trying to get that extra 2 mph. Played multiple sports in highschool. The “right” path is to only play baseball year round. Max effort every pitch. Throw as hard as possible and keep trying to go even harder. If you can’t get to elite velocity then you need to change your mechanics to add funk and deception. I will teach my kids the old way as well. They will be as good as anyone and get a scholarship if they have any natural talent and people will ask I can believe you never became a pro with 2 tj surgeries.
I’m old school. My coaches were too. That is rare. I’m a hot head. I would pity the manager that came out and told me 3rd time through matchup blah blah blah. Even though the odds say it’s the right move. Out of every 5 appearances say 2 the reliever is better than the 3rd time through, 1 might be only slightly better, 1 will be the same, 1 will be worse. So when you times that by 3 or 4 relievers. Right now Bednar Holderman Chapman are doing well. Not so long ago that wasn’t the case.
I would love complete games. Hate openers as a fan. As a strategy openers should be used much much more. No complete games, just look at the data 3rd rime through. Can’t have complete games anymore anyways. 1 the protecting arms thing. But more importantly #2 batters try to draw walks so much more in today’s game and strike out so much more. Even if you said f protecting arms pitchers would tire out. Shelton has little to no say in lineups and pitching usage. He’s just doing what the nerds tell him. Percentages over gut feeling. No one would want you as a manager today. Although I must say you are very open minded so maybe you could ” adjust” and “transition” into a current day manager! I am the opposite. Only a few teams would be interested in me because they are so far behind. In 10 years every team will be run by people like me. Well maybe 20.
I’m even more of a dinosaur and found out when I came back to coaching a few years ago to develop my nephew. The next thing I know, I’m a team’s pitching coach. Then, I become a manager again
Horrible mistake and should have listened to my kids asking me, “Why?”
Yes, this generation of players showed me the game has changed, sure, but more pointedly, so have both the kids and the parents. I always wanted kids to take ownership of their play individually but also as a team…to “want it” more than a coaching staff. This was like coaching zombies. More pointedly, a generation ago it was about practicing, improving, and the competition. Had a lot of rivalries.
Now practicing has been replaced by putting a team together and having a practice or two and then playing exhibition games every other day until the season starts. Now it’s not about team, but rather a player showing college or even pro scouts what he, individually, can do. Competition and rivalries take a back seat—-in the back of the bus. And parents forgot the messages of athletics that are worthwhile: hard work, perseverance, goal setting, dedication, teamwork….in favor of “this is a just a vehicle for my kid to play in college…or beyond. Don’t stand in his way”
Youth athletics are a train wreck
You’re right. No one would want me now, and the feeling is mutual. As a lifelong advocate for kids, I feel badly for them as they are absorbing all the wrong, grotesque ideas, the things future nightmares are made of
Wanted to add this to anyone still reading, ran into a couple old coaching colleagues over the weekend and had a couple beers. The conversation turned to modern day travel ball. One guy had an extensive fast pitch softball background. The other has a grandson and granddaughter now playing AAU hoops
The common theme was what was described above.
Coaching is now just “recruiting” the best players around then going to tournaments. Fundamentals, mechanics, mental approach get short shrift. All about showcasing kids to college coaches.
And I wonder why so many of the young guys coming to the majors here seem so devoid of basics knowledge where hitting and fielding are concerned