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Phillies Acquire Corey Dickerson

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2:43pm: The trade is now official.  The Phillies designated outfielder Dylan Cozens for assignment to make room for Dickerson.

2:14pm: MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki tweets that the Phillies will send international bonus allotments and a player to be named later to Pittsburgh.

2:08pm: The Pirates will not receive a player in return for Dickerson, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports (on Twitter). It’s possible that Pittsburgh is picking up some international funds, then, or that Pirates ownership was simply happy to shed the remainder of his salary.

1:51pm: The Phillies have acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Pirates, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). He’ll add a quality bat to the Phillies’ outfield mix for the remainder of the season before becoming a free agent this winter.

Dickerson, 30, missed nearly two months with a shoulder strain earlier this season but has hit well since coming off the injured list. In 141 plate appearances, he’s posted a .317/.376/.556 batting line — capped by a two-homer, five-RBI performance last night in what proved to be his final start for the Pirates. A 2017 All-Star, Dickerson long carried the reputation as a defensive liability, but he surprised with 16 Defensive Runs Saved last season and took home a Gold Glove for his efforts. He’s earning $8.5MM this year and is still owed about $2.79MM of that sum over the final two months of the year.

The Phillies didn’t expect to need this level of outfield help in 2019 after signing both Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen in the offseason, but they’ve lost McCutchen to a torn ACL while center fielder Odubel Herrera has been suspended for the remainder of the season under the league’s domestic violence policy. Philadelphia tried to proactively address its needs with a June acquisition of Jay Bruce, but Bruce has been bitten by the injury bug as well and is currently out for weeks with an oblique injury.

Philadelphia is currently tied with the Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot and is a somewhat distant but still-surmountable six games behind the Braves in the NL East. The Nationals sit just a half game in front of the Phillies in both those races, so Dickerson’s addition will prove impactful in what should be a tight race down the stretch.

Pirates Reportedly Making Jordan Lyles Available In Trade Talks

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The Pirates are “believed” to be making right-hander Jordan Lyles available to rival organizations in trade talks, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). The report also cites corner outfielders Corey Dickerson and Melky Cabrera as potential trade pieces, but suggests that there is not yet reason to believe the organization intends to move its more valuable and controllable assets.

In some regards, it’s obvious that Lyles would feature as a trade candidate. Indeed, he placed among the top 15 such players on this summer’s market in MLBTR’s initial ranking. We dropped him from the most recent list, however, when the club pulled to within 2.5 games of the division pace at the All-Star break. Unfortunately for the Bucs, they’ve already stumbled back to a 6.5-game deficit in the past week.

All that being said, there are some elements that would suggest the Pittsburgh organization probably isn’t (or shouldn’t be) ready to move Lyles just quite yet. For one thing, it’s eminently possible that another quick swing could put the team right back into solid position in the division. Cashing in Lyles for what’s likely to be a marginal return wouldn’t seem to make a ton of sense unless the club is pretty well buried — which it may soon be — or if it also has intentions of pursuing trades of other, more significant players as part of a broader roster re-shaping.

Unfortunately, it’s also not opportune timing for extracting value out of Lyles. He’s owed only $2.05MM this year, which will hold plenty of appeal to certain contenders. But he has also been shelled in each of his past two outings, allowing a stunning 14 earned runs while recording only 14 outs.

Those ugly showings shouldn’t completely override the otherwise solid showing this year from Lyles. He was never going to keep up his early pace, but he entered the month of July with a sturdy 3.71 ERA. Through 75 total innings, he has racked up eighty strikeouts against 31 walks while matching last year’s bump up to a 10.3% swinging-strike rate. That said, he has shown some less-than-ideal changes in terms of contact — particularly, allowing opposing hitters to record a 42.5% hard-contact rate and 89.4 mph average exit velocity (both career-worst numbers for Lyles).

Dickerson and Cabrera have long been possible trade candidates, though the reason why is shifting. With Gregory Polanco now seemingly sidelined indefinitely, there isn’t as much roster pressure to move one of those rental players. But the dive in the standings is creating a new basis for a swap.

The most interesting question remains whether the Pirates will explore deals for some of their best trade assets. It seems likely that, if rentals are moved, the team will at least entertain proposals on players such as closer Felipe Vazquez and outfielder Starling Marte. There’s no reason that the organization can’t hold tight and look to build around those stars and others entering 2020, though one wonders whether a more decisive strategy will at some point be necessary for an organization that has not cracked the postseason since 2015.

Pirates Halt Gregory Polanco’s Rehab Assignment

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The Pirates have shut down Gregory Polanco’s rehab assignment due to continued shoulder discomfort, director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk told reporters Wednesday (Twitter links via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

It doesn’t sound as if the club is concerned about any potential structural damage in Polanco’s surgically repaired shoulder, as Tomczyk called the joint both “strong” and “stable” in making today’s announcement. “We just need to figure out the details of what’s causing the soreness and the discomfort in the back of the shoulder,” he added.

Polanco, 27, has been sidelined since late June due to inflammation in a left shoulder that required season-ending surgery in 2018. He beat the initially projected recovery timeline associated with that procedure by more than a month when he was reinstated from the injured list on April 22, but Polanco hasn’t been himself even when healthy in 2019. Through his first 167 trips to the plate, he’s batted just .242/.301/.425 — a significant departure from last year’s .254/.340/.499 output.

Potential complications in Polanco’s recovery are of particular note given the team’s wealth of outfielders. It’s been reported that Pittsburgh preferred to trade Corey Dickerson due to a surplus that existed with Dickerson, Polanco, Starling Marte, rookie Bryan Reynolds and resurgent veteran Melky Cabrera. Whether the club would be so willing to move Dickerson now that there are renewed questions about Polanco’s health will likely depend on the extent to which the ongoing shoulder troubles are expected to hinder Polanco. For the time being, there’s no timeline available on Polanco’s return to the lineup. He’s headed back to Pittsburgh, where he’ll presumably undergo further testing.

Report: Pirates’ “Preference” Is To Trade Corey Dickerson

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The Pirates are interested in finding a trade partner to take outfielder Corey Dickerson, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription link). Dickerson, 30, is earning $8.5MM in his final season of arbitration eligibility.

As we discussed recently upon Dickerson’s activation, the Pirates are facing obvious roster pressures in several areas. The club is currently carrying only three starters, allowing it to pad its relief corps and accommodate an extra position player, but that’s a temporary measure.

Dickerson was just brought back from the injured list, so he’s only six games into his season. In the interim, the club lost another left-handed-hitting corner piece in Lonnie Chisenhall. But it also welcomed back Gregory Polanco, struck paydirt on a low-cost deal with switch-hitting veteran Melky Cabrera, and saw youngster Bryan Reynolds (also a switch-hitter) burst onto the scene.

Cabrera is said to be drawing interest from “multiple contenders,” per Rosenthal. He is now slashing a cool .335/.375/.462 through 185 plate appearances. He’s not a good defender and won’t sustain a .370 BABIP, but certainly seems a worthwhile target as a bench bat. Cabrera’s low-cost, low-commitment contract situation ($1.15MM salary) is surely of appeal as well.

Rosenthal says that the Bucs “want to take another stab at contention before moving Cabrera and possibly others.” That makes sense, as the club isn’t yet buried in the division with more than six weeks to go until the trade deadline. But it’s hard to square that with the idea that the Pittsburgh org prefers to ship out Dickerson, who is a younger player with a better recent track record than Cabrera. Last year, Dickerson posted a 115 wRC+ and graded as a high end defender.

All in all, it’s a bit of an odd situation for the Pirates, who scrambled for outfielders and now find themselves in dire need of pitching. There isn’t much reason to think that a contender will part with a worthwhile, immediate rotation (or even relief) piece for one of these outfielders.

Cabrera may be the more cost-efficient option for the Bucs, but they will surely be selling low on Dickerson unless he goes on a tear over the next few weeks — in which case it’d be all the harder to move him unless the team is itself out of the race. Putting Polanco on the block might create some opportunities for meaningfully addressing the pitching staff, but he has had some ups and downs and that’d be a much more consequential decision.

Pirates Rumors: Kingham, Keller, Outfield, Vazquez

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The Pirates’ rotation in 2019 has been unexpectedly weak. Injuries to Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams and some alarming regression for Chris Archer have overshadowed solid performances by Joe Musgrove and offseason signee Jordan Lyles. Longtime prospect Nick Kingham entered the year out of minor league options and struggled so greatly that the team begrudgingly designated him for assignment last week and now seems likely to lose the righty.

Pittsburgh isn’t currently certain who’ll start for the organization on Wednesday this week, but general manager Neal Huntington told reporters that the Pirates will “look externally” to see if there are any palatable options available (links via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Adam Berry of MLB.com). Top prospect Mitch Keller is a candidate to make that start, but the Bucs have already recalled and optioned Keller once this season. The next time Keller is called up to the Majors, Huntington noted, the team would like it to be a permanent promotion. Adding an external option would allow the team to give Keller a bit more time in Triple-A, where he has 100 1/3 total innings since last season, but the Bucs won’t find a more talented option than Keller to plug in for that Wednesday outing.

In the meantime, the Pirates will explore the trade market to see what kind of interest there is in Kingham. Huntington noted that players with that type of prospect pedigree “tend to get traded” if they’re designated for assignment and expressed optimism that he will “be able to get something for him” even in spite of his considerable 2019 struggles. Kingham allowed an incredible 38 runs on 54 hits and 17 walks in 34 2/3 innings to begin the 2019 season, but he has a solid Triple-A track record and was long viewed as a potential big league starter. A rebuilding club like the Orioles, Blue Jays, Tigers, Royals or Giants could be intrigued by seeing how he fares in a change of scenery. An injury-plagued team like the Angels or Athletics could make some sense, too.

Perhaps a more intriguing source of trade speculation surrounding the Pirates, however, resides in the outfield. Corey Dickerson returned from the IL to join a mix that already had Bryan Reynolds, Starling Marte and Melky Cabrera playing well. Gregory Polanco has posted roughly average numbers at the plate since returning from shoulder surgery and has a solid track record prior to this season. With all five healthy, it’ll be tough to sort out playing time Huntington unsurprisingly declined to go into specifics but did at least acknowledge the possibility of a trade, stating that while the Pirates like all five outfielder, they’re “always open to opportunities to make this club better.”

That said, with the team slipping in the National League Central, it’s only natural that there’ll be increased speculation about the possibility of trades in the coming weeks — particularly when dealing from a position of strength like the outfield. Moving an outfielder, even to another contender (probably not within the division) could potentially net some help for a pitching staff that hasn’t performed up to expectations so far. If the Pirates surge back into contention — they’re seven back in the NL Central and five and a half back of a Wild Card spot — moving a short-term piece like Dickerson for another veteran could boost the staff. If their slide in the standings worsens, the Bucs could even entertain offers on Marte, who is controlled through 2021 by way of a pair of club options ($11.5MM in 2020, $12.5MM in 2021). Doing so could reap prospect value while opening a long-term spot for the cost-controlled Reynolds.

Also of interest in a selling scenario would be whether the Pirates make standout closer Felipe Vazquez available, but the fact that he is cheaply controlled through the 2023 season would make it extremely difficult to bite the bullet on a deal. “The ask will be big, and they won’t move from it,” one rival executive told ESPN’s Buster Olney when asked about a potential Vazquez deal (subscription required).

That’s probably an understatement. Vazquez has a 2.30 ERA with 14.2 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 0.99 HR/9 and a 34.4 percent ground-ball rate in 27 1/3 innings so far in 2019. He’s being paid $4MM this year, $5.25MM in 2020 and $7.25MM in 2021 before the team will be able to decide on a pair of club options in 2022 and 2023 — both valued at $10MM. That’s four and a half seasons of control over Vazquez, who’ll turn 28 in July, for a shade under $35MM.

For the time being, it’s likely that the Bucs will find some kind of deal for Kingham (or that he’ll be claimed on waivers) and monitor the market for at least a potential spot-start option Wednesday. There’s sure to be more afoot over the next several weeks, as the Pirates will soon have to give a long-term audition to one of the game’s best overall prospects (Keller) and perhaps resolve an outfield logjam on the trade market. Whether that move is made with an eye toward 2019 or an eye toward 2020 and beyond will probably be dictated by the team’s performance in the near term.

Pirates To Activate Corey Dickerson, Jung Ho Kang

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The Pirates will activate outfielder Corey Dickerson and infielder Jung Ho Kang for tomorrow’s game, skipper Clint Hurdle told reporters including MLB.com’s Adam Berry (via Twitter). Corresponding roster moves aren’t yet known.

Dickerson’s shoulder injury ended up costing him about two months of action. He’ll need a 40-man roster spot, since he had been moved to the 60-day IL. Kang was out for three weeks with a left side strain.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Bucs handle their roster now that they’re approaching full health. There’ll really be an abundance of corner outfielders once Lonnie Chisenhall is ready, but even Dickerson creates a bit of a crowd.

Jose Osuna could be the odd man out, though he has hit well in brief action. That would leave the club with two switch-hitting options (Melky Cabrera, Bryan Reynolds) and a pair of lefty bats (Dickerson, Gregory Polanco) in the corner mix. That’s arguably a somewhat suboptimal mix, particularly since it means carrying five players limited to outfield or pinch-hitting duties.

Hurdle will also face some tough playing time decisions. The resurgent Cabrera and newcomer Reynolds are both hitting quite well. Dickerson and Polanco are both well-established and well-compensated players. There has already been some chatter among Pirates scribes that the club could ponder trading from its outfield stock to boost a sagging pitching staff, though it remains unclear whether and when that strategy will be pursued.

It’s a bit easier to guess at the decision in the infield. Youngster Cole Tucker has not yet found sustained success at the plate and seems likely to be dispatched back to Triple-A, though that’ll leave the club with only two true middle infielders (Kevin Newman and Adam Frazier). Perhaps the Pirates will send down a pitcher and run with a seven-man bullpen for at least a stretch, but that seems unlikely to be a long-term strategy for a team that needs innings.

Whatever the move, Kang is hardly assured of a lengthy stint back on the MLB roster. He’ll need to improve upon a terrible start to the season or be sent packing.

It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out, both now and in the near future. We know that GM Neal Huntington is looking for ways to shore up the pitching staff. The Bucs could be a fun team to watch with seven weeks to go before the trade deadline and a four-game deficit in the division.

Pirates Select Alex McRae, Transfer Corey Dickerson To 60-Day IL

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The Pirates announced that they’ve selected right-hander Alex McRae’s contract from Triple-A Indianapolis. To make 40-man room for McRae, Pittsburgh transferred outfielder Corey Dickerson from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL. The club also optioned reliever Dovydas Neverauskas.

McRae, a 10th-round pick of the Pirates in 2014, debuted in the majors last year with a 6 1/3-inning showing. He struggled during that small sample size, though, and the team outrighted him off its 40-man in December. The 26-year-old McRae also hasn’t been all that effective in Indianapolis, where he has logged a 4.89 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 165 2/3 innings since 2018.

Dickerson went to the 10-day IL on April 4 because of a right posterior shoulder strain. Considering he has already missed almost two months, Monday’s transaction shouldn’t affect Dickerson’s timetable. He just embarked on a rehab assignment May 24.

Corey Dickerson To Begin Rehab Assignment

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The Pirates have been without Corey Dickerson since April 4 due to a shoulder strain, but the outfielder is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate this evening, per a team announcement.

It’s certainly welcome news for the Pirates, although the Pittsburgh outfield has been surprisingly productive even without Dickerson’s bat in the middle of the lineup. Melky Cabrera, signed to a minor league contract in the offseason, has given the Bucs a surprisingly strong .333/.370/.464 slash with three homers and nine doubles in 147 trips to the plate. In the other outfield corner, Gregory Polanco has turned in a similarly strong .278/.343/.522 slash and belted five long balls in 99 plate appearances since his own return from the injured list. Even rookie Bryan Reynolds has been brilliant since debuting earlier this season. In 89 plate appearances, the switch-hitter has a .321/.382/.568 slash with four homers and eight walks against 19 strikeouts.

If there’s been any weak spot in the outfield, it’s been in center, where Starling Marte has hit just .244/.275/.415 in 172 plate appearances. Marte is still hitting for power, playing solid defense and providing value on the basepaths, but he’s drawn only three walks all year. The decline in on-base skills hasn’t been accompanied by an uptick in strikeouts, but Marte’s apparent impatience at the dish, paired with some poor luck on balls in play, has weighed down his overall output.

It’s not clear how long Dickerson will need on his rehab assignment, but the strong production the Pirates have received in the corners suggests they won’t feel an urgency to rush him back. How he’ll fit into the lineup is a greater question. Dickerson, 30, slashed .300/.330/.474 in 533 plate appearances last season and will presumably be a prominent figure in the outfield once he’s at full strength. Cabrera seems likeliest for a reduced role, given that he’s playing on a minor league deal and his offense has slipped a bit over the past couple of weeks anyhow. Regardless of how the playing time shakes out, the Pirates will file it under the “good problem to have” category. Dickerson’s return will only deepen the outfield/bench mix for a Pirates club that, at 25-22, sits 3.5 games back in the NL Central and just one game back in the Wild Card race.

For Dickerson himself, a productive return will be of particular importance. He entered the season with five-plus years of Major League service time and is slated to become a free agent for the first time in his career this coming offseason.

NL Notes: Reds, Wood, Mets, Gio, Bucs, Braves

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Reds lefty Alex Wood, who’s dealt with back spasms since he arrived for Spring Training in late February, “didn’t respond well” after his latest bullpen session, reports manager David Bell (via MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon). Wood, who was acquired in an offseason trade that also sent Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp from Los Angeles to Cincinnati, will likely seek a second opinion on the creaky back, placing his eventual Reds debut in even further doubt. Thanks to stellar early-season performances from Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, and Tyler Mahle, among others, Cincy’s starting five leads the NL in nearly every rotation category, doubly impressive when given the puny dimensions of Great American Ballpark. Still, it’s a unit that should both anticipate heavy regression and yearn for the return of Wood, whose recent-year track record stands apart from each of his potential rotation mates.

The latest on a few other NL franchises…

  • The Brewers and Mets were the teams most connected to Gio Gonzalez in the rumor mill before the lefty agreed to sign with Milwaukee on Thursday. Gonzalez confirmed Saturday that the Mets were indeed the other club pursuing him, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The Mets were in there but they have such a great rotation. The Brewers met my expectations and needs,” Gonzalez said. “Either way, it was a win-win for me. Two great teams were coming at you. It came down to wants and needs with Milwaukee. I played with them last year so I had the feel for what they’re trying to do.” While Gonzalez lauded the Mets’ rotation, he nonetheless may have been an upgrade for New York. The Mets have been running out the much-maligned Jason Vargas as their fifth starter, after all, yet they only viewed Gonzalez as a marginal-at-best upgrade over him, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweeted this week. Their bearishness on Gonzalez helped pave the way for the 33-year-old to rejoin the Brewers, with whom he performed well after they acquired him from Washington last August. Now, Gonzalez will slot back into a Brewers rotation that entered Saturday with the NL’s worst ERA (5.77). His first outing of the year will come Sunday against – you guessed it – the Mets.
  • Banged-up Pirates outfielders Corey Dickerson and Lonnie Chisenhall aren’t recovering as hoped. Dickerson felt tightness in his strained right shoulder while throwing from 110 feet Saturday, and Chisenhall’s now dealing with left calf tightness that has forced the team to stop his rehab assignment, according to Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It’s a new issue this year for Chisenhall, who started the season on the IL because of a broken hand. However, it’s all the more troubling because Chisenhall – then with the Indians – missed large chunks of the previous two seasons because of calf problems in both legs.
  • The Braves have placed reliever Jesse Biddle on the IL with a right thigh bruise and right calf strain, Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes. Atlanta recalled righty Shane Carle in a corresponding move. The IL placement continues a difficult stretch for Biddle, who, as Bowman notes, has retired just 10 of the last 23 batters he gone against. The southpaw faced four batters in a loss to the Rockies on Friday and failed to retire any of them, though one reached on an error, and yielded four runs (one earned) on three hits. Biddle has still notched a solid 3.18 ERA in 11 1/3 innings this year, but he has also walked upward of seven hitters per nine and seen his swinging-strike rate plummet from 10.4 percent in 2018 to 6.8 this season.

NL Central Notes: Moustakas, Pirates, Senzel, Reds

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Brewers infielder Mike Moustakas will try to play through a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger, and is hopeful of avoiding an injured list stint.  (Todd Rosiak of Milwaukee Journal Sentinal was among those to report the news.)  Moustakas suffered the injury yesterday while fielding a ground ball and left the game after the sixth inning.  X-rays were negative, though Moustakas isn’t in the Brewers’ lineup today.  The third baseman-turned-second baseman has received mixed reviews at his new position depending on which defensive metric you prefer — the Moose has a +3.9 UZR/150 but minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved over 137 1/3 innings as a second baseman this season.  No matter the position, Moustakas has continued to hit, with six homers and a .239/.349/.549 slash line through 83 plate appearances.

Some more from around the NL Central…

  • Pirates manager Clint Hurdle and GM Neal Huntington updated the media (including Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) on the status of several injured Bucs players.  A collision between Starling Marte and Erik Gonzalez during Friday’s sent both men to the injured list, with Gonzalez on the 60-day IL with a broken collarbone and Marte to the 10-day IL with abdominal wall and quadriceps bruises.  While Marte has the shorter timeline on paper, Huntington wasn’t certain when Marte could be back in action.  Corey Dickerson isn’t yet ready for a minor league rehab assignment as he recovers from a shoulder strain, while Gregory Polanco (labrum surgery) could potentially make his season debut sometime this week.
  • In other Pirates injury news, the team placed catcher Jacob Stallings on the 10-day IL with a cervical neck strain.  Stallings’ roster spot will be filled by Einar Diaz, who was activated off the IL after recovering from a virus that sidelined him for two weeks’ worth of Spring Training action.
  • Top Reds prospect Nick Senzel is scheduled to play in his first Triple-A game of the season on Tuesday, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes.  Senzel was sidelined late in Spring Training with an ankle injury, so it will end up being roughly a month-long absence for the infielder-turned-center fielder.  Senzel has already been playing some extended Spring Training games, and will now return to Triple-A Louisville after posting an .887 OPS in 193 PA at the top minor league level in 2018.  The Reds are expected to promote Senzel at some point this season, though they’ll first want to see the 23-year-old get an extended stretch of good health, as Senzel has been plagued by a variety of injuries over the last year.
  • The Reds’ starting pitching has looked much better this season than in the last several years, and catcher Tucker Barnhart feels part of the reason for the improvement is an increased focus on analytics.  Under new manager David Bell and new pitching coach Derek Johnson, discussions with Reds coaches are “more numbers-driven now,” Barnhart tells Fangraphs’ David Laurila.  “They’re more percentage-driven, and more based on exit velocities and probable outcomes. Things like that. I still trust my eyes, but in the back of my mind there are always the percentages of what’s supposed to work. You’d be naive not to fall back on that, especially if you’re stuck calling a pitch.”
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