Pirates Sign Patrick Kivlehan To Minor-League Deal
According to a report from John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com, the Bucs have opted to add outfielder Patrick Kivlehan to the organization by way of a minors pact. The 28-year-old, then, latches on with his fourth MLB organization in the past calendar year (and seventh in his professional career).
It should be noted that Kivlehan only garnered 14 plate appearances in the majors this past season. That brief MLB cameo came entirely with the Diamondbacks, who acquired him from the Mets late in the season in exchange for cash considerations. After he struck out in six of his 14 September plate appearances (albeit with a pair of triples), the Snakes opted to cut him loose.
The former fourth-round pick is only a year removed from serving as a part-timer for the Reds for the majority of the 2017 season, for whom he hit .208/.304/.399. That performance came across 204 trips to the plate spanning 115 games. He did manage to hit nine homers during that period, which falls in line with a power-centric offensive skill set he flashed during his minor-league career with the Mariners (who drafted him in 2012). That potential, most recently seen in the form of a .314/.372/.588 batting line with the Mets’ Triple-A ballclub, may be one of the driving factors in the Pirates’ decision to bring Kivlehan on board.
Of course, Kivlehan’s upside is weakened a bit by his freeswinging tendencies. He’s got a career 32.2% strikeout rate in the majors, which has assisted in suppressing his batting average throughout his career. He’s also an unspectacular defender, as his -22.3 career UZR/150 would suggest. He’ll have an uphill battle trying to earn significant playing time in an outfield that projects to feature Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco, with Jordan Luplow and Adam Frazier likely to fill reserve roles and former second-rounder Bryan Reynolds waiting with sneaky upside in Triple-A.
Pirates To Decline Option Over Josh Harrison, Jung Ho Kang
The Pirates will decline their club option over infielder Josh Harrison, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). Likewise, infielder Jung Ho Kang is heading to free agency, MLB.com’s Adam Berry tweets.
Rather than a $10.5MM payday, Harrison will take a $1MM buyout and head onto the open market. Kang, meanwhile, receive $250K on his way out the door after the team passed on a chance to keep him for $5.5MM.
The 31-year-old Harrison is renowned for his versatility and at his best can deliver value in all facets of the game. Unfortunately, his hitting has never returned to the levels he showed in a breakout 2014 season. Last year, he carried only a .250/.293/.363 slash. While he’s sure to secure a MLB job somewhere, the $10.5MM price tag was clearly too steep.
As for Kang, also 31, it seems there’s still a possibility of a reunion with the Pittsburgh organization. Otherwise, his outlook is murky. He has done nothing but hit in the majors, but also hasn’t seen substantial playing time since the 2016 campaign owing to a DUI conviction and resulting inability to secure a visa. While he returned late in the 2018 season, Kang did not have a chance to reestablish himself and remains a bit of a wild card on the present market.
NL Notes: Schoop, Escobar, Diamondbacks, Kang, Pirates
The Brewers will have a tough call to make on Jonathan Schoop following the infielder’s struggles in 2018, and general manager David Stearns opted not to tip his hand when it comes to tendering a contract to the arbitration-eligible slugger (link via MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy). “That’s a discussion that we’re going to have to continue to have here over the next couple of weeks to a month,” said Stearns. “…He has had really impressive stretches throughout his career, and unfortunately for both him and us, we didn’t see one of those stretches when he was a Brewer. We’ll sit down to see if we can determine why, and then we’ll go forward.” Schoop, 27, was one of the game’s most productive infielders in 2017 but turned in an awful .233/.266/.416 slash through 501 plate appearances this year — including a brutal .202/.246/.331 slash with the Brewers. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him to earn a $10.1MM salary in 2019.
Here’s more from the NL…
- The Diamondbacks‘ surprising new deal with versatile infielder Eduardo Escobar opens a plethora of options for the organization this offseason, The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan writes in an expansive look at the team’s options (subscription link). The move first and foremost indicates that the Snakes aren’t gearing up for a complete rebuild, but it does allow the team the freedom to shift some pieces around. Jake Lamb could head to first base in the event of an oft-speculated Paul Goldschmidt deal, Buchanan notes, or Escobar could find regular work at shortstop should Nick Ahmed be moved. If the team doesn’t subtract any pieces, he could even play second base in place of Ketel Marte, whom Buchanan reports has been discussed internally as a center field option. General manager Mike Hazen, who discusses the move at length in the column, made clear that Escobar will be in line for regular at-bats next season, even if the exact plan will obviously dependent on the remainder of the offseason. The 29-year-old Escobar hit .268/.327/.444 with the D-backs following a trade from the Twins and slashed .272/.334/.489 with 23 homers, 48 doubles and three triples on the season as a whole.
- While the Pirates haven’t given a firm indication as to whether they’ll exercise Jung Ho Kang‘s $5.5MM club option for the 2019 season, MLB.com’s Adam Berry takes a look at the situation and suggests it’s quite possible that Kang will return for another season. General manager Neal Huntington recently suggested that the team and Kang may need to find a middle ground rather than bringing him back at the full $5.5MM value of the option — implying that the Pirates could pay a $250K buyout and bring Kang back at a lower guaranteed base salary. Berry also notes that it’s unlikely the team will move on from Colin Moran despite mixed results in his first season with Pittsburgh, citing a strong finish and defensive improvements over the course of the season (in addition to the fact that the Buccos acquired him as a key piece in the Gerrit Cole trade not even a year ago).
Joe Musgrove Undergoes Abdominal Surgery
The Pirates announced today that righty Joe Musgrove has undergone surgery to address the abdominal issue that bothered him late in the 2018 season. He is expected to be “on or close to a regular schedule” for the coming spring.
Musgrove’s campaign came to an early close owing to a pelvic bone stress reaction and abdominal wall strain. At the time, the decision was made to allow him six weeks of rest before the situation would be reassessed.
A recent medical evaluation showed “less than the desired amount of clinical healing,” per the Bucs’ announcement. Accordingly, a surgical course was recommended.
Clearly, the hope had been to avoid this procedure, though it seems there’s still optimism that it won’t create any near or long-term problems for the 25-year-old. While his season debut was delayed due to shoulder problems, Musgrove ended up turning in 115 1/3 innings of 4.06 ERA pitching — quality results that may still have lagged his true effectiveness (3.59 FIP, 3.92 xFIP, 3.93 SIERA).
Pirates Prospect Ji-hwan Bae Found Guilty Of Assaulting Former Girlfriend
Pirates prospect Ji-hwan Bae has been found guilty by a South Korean court of assaulting his former girlfriend. Naver Sports reported the news, with Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic covering the story in further detail (subscription link).
Allegations arose earlier this year against Bae, a talented 19-year-old infielder, relating to a New Year’s Eve incident in 2017. The Pittsburgh organization reported the matter to MLB officials, who did not impose a period of administrative leave while investigating the matter. Bae proceeded to play in 35 games for the Pirates’ Gulf Coast League affiliate.
Despite the determination of guilt for his actions against former girlfriend Seul-Gi Kim, Bae will evidently not serve a prison sentence. Indeed, he’ll only be ordered to pay Kim 2 million won. That translates to less than $2K USD, a relative pittance for a player who received significant paydays when he signed with the Braves and — after he was made a free agent due to international signing improprieties, including with regard to his own situation — with the Pirates. Kim tells The Athletic that she plans to donate that and other money provided to her by Bae.
It seems that Kim has yet to be contacted by MLB investigators, though surely there’ll be some effort to bring the matter to a resolution from the league’s perspective. Though not formally covered by the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Policy, minor-league players such as Bae are subject to a similar rules regime through policies instituted by the MLB commissioner’s office. He could theoretically face a suspension, fine, or other disciplinary measures from the league.
Quick Hits: Yanks, Bucs, Cole, Andujar, Mets, Stearns, Hillman
It’s already known that the Yankees pursued a trade for right-hander Gerrit Cole last winter before the Pirates ultimately sent him to the Astros in mid-January. Ken Davidoff of the New York Post sheds more light on the talks between the Yankees and Pirates, reporting that the Bucs wanted both outfielder Clint Frazier and third baseman Miguel Andujar in exchange for Cole. The Yankees were willing to part with Frazier, as was previously reported, but weren’t on board with adding Andujar to the package. Consequently, the Pirates chose the Astros’ four-player offer, one which yielded modest returns in 2018. Cole has enjoyed an ace-caliber season in Houston, meanwhile, and concussion issues prevented Frazier from making a big league impact this year. Whether Cole would have performed similarly had he gone to New York is anyone’s guess, of course, and the Yankees can take solace in knowing they made out well by keeping Andujar. The 23-year-old’s a strong candidate for top rookie honors in the American League after slashing .298/.328/.527 (128 wRC+) with 76 extra-base hits – including 27 home runs and an AL rookie record-tying 47 doubles – en route to 2.7 fWAR.
More from around the game…
- There’s uncertainty in the Mets’ search for a new head of baseball operations, Mike Puma of the New York Post hears. It’s possible the Mets will tab both a president of baseball ops and a general manager, but club officials have gone back and forth on that lately and are leaning toward hiring only one person, Puma reports. Moreover, the Mets remain unsure whether to tab an old-school or new-school mind for the role, per Puma.
- The Mets had now-successful Brewers GM David Stearns under their employ as an intern a decade ago, Tim Healey of Newsday notes, pointing out that Stearns is a Manhattan native who grew up rooting for the Amazins. During his short time with the Mets, their baseball department – led by then-GM Omar Minaya – “badly wanted to hire” Stearns on a full-time basis, according to Healey. However, they couldn’t get approval on adding another full-time position from owner Fred Wilpon and COO Jeff Wilpon, Healey relays. Stearns went on to a few other jobs elsewhere before becoming the Brewers’ GM in September 2015. No one knows where Stearns would be now had he risen to a more prominent role with the Mets all those years ago, but it’s an interesting what-if.
- Trey Hillman announced Saturday that he’ll step down as the manager of SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization after the season, citing family reasons, the Yonhap News Agency reports. Hillman left his post as the Astros’ bench coach in 2016 to immigrate to South Korea, where he has led the Wyverns to back-to-back playoff berths. The 55-year-old is likely best known for his stint as the manager of the Royals from 2008-10. Kansas City went 152-207 under Hillman, whose reign directly preceded the ongoing Ned Yost era.
Players Electing Free Agency
Quite a few players will hit the open market this fall, and they’ll do so by way of varying mechanisms. The end of the regular season triggered a recent wave of free agents, consisting of a certain subset of players — namely, those who were outrighted from 40-man rosters during the season and accepted minor-league assignments at that time despite having the right to elect free agency. Players in that situation are entitled instead to hit the open market at season’s end, if they were not added back to the 40-man roster in the meantime.
As conveyed by Matt Eddy of Baseball America, who also covers quite a few other minor moves, these players have now elected free agency:
Athletics: RHP Raul Alcantara, LHP Danny Coulombe
Blue Jays: RHP Mike Hauschild, INF/OF Darnell Sweeney
Braves: LHP Rex Brothers, RHP Miguel Socolovich
Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons
Indians: RHP Evan Marshall, RHP Alexi Ogando
Mariners: RHP Christian Bergman, LHP Ross Detwiler, RHP Mike Morin, INF Zach Vincej
Marlins: OF JB Shuck
Mets: RHP Chris Beck, OF Bryce Brentz, RHP Scott Copeland, OF Matt den Dekker, INF Ty Kelly
Nationals: LHP Tommy Milone, OF Moises Sierra, RHP Carlos Torres
Orioles: RHP Jhan Marinez, INF Luis Sardinas
Padres: OF Matt Szczur
Phillies: INF Trevor Plouffe
Pirates: LHP Buddy Boshers, RHP Casey Sadler, RHP A.J. Schugel
Rangers: C Juan Centeno, LHP Anthony Gose, RHP Drew Hutchison, INF Tommy Joseph, RHP Chris Rowley
Rays: INF Brandon Snyder, RHP Ryan Weber
Reds: C Tim Federowicz, RHP Kevin Quackenbush
Tigers: INF Dixon Machado, RHP Jacob Turner
White Sox: RHP Tyler Danish
Pirates Outright Nik Turley
The Pirates have outrighted left-hander Nik Turley off the 40-man roster, per John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com. He’ll presumably become a minor league free agent.
The 29-year-old Turley was claimed off waivers from the Twins last November. He enjoyed an outstanding year with Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate, pitching to a 2.66 ERA (2.84 FIP) with 10.5 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 0.53 HR/9 and a 33.7 percent ground-ball rate in 67 2/3 innings. Turley was clobbered in his big league debut with the Twins, though that came in a small sample of 17 2/3 innings. Turley, though, has a history of stymieing left-handed opponents in the upper minors, and the Bucs likely viewed him as a potentially affordable bullpen option.
However, the organization never got much of a chance to see whether Turley could contribute. The left-hander was slapped with an 80-game PED suspension in late January after testing positive for Ipamorelin. Upon being reinstated from the restricted list, Turley was immediately placed on the 60-day disabled list due to an elbow strain. It’s not clear at this point whether he’s expected to be healthy enough to take the mound come Spring Training, but it’s certainly not surprising to see the Pirates jettison him from the 40-man roster after that lost season.
In further Pirates news, the team announced this afternoon that right-hander Edgar Santana underwent successful Tommy John surgery today. The organization announced late last month that Santana would require the procedure after an MRI revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Pirates Dismiss Jeff Branson, Jeff Livesey
The Pirates announced Monday that they will not bring hitting coach Jeff Branson and assistant hitting coach Jeff Livesey back as Major League coaches for the 2019 season. No additional coaching changes are expected, per the press release.
“We appreciate all of the time, energy and effort that Jeff and Jeff put into the team,” said general manager Neal Huntington in an official statement. “Both are high-character, hard-working, good baseball men. We felt that this was the right time to take our Major League hitting program in a different direction.”
Branson, 51, appeared in parts of nine Major League seasons between the Reds, Indians and Dodgers from 1992-2001. Both Branson and Livesey had been in their roles with the Pirates since the 2014 season. Brandon spent 16 seasons with the Pirates organization, previously serving as a coach and, for five seasons, a manager in the team’s minor league system. Livesey, too, spent 16 years in the organization and has served as a minor league manager and as a minor league hitting coordinator. He’s also spent four seasons as a bench coach with the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and another as the bench coach for NPB’s Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Central Notes: Mauer, Perez, Bader, Cardinals, Kang, Pirates
It isn’t yet clear if Joe Mauer will retire or return for the 2019 season, though if Sunday’s game was his last hurrah in the big leagues, it was a special one. Mauer went 1-for-4 in the Twins‘ 5-4 victory over the White Sox, though the most memorable moments included Mauer’s two daughters running onto the field to greet him at first base for the national anthem, as well as one final appearance behind the plate. Making his first appearance at catcher since 2013, Mauer donned his old gear to catch the first pitch of the ninth inning before being substituted out of the game to a standing ovation from the Target Field fans. “It’s just been an emotional roller coaster,” Mauer told reporters, including MLB,com’s Jarrid Denney. “I’m not 100 percent sure [about retiring or not], and like I said, I want to make sure I have time just to take a deep breath and really be behind that decision. But I couldn’t have asked for a better last day of the 2018 season, and I’m looking forward to just taking a breath and spending some time with my girls, my family, and we’ll go from there.”
Here’s more from both the AL and NL Central divisions…
- Salvador Perez will undergo surgery this week to repair ligament damage in his thumb, as per an announcement from the Royals (Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star was among those to report the news). Perez said he has been playing through the injury for the last six weeks, and that while he’ll face some rehab time, it won’t keep him from being ready for Spring Training. “Twelve weeks [off], then start to hit,” Perez said of his immediate timeline. While Perez hit 27 homers this season, he contributed only a .235/.274/.439 overall batting line in 544 plate appearances, as his bad thumb and a Grade 2 MCL tear suffered in March likely kept him from operating at close to 100 percent all year.
- Harrison Bader will be the Cardinals‘ incumbent center fielder going into 2019, GM Michael Girsch told MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch and other media today. “It’s pretty obvious that he’s the best defensive center fielder we have. He’s hit more than well enough to earn the first shot at it,” Girsch said. Bader posted 3.6 fWAR in his first extended stretch of Major League action, hitting .264/.334/.422 with 12 homers and 15 steals over 427 PA, while also displaying outstanding glovework (+23.3 UZR/150, +11 Defensive Runs Saved) over 607 1/3 innings in center.
- While Bader is in center and Marcell Ozuna has left field spoken for, right field is a less certain area for the Cardinals, despite several options. The Athletic’s Mark Saxon (subscription required) thinks St. Louis could even target Bryce Harper to solidify the position, since the team has the funds to make a big splash in free agency. That would be an eyebrow-raising signing to say the least, in no small part because the Cards have right field options available, though all have question marks. Jose Martinez is a poor defender, Tyler O’Neill is unproven as a Major Leaguer despite a promising start, and Dexter Fowler endured an injury-shortened and mediocre 2018 season. It would likely require trades of both Fowler and Martinez to fit Harper, which would be difficult given Fowler’s struggles and big contract.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington told reporters (including Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, MLB.com’s Adam Berry, and The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel) that if Jung Ho Kang returns to the team next season, it will be as a third baseman only. Forty-nine of Kang’s 187 Major League games have come at shortstop, though it doesn’t appear as though the Bucs have any interest in utilizing him even as a backup. As to the question of Kang’s $5.5MM club option, the Pirates “have significant interest in seeing if there’s a middle ground” if the option isn’t exercised, Huntington said, though no contractual decision has yet been made. Injuries and legal issues have kept Kang out of Major League Baseball for almost all of the last two seasons, so it isn’t surprising that the Bucs are seeing if they could bring Kang back at a lower price, given that his market as a free agent could be rather limited.
- Since Kang isn’t being considered for the backup shortstop role if he does return, Jordy Mercer could be a fit to return as a utility infielder. Huntington said the Pirates will “keep the door open” about possibly re-signing Mercer and Josh Harrison, though Mercer seems the better bet of the duo to return, as Mercer can fill the part-time role behind Kevin Newman at short.