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Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates

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In conjunction with this post, Darragh McDonald held a Pirates-centric live chat on 10-19-22.  Read the transcript here.

2022 went about as expected for the Pirates, who made very little effort to add to the team in the previous offseason. Instead, it was another year of letting their young players get their feet wet in the big leagues, with some encouraging results in that department.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B: $60MM through 2029 (including buyout of 2030 club option)
  • Bryan Reynolds, OF: $6.75MM through 2023 (with two remaining arbitration years after that)

Option Decisions

  • None

Arbitration-Eligible Players

Free Agents

The Bucs head into this offseason with very little on the books, as the Ke’Bryan Hayes extension is the only firm commitment. Bryan Reynolds avoided arbitration in April by agreeing to a two-year deal for 2022 and 2023, with a couple of passes through arbitration still to come after that. That’s only $16.75MM on the ledger for next year, which will be nudged up slightly by a couple of modest arbitration salaries from those that are tendered contracts. Otherwise, the payroll is fairly wide open for any additions the club wants to make.

They have previously run payrolls in the $100MM range but have been closer to $50MM while rebuilding in the past few years, according to numbers from Cot’s Baseball Contracts. That leaves them plenty of room to work with, though they will probably lean towards modest additions, if last winter is any precedent. A year ago, the club handed out a series of one-year deals to veterans like Roberto Pérez, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Heath Hembree, José Quintana, Jake Marisnick, Daniel Vogelbach and Andrew Knapp, none for higher than $5MM.

Of course, free agency isn’t the thing that Pittsburgh fans will look to for hope. The club’s prospects and other young players are the main event here, with lots of reasons for excitement in that department. Hayes has already established himself as a mainstay at the hot corner, able to provide a floor of elite defense even if his bat is still lacking. Last year, first full season, he hit .257/.316/.373. That production amounted to a wRC+ of 87, or 13% below league average. Still, he was able to produce 2.0 wins above replacement in the eyes of FanGraphs due to his excellent glovework. It was another similar season here in 2022, as Hayes hit .244/.314/.345 for a wRC+ of 88. But that subpar offense was paired with the best third base defense in the game, as Hayes produced 18 Outs Above Average, the top mark at the hot corner and trailing only Jonathan Schoop and Dansby Swanson for tops among all position players. Defensive Runs Saved is even more complimentary, as Hayes’s 24 DRS was the best of any position player across the league. Hayes also stole 20 bags, allowing him to produce 3.0 fWAR without adding much with the bat. He is still just 25 and could still be developing at the plate, which gives him the potential to be one of the most impactful players in the game if he takes a step forward in that department. Even if he doesn’t, he’s proven he can be a valuable player even with modest offensive contributions.

Next to Hayes on the infield is Oneil Cruz, who got a cup of coffee last year but truly debuted here in 2022. The young Cruz, who turned 24 this week, has some wrinkles in his game but has some of the most exciting elements as well. His Statcast page has blood red splotches thanks to his tremendous exit velocities and sprint speed. He also has one of the strongest throwing arms among infielders in the game. Everything he does is at an elite speed, from the way he runs and throws to the way he smashes the ball to smithereens. However, there are some areas where he is still figuring things out. One such area is plate discipline, with Cruz walking at a below-average 7.8% rate this year and striking out in a huge 34.9% of his plate appearances. Among batters with at least 350 plate appearances this year, only Joey Gallo and Chris Taylor struck out at a higher clip. Despite that, he was still above average at the dish overall, hitting .233/.294/.450 for a wRC+ of 106. Another area of uncertainty is defense, where Cruz is still an unknown commodity. There’s no real precedent for a shortstop like him, given his 6’7″ frame. The initial reviews on the experiment are mixed, with Cruz earning -9 OAA this year and a -7.5 from Ultimate Zone Rating, while DRS was kinder and gave Cruz a +1. He is still young and has less than one year of MLB experience at this point, so it’s possible Cruz could still develop. But given his speed and arm strength, he would likely make an excellent outfielder in the future if he doesn’t stick at short. With the Pirates unlikely to be contending for a while, they can keep the experiment going and see how Cruz responds next year.

While Hayes and Cruz should have the left side of the diamond spoken for, the right side is much less concrete. Rodolfo Castro, Kevin Newman, Ji Hwan Bae and Tucupita Marcano have been splitting the second base duties over the past few months, with no one seeming to run away with the job. Castro has shown some potential this year, hitting 11 home runs in 71 games and batting .233/.299/.427 overall for a wRC+ of 102. Newman took a step forward from 2021’s awful year at the plate but was still below average in the end. Last year, he hit .226/.265/.309 for a 53 wRC+ but got up to .274/.316/.372 and a wRC+ of 94 here in 2022. He’ll be due an arbitration raise on this year’s $1.95MM salary, though the club could just move on and non-tender him. Bae was promoted near the end of the season but has shown a potential to impact the game with his speed. He hit .289/.362/.430 for a 112 wRC+ in 108 Triple-A games this year, adding 30 steals in the process. In ten MLB games, he hit .333/.405/.424 while swiping another three bags. Marcano’s been up and down this year, playing well in the minors but not so well in the show. It’s possible the Bucs have an answer at the keystone in here somewhere, but all of these guys also play other positions, giving them the flexibility to pivot based on how things develop.

First base is even more wide open at this point, as most of the playing time this year has gone to guys who have already moved on or are about to. Yoshi Tsutsugo, Michael Chavis, Josh VanMeter, Yu Chang, Bligh Madris and Kevin Padlo all saw some time at first base this year but none of them are on the roster anymore. Ben Gamel has played a couple games there recently but is headed for free agency soon. That leaves the club with multi-positional options like Zack Collins and Diego Castillo on the depth chart going into next year, though it’s possible they bring in another low-cost free agent or waiver claim to take over here. Some of the free agent first baseman that likely won’t cost too much include Jesús Aguilar and Miguel Sanó.

In the outfield, there’s one firm building block in Reynolds. Despite constant trade rumors, the club has held firm and kept him around as part of the team. There’s a bit of a ticking clock, as Reynolds has just three years of team control remaining at this point. Though rebuilding teams can shed their embarrassing skin and become exciting in a hurry, as this year’s Orioles showed. They also held onto their center field trade candidate in Cedric Mullins and now seem poised to use him as part of contending teams for the next few seasons. The Bucs will hope to do the same with Reynolds. He had a third straight successful full season, hitting 27 home runs and batting .262/.345/.461 for a wRC+ of 125.

Who lines up next to Reynolds on the grass is a more open question. Bae has spent some time in the outfield and could wind up here if he doesn’t get the second base job. There’s Jack Suwinski, who hit 19 homers but also struck out 30.6% of the time and hit .202/.298/.411 overall for a wRC+ of 100. Miguel Andújar, recently claimed off waivers from the Yankees, could finally get the run of extended playing time he never got in the Bronx. Since his 2018 debut, he’s dealt with injuries and been relegated to a depth piece, mashing in the minors but struggling in brief stints in the majors. Castillo and Marcano could be in this mix as well, alongside Cal Mitchell, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Travis Swaggerty and other depth pieces.

Behind the plate, Pérez was injured early in the season and the club used Jason Delay and Tyler Heineman at the end of the year. Neither of those two have much experience and both are glove-first types who are better suited for a backup role. It’s likely the club fortifies this position with a veteran addition, with Pérez recently expressing his belief that he could be that guy again. If it’s not Pérez, the club could look to bring in another veteran catcher via free agency. The Bucs won’t spend to get Willson Contreras, but some of the other available options include Christian Vázquez, Omar Narváez, Austin Hedges and Tucker Barnhart.

Much like the position player side of things, the pitching staff features a host of youngsters who either will or won’t be part of the future. Mitch Keller seems to have taken a huge step forward here in 2022, dropping his ERA to 3.91 after registering a 6.17 mark last year. He’s still getting strikeouts at a below-average rate but improved his walk rate to a manageable level and is getting the ball on the ground more. After getting balls hit into the dirt on 40.4% of balls in play prior to this year, he had a 49% ground ball rate in 2022 thanks to adding a sinker to his repertoire.

Roansy Contreras got a three-inning cameo last year but got a more proper debut here in 2022. Over 95 innings, he put up a 3.79 ERA, 21.1% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 36.4% ground ball rate. He will turn 23 in November and look to take a step forward next season. 23-year-old Luis Ortiz made his MLB debut with a 4.50 ERA over four starts. He had a similar 4.56 ERA over 124 1/3 innings in the minors but with encouraging rate stats, striking out 27.1% of batters faced while walking just 7.5%. Johan Oviedo was bumped to the bullpen in St. Louis but returned to starting after coming to Pittsburgh in the José Quintana trade. In seven starts since switching jerseys, he has a 3.23 ERA, 20.9% strikeout rate and 54.5% ground ball rate, though with a concerning 11.9% walk rate in that sample.

Beyond that group, there’s a collection of depth guys who could fill out the rest of the staff. JT Brubaker had a 5.36 ERA last year but a 4.69 ERA this year with fairly similar peripherals, thanks to keeping the ball in the park more. He got taken over the fence 28 times in 124 1/3 innings last year but has reduced that number to just 17 long balls this year, despite increasing his workload to 144 frames. He’s eligible for arbitration this winter but should be kept around as a serviceable back-end guy. Bryse Wilson put up a 5.52 ERA in 115 2/3 innings while frequently getting sent to the minors. He won’t reach arbitration this winter but will be out of options next year, meaning he’ll have to be designated for assignment if the club ever wants to remove him from the active roster next year. Zach Thompson made 22 starts this year but got shifted to the bullpen as the season wore on. Although there are many intriguing arms overall, the Bucs could certainly sign another low-cost veteran like they did with Quintana a year ago, who could eat some innings and serve a mentor role before hopefully getting traded for prospects at the deadline.

In the bullpen, there’s a handful of young arms, but the top name is David Bednar. Since coming over from the Padres in the January 2021 deal that sent Joe Musgrove to San Diego, Bednar has fired 112 1/3 innings with a 2.40 ERA, 32.7% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 37.6% ground ball rate. He’s emerged as the club’s closer in that time, notching 19 saves here in 2022. He’s been the subject of trade rumors already and likely will be again, though the Pirates shouldn’t feel much pressure to move him given he can be controlled through the 2026 season. Behind him, it’s a hodgepodge of younger depth arms and journeymen. The club could certainly grab a couple of veterans in the offseason, unless they are dead set on giving their existing arms as much run as possible.

In addition to the exciting players that have already cracked the big leagues, the Pirates will also be looking forward to some future debuts. The club’s top pitching prospect Quinn Priester reached Triple-A by the end of the year but spent most of his season at Double-A, registering a 2.87 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 51% ground ball rate. Endy Rodriguez, an interesting catching prospect who also plays infield and outfield, also made it up to Indianapolis by season’s end. Across multiple levels, he hit .323/.407/.590 this year. A bit further away are some other prospects of note, such as Henry Davis, Liover Peguero, Nick Gonzales and many others.

There are certainly things to be excited about here, but the return to meaningful games doesn’t seem especially close. The Pirates finished 62-100, a modest one-game improvement over last season, and still have a lot of ground to make up before they are genuine contenders. With the club unlikely to be major spenders, it will take continued development from within to get them over the hump. Another offseason of small commitments is likely to come, with 2023 likely pegged as another year of letting the kids play and seeing where it goes.

NL Central Notes: Helsley, Adames, Pirates, Davis

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Ryan Helsley won’t pitch in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series today, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat).  The decision is related to workload rather than a physical setback, as while Helsley left yesterday’s game with numbness in his right fingers.  The issue contributed to a nightmarish breakdown, as Helsley was charged with four of the six runs the Cards surrendered in the ninth inning of the 6-3 loss to the Phillies.

An MRI didn’t reveal any damage, and Helsley told Jones and other media members that he’ll try to stimulate more blood flow in his fingers via laser therapy.  The right-hander said he doesn’t have much feel (particularly on breaking pitches) as the ball is leaving his hand.  With this is mind, it’s fair to consider Helsley as a question mark for Game 3, if St. Louis is able to extend the series tonight.

Here’s some more from around the NL Central…

  • “I love it here, I feel good here, I feel comfortable here and I wish I could stay here the rest of my career,” Willy Adames told Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other reporters about his time with the Brewers.  Adames is arbitration-controlled through the 2024 season, and given the Brewers’ payroll limitations, it remain to be seen how many (if any) of such notables as Adames, Corbin Burnes, or Brandon Woodruff could be possible extension candidates.  “At the end of the day, [the Brewers] have to put everything together and see if we can work something out.  Hopefully we can, and we can make it happen.  But I’m always willing to hear what they have to say,” Adames said.  Possibly impacted by a high ankle sprain that sidelined him in May and early June, Adames hit .238/.298/.458 over 617 plate appearances, though that still translated to a 109 wRC+, and the shortstop also hit 31 homers.
  • Pirates manager Derek Shelton cited first base and catcher as “areas of need” in the offseason, telling Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and other reporters that “I do think we’ll continue to look to solidify those positions….We’re just going to have to see what’s available, how we acquire guys to fill that.”  Roberto Perez may be a candidate to be re-signed, though the veteran backstop played only 21 games before undergoing hamstring surgery, and Perez was one of a whopping eight catchers who saw time behind the plate for the Pirates in 2022.  First base was also a revolving door with 10 players getting time at the cold corner, and Michael Chavis (who had the bulk of the playing time) was already outrighted off the active roster, with Chavis electing free agency.  As always, it’s hard to imagine the Pirates spending big on upgrades at either position, as the team continues to rebuild.
  • Brennen Davis was limited to 53 games in 2022 due to back surgery, and the star Cubs prospect reflected on his difficult year and somewhat unusual injury with The Chicago Sun-Times’ Maddie Lee.  Initially diagnosed as a herniated disc, Davis’ issue was actually a vascular malformation that was causing pain due to pressure on his sciatic nerve.  While it may take time for Davis to fully recover his power stroke, both the outfielder and Triple-A hitting coach Desi Wilson feel the situation might actually help Davis’ overall hitting approach.  “Having to grind for my hits. I can’t just go out there and muscle one out,” Davis said.  “I have to square baseballs up and hit them the right way, with true backspin and stuff like that, and pick pitches that I can do damage on.”  Davis has returned to action in the Arizona Fall League, and he is hopeful of making his MLB debut in 2023 — since Davis had already hit well during a brief Triple-A stint in 2021, he likely would’ve already appeared in the majors this year had he stayed healthy.

34 Players Become Free Agents

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The Wild Card round of the 2022 postseason begins today, but for the majority of teams and players, the offseason is now underway. With that will come plenty of roster formalities, including veteran players who’ve been outrighted off their respective teams’ rosters reaching minor league free agency. This week, there have been 34 such instances throughout the league, per the transactions log at MiLB.com.

None of these are a surprise, to be clear. Any player who is not on his team’s 40-man roster at season’s end but has three-plus years of Major League service time, multiple career outright assignments and/or seven-plus seasons in the minors has the right to elect free agency. Everyone in today’s group of players falls under that umbrella. The majority of the group will likely find minor league deals over the winter, although a few of the players in question could potentially find a big league deal as a bench piece or middle-inning reliever.

There will be several more waves of players of this ilk, and we’ll make note of them in bunches over the coming weeks as we await the launch of Major League free agency, when all unsigned players with at least six years of Major League service time will reach the open market. For now, here’s the first of what will likely be several waves of newly minted minor league free agents:

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Pitchers

Pirates Outright Michael Chavis, Greg Allen

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The Pirates are outrighting infielder Michael Chavis and outfielder Greg Allen to Triple-A Indianapolis, according to the MLB.com transactions log. Chavis and Allen were both designated for assignment on Monday in order to make room for catcher Jose Godoy and third baseman/left fielder Miguel Andujar, who Pittsburgh recently claimed off waivers from the Yankees.

Chavis was drafted in the first round by the Red Sox in 2014, and was Boston’s second-ranked prospect according to Baseball America before being called up to the big leagues in late April of 2019. He had a strong rookie season in Boston, swatting 18 homers and driving in 58 runs in 95 games. After posting a weak 64 wRC+ in 2020, Chavis bounced between Triple-A Worcester and the Red Sox before being traded to the Pirates for lefty reliever Austin Davis. In 2022, Pittsburgh gave Chavis another chance to play every day. His ability to play first, second, and third base kept him in the lineup, even though he slashed a weak .229/.265/.389. Chavis, age 26, still may have some time to develop into a steady big leaguer yet. His career 37.4% hard hit rate is reason for optimism, though clubs will want to see some improvement in his 31.7% career K% if he is going to get another shot in the big leagues.

Like Chavis, Allen too will have to improve at the plate if he is going to stick in the majors. Originally a Guardians’ sixth rounder, Allen spent parts of the 2017-2020 seasons with Cleveland before being shipped to San Diego as part of the Mike Clevinger package. After a cup of coffee with the Yankees in 2021, Allen was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh, where he posted a bleak .186/.260/.271 in 46 games with the Pirates in 2022. Though his career wRC+ of 72 leaves a lot to be desired, Allen rates highly as a left fielder and has proven himself a capable base stealer, swiping 21 bags in just 95 games in 2018. Allen, age 30, is arbitration eligible for the first time next season, meaning that he will likely have to demonstrate some marked improvement as a hitter before a club will give him an opportunity.

Now that both Chavis and Allen have accumulated three years of major league service time and are not on a 40-man roster, they can become free agents after the 2022 season.

Pirates Designate Michael Chavis, Greg Allen For Assignment

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The Pirates have announced a handful of roster moves prior to tonight’s game, with infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar, who was claimed off waivers from the Yankees yesterday, reporting to the team to take his place on the active roster. Additionally, catcher Jose Godoy has had his contract selected. In corresponding moves, infielder Michael Chavis and outfielder Greg Allen have been designated for assignment.

Chavis, 27, was drafted by the Red Sox and spent the first few years of his MLB career there as a highly-touted prospect, cracking Baseball America’s top 100 in 2018. After a tepid showing in his first tastes of the majors, he came to Pittsburgh in a July 2021 trade that sent Austin Davis the other way. Chavis’s tenure in Pittsburgh got off to a good start as he hit .357/.357/.500 after the trade last year, though an elbow strain limited him to just 12 games. He’s had a much larger sample here in 2022, making 426 plate appearances over 129 games, but hasn’t been able to do much with it. Despite launching 14 long balls on the year, he’s struck out in 29.6% of his plate appearances while walking in only 4.5% of them. On the whole, his batting line for the year is .229/.265/.389, production that’s 21% below league average according to wRC+.

Despite that lackluster output at the plate, Chavis has at least provided defensive versatility, spending time at first, second and third base this year. He passed three years of MLB service time this year and was going to be eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason. It seems the Bucs weren’t planning on keeping him around with a higher salary next year and have effectively given him an early non-tender. With the trade deadline long gone, the Bucs will have no options except to put Chavis on outright waivers or release waivers. If any team believed Chavis could take his bat to another level, they could put in a claim. As mentioned, Chavis would be due an arbitration raise for next year if he finds another roster spot, though he also has an option year remaining.

Allen, 29, is in his sixth MLB season, having donned a few jerseys in that time. He began his career with Cleveland before bouncing to the Padres and Yankees. The Pirates claimed him off waivers from the Yanks in November but placed Allen on the 60-day injured list on Opening Day with a left hamstring injury. He was activated in July but has hit just .186/.260/.271 in 46 games since, striking out in 31.3% of his plate appearances. Like Chavis, he crossed three years of MLB service time this year and was headed into the arbitration process for the first time. He’ll be placed on waivers in the coming days to see if any team is intrigued enough to give him a roster spot and pay bump. Despite the poor showing at the plate this year, he stole eight bases and provided above-average outfield defense. Neither player would be eligible for postseason play with a new club, as players must be in a team’s system prior to September 1 in order to qualify.

Godoy, 27, began the year with the Mariners before going to the Giants, Twins and Pirates on a series of waiver claims. He’s a well-regarded defender behind the plate but hasn’t shown much with the bat at the major league level. His career batting line is .128/.212/.149, though in a small sample of just 52 plate appearances. The Bucs have been using Jason Delay as their primary catcher with Zack Collins as the backup, though Collins has also been spending some time at first base. Godoy’s promotion will give them a more traditional backup catcher for the final stretch of the schedule.

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the moves before the official announcement.

NL Notes: Marte, Cardinals, Cruz

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The Mets issued an official statement on Starling Marte’s fractured right middle finger, saying that a recent CT scan “showed improved healing,” and that the center fielder “will continue baseball activities as tolerated.”  This counts as good news, considering that Marte had to halt his first try at baseball activities last week, due to continued discomfort in his finger.  Marte hasn’t played since his finger was hit by a Mitch Keller pitch on September 6.

It remains to be seen if Marte will be able to make it back before the end of the regular season, let alone by his stated target date of Friday, when New York begins a critical three-game series with the Braves that could decide the NL East.  The Mets have continued to play well (a 12-6 record) since Marte was last in the lineup, but obviously having the All-Star center fielder back will boost the Mets’ chances of both capturing the division and potentially winning the World Series.  There hasn’t yet been any indication that Marte could miss any postseason action, but he’ll have less time to heal if the Mets have to settle for a wild card, and don’t receive a first-round bye.

More from the National League…

  • The Cardinals announced that Miles Mikolas and Jose Quintana will start on Tuesday and Wednesday in the team’s two-game series against the Brewers.  A sweep would clinch the NL Central for St. Louis, who have a commanding 6.5-game lead over Milwaukee but naturally want to get the division fully settled before looking ahead to the playoffs.  Since the Cardinals are a virtual lock to be the NL’s third seed, they’ll have to play in the wild card round, thus giving manager Oliver Marmol a lot to consider about how to best line up his postseason rotation.  Basically, everything is still to be decided, Marmol told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other reporters, including the possibility that the Cards might opt with something close to a standard five-man rotation (assuming they advance past the wild card series, of course).  The recent of struggles of Jordan Montgomery and Adam Wainwright — who is also battling a “dead arm” — have also added to the discussion, and St. Louis also has two remaining off-days in the regular season schedule.
  • In other Cardinals updates, Marmol told MLB.com’s John Denton and other reporters that it may be possible for both Jordan Hicks and Tyler O’Neill to be activated from the injured list before the postseason.  Hicks hasn’t pitched since September 14 due to neck spasms and fatigue in his right arm, but he is set to begin a throwing program on Tuesday.  O’Neill will also begin a running program on Wednesday, as he trise to make it back from a hamstring strain that sent him to the 10-day IL on September 17.
  • Oneil Cruz made two errors in the Pirates’ 8-3 loss to the Cubs today, giving the rookie shortstop 15 errors over 73 games this season at the position.  It made for some unfortunate timing for Pirates GM Ben Cherington, who said in his pregame radio interview (hat tip to Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) that “I see no reason why [Cruz] can’t play shortstop at high level at the major-league level.  I believe he can do it.  Time will tell.  And he’ll tell us.”  Evaluators have long been skeptical about whether or not the 6’7″ Cruz will eventually need a position change, though for the rebuilding Pirates, there really isn’t any reason for the team to not give Cruz a long look at shortstop before deciding if a change is necessary.  Cruz has also played in a handful of games in left field in the minors (and one game in left field in the bigs), which seems like it would be his eventual fallback position if he can’t stick at shortstop.

Pirates Claim Miguel Andujar Off Waivers From Yankees

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The Pirates claimed Miguel Andujar off waivers, as announced by the Yankees via Twitter.  New York designated Andujar for assignment earlier this week.

The move officially ends Andujar’s 11-year tenure in the Yankees organization, the last few of which have been marked by trade rumors and a sense that the Yankees had moved on from Andujar as an important piece of their present and future lineups.  An injury-marred 2019 season for Andujar opened the door for Gio Urshela to take over at third base, and Andujar never again received any consistent big league playing time.

Heading into that 2019 season, Andujar looked like the latest of the “Baby Bombers” to make an immediate impact in New York’s lineup.  Andujar hit .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs over 606 plate appearances in 2018, finishing second (behind Shohei Ohtani) in AL Rookie Of the Year balloting.  Though there was already some question as to whether or not Andujar’s defensive shortcomings would eventually force a move from third base, there seemed little question that his bat could play in the majors.

Since that breakout rookie year, Andujar has played only 105 MLB games over the 2019-22 seasons.  A torn right labrum sidelined him for all but 12 games in 2019, and though the Yankees experimented with using Andujar as a first baseman and left fielder, he still couldn’t find his way back to a regular spot in the lineup.  With Andujar out of favor, the Yankees explored trades and Andujar even renewed his request for a trade earlier this season, but the end result was New York getting no return, as Andujar departed on waivers.

Andujar is still only 27 years old and has two years of arbitration control remaining, and so for the rebuilding Pirates, there isn’t much risk in taking a look at him as a possible piece for 2023.  With only a .229/.250/.281 slash line over 100 PA for New York this season, Andujar has remained potent at the Triple-A level, hitting .285/.330/.487 with 13 homers over 297 PA with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

It remains to be seen whether or not Andujar can become more than a “Quad-A” type of player, but a change of scenery seemed long overdue.  He’ll now join Robert Stephenson, Michael Chavis, Zack Collins, and other former top prospects or highly-touted minor leaguers who are looking for fresh starts in Pittsburgh, as the Bucs continue to look for some late bloomers to add their collection of in-house prospects.  Looking ahead to 2023, Andujar could be a factor at first base, as Chavis has posted subpar offensive numbers.

Pirates Select Ji-Hwan Bae

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3:27pm: Pittsburgh formally selected Bae’s contract. Catcher Tyler Heineman has been placed on the seven-day concussion injured list to clear an active roster spot. The Pirates 40-man tally now sits at 39.

8:51am: The Pirates are set to promote infield prospect Ji-hwan Bae, as first reported by Ryan Palencer of PiratesProspects.com (Twitter link). He’ll need to have his contract formally selected to the 40-man roster, though the Pirates currently have two vacancies in that regard, so Bae’s promotion will only require a corresponding 28-man roster move.

Now 23, Bae originally planned to sign with the Braves as an international amateur in 2017, but his agreement was dissolved when the Braves were penalized in 2017 for a bevy of rule violations ono the international market. The South Korean-born Bae instead signed a $1.25MM bonus with the Pirates a year later.

Bae currently ranks 11th among Pittsburgh farmhands at MLB.com and sits 23rd on Baseball America’s midseason ranking of the system. He’s spent the entire season with the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, batting .289/.362/.430 with eight home runs, 23 doubles, six triples and 30 stolen bases (in 38 attempts). Bae has fanned in 16.9% of his plate appearances while walking at a 10.1% clip.

Scouting reports on Bae tout his 70-grade speed (on the 20-80 scale) and his above-average contact skills, though his eventual defensive home is rather unsettled. After spending much of his early pro career at shortstop, he’s played more second base in recent seasons and now begun to add further positions to his repertoire. The Bucs have played him primarily at second base (457 innings), shortstop (177) and in center field (161) in 2022, but he’s also had briefer looks in left field and at third base.

Bae was found guilty by a South Korean court in 2018 of assaulting his former girlfriend, and was subsequently ordered to pay a trivial sum to the victim (about $1,750 U.S. dollars, which she donated to charity). Major League Baseball conducted its own investigation into the matter, ultimately suspending Bae for 30 games of the 2019 season under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.

Pirates Outright Tyler Beede

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The Pirates announced this afternoon that right-hander Tyler Beede has gone unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last week. He’s been assigned outright to Triple-A Indianapolis.

A first-round selection of the Giants in 2014, Beede spent the next few years as one of the most talented prospects in the San Francisco system. He debuted late in the 2018 season and started 22 of 24 outings the following year, pitching to a 5.07 ERA across 117 innings. While he didn’t prevent many runs, Beede averaged north of 94 MPH on his fastball and generated swinging strikes at an 11.2% clip that hinted at a possible long-term future in the San Francisco rotation.

Beede was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery the following March, and he missed the entire 2020 campaign. He spent most of last year on the injured list as well, first recovering from the TJ procedure and then suffering a lower back strain. While he returned to health in 2022, the Giants deployed him just six times out of the bullpen before designating him for assignment. The Pirates nabbed him off waivers and have used him as a multi-inning reliever, but he posted a 5.23 ERA with a below-average 14.8% strikeout rate across 51 2/3 frames.

As a player with more than three years of MLB service, Beede has the right to refuse the outright assignment in favor of free agency. The Pirates didn’t announce whether he’d do so at this point, although it’s likely he’ll hit the open market in the near future either way. Even if Beede accepts this outright assignment, he’d qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season unless the Pirates add him back to the 40-man roster.

Maury Wills Passes Away

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The Dodgers announced today that three-time World Series champion Maury Wills has passed away. He was 89 years old.

Wills had an incredibly impressive career, spanning 14 different big league seasons. He debuted as a shortstop with the Dodgers in 1959 at the age of 26. He played in 83 games that season and then six more in the World Series, with the Dodgers hoisting the trophy after defeating the White Sox. In 1960, Wills’ got to play a full season for the first time, stealing 50 bases. That was the first of what would eventually wind up as a six-year run as the top basestealer in the National League, with at least 35 in each year of that period and a whopping 104 in 1962. That 104 mark was the modern era single-season MLB record at the time, which stood until Lou Brock swiped 118 in 1974. It wasn’t just the running game that was impressive that year. Wills also batted .299, hit 13 doubles, 10 triples, six long balls and scored 130 runs. He was voted the National League Most Valuable Player that year, just ahead of Willie Mays.

Wills was with the Dodgers through the 1966 season, winning two more titles in 1963 and 1965. He also grabbed Gold Glove awards in 1961 and 1962 and played in seven All-Star games over five seasons, as there were two games in each of 1961 and 1962. He then went on to play two season for the Pirates, before being selected in the expansion draft for the newly-formed Montreal Expos. He was traded back to the Dodgers in June of 1969 and stuck with them through the end of the 1972 season.

After his playing days were over, Wills spent some time as a broadcaster before trying his hand as a manager. He was hired to manage the Mariners partway through the 1980 season, though his time as skipper was not very successful and ultimately brief. The M’s went 20-38 over the remainder of the 1980 campaign and then started 6-18 in 1981. He was fired at that point and wasn’t given another shot in the dugout, leaving him with a managerial record of 26-56.

Ultimately, Wills will surely be remembered for his incredible base stealing prowess. Across 1,942 career games, he stole 586 bases, a mark that puts him 20th on the all-time list of basestealers. He also scored 1,067 runs and notched 2,134 hits, including 177 doubles, 71 triples and 20 home runs. He earned three World Series rings, seven All-Star appearances, two Gold Glove awards and an MVP award. MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

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