The Pirates are selecting right-hander Cam Sanders, according to a report from Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com confirms that report, adding that right-hander Johan Oviedo is set to be optioned to the minors to make room for Sanders on the active roster. The Pirates have multiple 40-man roster vacancies, so no additional corresponding transaction will be necessary.
Sanders, 28, was a 12th-round pick by the Cubs back in 2018. He’s spent the past four seasons bouncing between the Double- and Triple-A levels with the Cubs and Pirates. He’s typically posted excellent numbers at Double-A and poor numbers at Triple-A and ultimately converted from starting to relief work with the Cubs last year. Now in the Pirates organization after electing minor league free agency over the winter, he’s looked utterly dominant in the upper minors with a 1.90 ERA in 18 appearances at Double-A to go with a nearly identical 1.93 ERA in 15 appearances at the Triple-A level.
Between the two levels, Sanders has punched out 30.5% of his opponents in 42 1/3 innings of work this year. Walks have been a problem for Sanders in the past, as he surrendered free passes at an unplayable 22.4% clip at Triple-A last year. He’s kept them under control this year, however, with a 12.0% walk rate overall that drops to just 9.7% when looking only at Triple-A. Sanders will need to continue throwing strikes if he’s to survive in the majors, but the quality of his stuff gives him possible late-inning upside if he can continue to show even passable command. He’ll now join a relief corps that recently lost closer David Bednar at this year’s trade deadline and will vie for work with the likes of Dauri Moreta, Kyle Nicolas, and Yohan Ramirez.
As for Oviedo, the right-hander made his first big league appearance since 2023 yesterday in a start against the Giants but surrendered two runs in one inning of work after walking three and striking out three. Acquired from the Cardinals in the Jose Quintana trade back in 2022, Oviedo posted a solid 4.31 ERA in 31 starts for the Pirates the following year and looked like a viable #4 starter of the future for the club before being sidelined by Tommy John surgery. He has a 3.12 ERA in six rehab starts in the minor leagues this year, but judging off yesterday’s difficult return he may need some more time to build up before returning to the majors in a more permanent role. The Pirates have Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Andrew Heaney, and Mike Burrows holding things down at the big league level in rotation for the time being.
Pirates sure love their pitchers named Cam
They have 1 Cam that’s a pitcher in the top 3 levels of their organization….
Seeing guys fulfill theyr lifelong dream is always cool.
Kid has obviously worked hard in the minors to make this happen.
Where is chandler? why do the pirates keep bringing in these incompetent journeyman scrubs? Typical of cherrington and his abysmal general manager skills.
Why would they call up Chandler on a day he’s not scheduled to pitch? You bring up an extra bullpen arm (especially a guy who’s earned it) until you need that starter and then you call him up.
it’s not a question specific to today, it’s a valid question from fans who believe a pitcher to be ready to go at the MLB level but is still held back.
Service time manipulation. Rookie eligibility for following year.
Orioles doing it year in and year out
It’s up to Chandler to make them call him up. Last year he needed innings. This year he’s been inconsistent as well as Barco. He needs to put up some consistent numbers. Sure as bad as this years been, I’d love to see him too. Manipulation of service time possible? No doubt.
Still has had issues with consistency. Had a rough June and did not finish July great. Had several short high pitch count games in that period.
bubba isnt doing well in AAA at the moment. I wouldn’t call him up unless i thought it was AAA coaching that was hurting him… which with this franchise is a real possibility. If he does not bad the next start or three then i’d bring him up in September.
Service time manipulation is just a side effect of him not doing well.
John Feinstein’s book ‘Where Nobody Knows Your Name’ could teach you a little thing about call ups.
Nice to see a guy like Saunders get a chance. The Pirates have found some pretty decent diamonds in the rough the last few years with guys like Sanders. He has some good results, is getting a lot of swings and misses, and isn’t getting hit hrad at Triple-A so far, so why not give him a chance?
The numbers for this guy look pretty nasty, worth a shot. But I swear they are bringing up everyone but Chandler. Are they scared of looking bad if he has a hard time??
he is already having a hard time
Oviedo promotion was a mistake. Why not Chandler? Oviedo thrown into the fire for some reason when he wasn’t ready. Such a poorly run organization.
He was ready but was over throwing . Threw 44 pitches I 1 inning but 3 Ks because they had to use several relievers last night the need a pen arm . Oviedo will be back in the 15days to start and should be much more calm. Chandler had a rough June and an un even July. Not quite ready.
Maybe? The thing I noticed with Oviedo is that his breaking stuff wasn’t breaking, looked really flat. Bringing him up wasn’t a mistake since we won the game but I can see how some view it that way.
Bubba Chandler anyone? Is this another “wait until the end of the season so we might be able to get compensation for a rookie of the year next year” move?
I remember the good old days when teams just tried to win–score more runs than the opponent.
Bubba over the last month has an ERA of over 5 and a WHIP over 1.5.
He could pitch right now in MLB but lets be honest he hasn’t been good, much less great, in June or July
A wasted option for Oviedo. He wasn’t ready to make his major league return last night
When he was coming off rehab he would have to join the Bucs or burn an option anyway. Right?
It hurt the team getting one inning out of him, but at this point, why not let him rehab up on the ml club? Maybe just had to get that bad game out of his system. I don’t see the point in wasting innings down in the minors for guys who aren’t rookies. Who knows if they’ll get hurt again, just play them in the majors.
He’s done well this year and earned a shot. Hopefully they give him more than just a few innings to prove it.
No calling up chandler now is not a good idea both with his AAA performance and the timing in the rotations.
We go through the same thing every year with cherrington. He trades his 1 year free agents signings. This year he claimed there was no interest or he couldn’t get anything of value for,heaney,pham, or kiner filetmignon. But the gnome keeps playing these valueless clowns. Why? So he can win a few games to claim his job for next year? It’s holding back the ,once again, rebuild. DFA these guys now. Play pegeuro everyday at short. Put Gonzales at 3rd. Call up yorke for 2nd. Even call ip the ss they got fir Frazier and play either Gonzales or pegeuro at ss and 3rd. Im tired of cherrington and his analytics and the gnomes lineup shuffles, like his moron predecessor. Nutting needs to fire them all. Get a young GM and a veteran manager. This once great franchise can win. He’ll id even take Huntington back.
Why move Gonzo to 3B? Leave him be. If anyone I’d say bring up Simon and/or Devanney. Yorke is hitting better lately but the other 2 guys should get a look.
For what it’s worth, I would offer IKF another 1-2 year deal. Seems to like it here and a guy like him plays enough positions well to not block anyone.
Heaney should have been gone weeks ago, he’s a mirage. Pham doesn’t bother me because he’s been the best pure hitter the last month and a half.
Everyone seems to love Kelly but his decision making process is no better than Shelton
I was hoping the Cubs would of kept Sanders. Electric stuff but wild. Seems less wild now I hope he does well.