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Huntington: Pirates “Looking At Adding To Future Clubs” At Deadline

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With the trade deadline less than three days away, Pirates GM Neal Huntington said that his front office “in the process of looking at adding to future clubs” rather than buying for a late run at a postseason berth in 2019.  The Pirates have posted a nightmarish 2-14 record since the All-Star break, sending the team spiraling down the NL Central standings and leaving Huntington accepting his share of the blame.

“We haven’t overcome the challenges presented to us, and somebody has to be accountable for that — and it falls on me,” Huntington said during his KDKA-FM radio show this morning (hat tip to Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).  “I am accountable for everything that goes on in baseball operations.  When it doesn’t work, we have to address why it doesn’t work.  At the end of the day, this is a club I felt good about when we put it together.”

Pending free agents stand out as the most logical trade candidates, though “just because a player is on an expiring contract that doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity to retain that player,” Huntington said.  “That doesn’t mean it’s the right thing just to grab a nickel if that’s all you can get.  The player may have more value to us if he continues to perform.  There is still a value you need to get on a deal; otherwise, it may be best to hold on to that player.”

In terms of potential free agents, Jordan Lyles, Corey Dickerson, Melky Cabrera, and Francisco Liriano are players who have been mentioned in trade rumors and have value to 2019 contenders.  Chris Archer is under control via a $9MM club option for 2020, though it seems unlikely that Pittsburgh would sell low on the struggling right-hander just a year after paying a huge price to acquire Archer from the Rays.  Starling Marte is also in the last guaranteed year of his contract, as he is controlled on club options for 2020 and 2021, though there hasn’t been any indication that the Pirates would make a huge move like dealing a cost-controlled outfielder with Marte’s high ceiling.

It should be noted that Huntington didn’t confirm whether the Bucs could be both sellers and buyers, as building for the future could also entail adding pieces to help the Pirates contend as early as 2020.  The Archer trade, for instance, plus last summer’s addition of Keone Kela from the Rangers, were meant to help a struggling Pirates team turn things around this year.  It’s probably somewhat less likely that Huntington and company will make such a big splash of an addition again at this deadline, but by the same token, Pittsburgh also seems likely to hang onto players like Marte or oft-mentioned trade target Felipe Vazquez since they want to compete soon.

“If we were not intending to be a competitive club, then the right move would be to explore trades for Felipe. But, we like our young core,” Huntington said.  “We like what we have coming up in the minor leagues. We feel that can add to this club appropriately in the offseason, and Felipe will play a key role in that.”

Pirates Claim Parker Markel

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The Pirates have claimed right-handed pitcher Parker Markel off waivers from the Mariners, per announcements from both clubs. Markel had previously been designated for assignment by the Mariners on July 23rd. To accommodate the addition of Markel to their 40-man roster, the Pirates have transferred righty Rookie Davis from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list; Markel will be optioned to Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis.

For the Pirates, Markel represents an intriguing, nearly cost-free addition to their organizational relief corps. For one thing, the 6’4 hurler is a graduate of Yavapai College–a community college in tiny Prescott, Ariz., which has produced several big leaguers, including Curt Schilling, Kirby Yates, Ken Giles, and both Willie and Kole Calhoun. That interesting bit of trivia aside, Markel’s play in AAA this year has offered some signs of a player who may end up as a useful MLB reliever.

Selected by the Rays in the 39th round of the 2010 draft, Markel toiled for nearly a decade in the minors before signing a minor league deal with Seattle this offseason. Subsequent stints in AA Arkansas and AAA Tacoma indicated a changed man: the formerly groundball-oriented Markel struck out 62 batters in 35.1 innings before receiving a big league audition with the M’s in May. Though he was thoroughly knocked around in that cup of coffee (and in a subsequent one-game July callup), Markel’s slider-based, suddenly overpowering repertoire could possibly aid the Pirates beleaguered bullpen in short order.

Latest On Jameson Taillon, Gregory Polanco

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6:52PM: The belief is that Taillon will need some type of surgery, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets.  Flexor damage is the better-case scenario, rather than elbow surgery, as a flexor procedure wouldn’t likely keep Taillon from being ready for the start of the 2020 season.

10:03AM: The Pirates’ hopes for a competitive 2019 season are looking rockier than ever as key players Jameson Taillon and Gregory Polanco struggle to turn the corner. Both are facing increasingly worrisome injury situations, as they discussed this morning with reporters including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link) and The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel (links to Twitter).

Taillon’s situation appears to be the one with the most at stake. We heard some ominous news yesterday as his rehab was halted. The additional word out of the Bucs’ locker room doesn’t provide much in the way of comfort.

The team still doesn’t know the outcome of his arm issues, but will learn more soon. Taillon will visit with orthopedist Dr. David Altchek on Monday. The righty says he’s “hoping it’s just the forearm” rather than an elbow problem that could require major surgery.

Taillon, who has previously undergone a Tommy John procedure, indicates that he’s “excited for whatever comes next” even if it means a lengthy rehab process. He says that he has “been stuck in a grey area for a while.” Though the team has long signaled that Taillon was expected to return this season, it seems there may have been greater internal pessimism throughout.

Any kind of significant arm procedure would be a worry for the Bucs. Taillon is one of the organization’s top players and best assets, at least assuming full health. But it seems he’s all but certainly done for the year; as he puts it, “this season is probably a wash for me.” Taillon only made seven starts this year after a superlative 2018 season, which means he’ll enter arbitration in the offseason with a weak platform that will limit his earnings.

As for Polanco, there’s also some longer-fuse worry. He says he pushed too hard to make it back from last year’s shoulder procedure, leading to the problems that have forced him to the shelf after a return. Now, he’s going to take some more time to rest after having his rehab assignment halted a week ago. Whether Polanco can make it back to the majors this year isn’t yet known, but certainly can’t be presumed.

Having already gone through an unsuccessful effort to ramp up relatively quickly and play at less than full health, Polanco says he’s now committed to fully healing. “This time, I want to be 100 percent,” he says. With the club owing him $23MM in future salary, including two guaranteed seasons and buyouts on a pair of options, a long-term outlook makes sense for all sides.

Needless to say, with the Bucs already reeling in the standings, they increasingly appear to be situated as a seller at the coming deadline. There’s not much of an argument to be made that the roster, especially sans Taillon and Polanco, can contend in the present campaign. The question the front office needs to consider most closely is whether it has the pieces needed to bounce back in 2020.

Jameson Taillon Shut Down After Experiencing Renewed Discomfort

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Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon experienced renewed pain in his right forearm and is no longer throwing, the Pirates revealed to reporters on Wednesday (Twitter link via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The discomfort sounds particularly ominous, as Pirates medical director Todd Tomczyk suggested that the injury has “run its course of conservative care,” Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic tweets. Taillon will meet with a doctor next week.

Taillon, 27, has been sidelined by a forearm strain since early May, and his absence has played a significant role in the team’s underwhelming season. The former No. 2 overall draft pick and longtime top prospect delivered on that hype in a big way last season when he tossed 191 innings of 3.20 ERA ball, emerging as the Buccos’ staff leader. Taillon averaged 8.4 strikeouts, 2.2 walks and under one home run per nine innings pitched, drawing favorable reviews from fielding-independent metrics as well.

Unfortunately for the club, he’s been limited to 37 1/3 innings this season, which has contributed to the Pirates cycling through a dozen different starters. Chris Archer, Trevor Williams and Jordan Lyles have all struggled but at least been able to give the club some innings, and Joe Musgrove has been solid (if unspectacular) in leading the club with 20 starts. Pittsburgh has also looked to Steven Brault, the since-designated Nick Kingham, rookie Dario Agrazal and top prospect Mitch Keller for starts, and they’ve even experimented with using Montana DuRapau as an opener in bullpen games.

Suffice it to say, a Taillon return in the near future would’ve been a welcome sight but now appears decidedly unlikely. Back in June, it was reported that surgery could eventually emerge as an option if Taillon didn’t improve, and while Tomczyk didn’t directly mention surgery today, the juxtaposition of that June writing and his quote today are troubling for the Bucs.

Pirates Open To Trading Keone Kela

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The Pirates are remaining tight-lipped on the contractual violation that resulted in a team-issued two-game suspension for right-hander Keone Kela, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that Pittsburgh is “more than willing” to trade Kela. (Kela, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown, got into an “altercation” with director of cultural initiatives Hector Morales.)

It’s been less than a year since the Pirates traded prospects Taylor Hearn and Sherten Apostel to the Rangers to acquire Kela in hopes of shoring up the bullpen not only for a possible 2018 run but also for the foreseeable future. The Pirates made that deal knowing that Kela had previously been demoted to the minors as a disciplinary measure back in Spring Training 2017, but the allure of a high-quality setup man with two and a half years of club control remaining was easy to see.

Kela, still just 26 years old, only elevated his stock down the stretch in 2018. He tossed 15 1/3 innings out of the Pittsburgh bullpen following the trade, holding opponents to five runs (2.93 ERA) on 10 hits and five walks with 22 strikeouts. The 2019 season has been another story. A shoulder issue has limited Kela to only 11 2/3 innings so far this season, during which he’s served up six runs on 11 hits (three homers) and four walks.

At this point, Kela hasn’t pitched in a big league game since May 4 due to said shoulder troubles. Coupled with a team-issued suspension, it’s safe to say that his value isn’t exactly at its apex. Even if that’s the case, though, Kela still has plenty of appealing qualities. He won’t turn 27 until early next season and is the owner of a solid 3.48 ERA with averages of 11.0 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 1.01 HR/9 in 196 2/3 innings of big league work in his career. He’s earning an eminently affordable $3.175MM in 2019 ($1.16MM still to be paid out) and is controlled through the 2020 season. It’s impossible to say how much the brief suspension will impact his trade value without knowing what transpired, but the appeal based on his contractual status and track record on the mound is clear.

From a bigger-picture standpoint, the openness to moving Kela doesn’t portend a full-scale teardown in Pittsburgh. General manager Neal Huntington has suggested on multiple occasions that he has no intention of trading closer Felipe Vazquez — one of baseball’s best relievers — and it stands to reason that he has a similar view of long-term assets. However, the Pirates are just 2-8 over their past 10 games and have fallen to 7.5 games back in the NL Central and seven back in the Wild Card hunt. Given their recent trajectory, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if shorter-term pieces like Kela, Jordan Lyles, Corey Dickerson and Melky Cabrera hit the block and found their way to other clubs.

Pirates Reinstate, Suspend Keone Kela

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TUESDAY: The Pirates suspended Kela after he got into an altercation with Hector Morales, their director of cultural readiness and peak performance coach, Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports tweets.

MONDAY: The Pirates announced today that they have reinstated righty Keone Kela from the 60-day injured list. He’ll move directly onto the suspended list, however, with the team also announcing a two-game suspension for an unstated violation of the Uniform Player’s Contract.

The UPC (see it here) allows clubs to “suspend the Player without salary for a period not exceeding thirty days” upon a “violation by the Player of any regulation or other provision of this contract.” Written notice must be given to the player and the MLB Players Association.

It’s rather unusual to see such team-issued discipline, even if it is contemplated by contract. In some cases, collectively bargained agreements vest sole disciplinary authority for certain matters in the commissioner’s office. The Joint Drug Agreement, for instance, specifically forbids “any adverse action pursuant to a Uniform Player’s Contract” owing to violations of the terms of that agreement.

There’s no indication as of yet as to what led to Kela’s suspension. Neither is it evident whether he will attempt to challenge it in any way.

Kela, 26, has missed much of the season with shoulder issues. He carried a 4.63 ERA with 11 strikeouts and four walks through 11 2/3 innings before hitting the shelf. Kela had been expected to function as a key late-inning arm for the Bucs. He turned in a strong run last year after being acquired at the trade deadline.

It’s not clear whether there’s any realistic chance that Kela could be dealt, but it’s at least hypothetically possible — especially if he’s able to show good health upon his return and the Pirates decide to move some assets. Kela is earning $3.175MM this year and comes with another season of arbitration eligibility.

Poll: Trading Felipe Vazquez

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Losers of eight of 10 since the All-Star break, the Pirates’ already slim playoff hopes have taken a beating over the past week-plus. At 46-53, they’re six games out of a wild-card spot and 7 1/2 behind the National Central-leading Cubs. Only three NL teams have worse records than the Pirates, who will have to jump seven clubs in order to earn a playoff position. It’s probably safe to say they’re going to extend their postseason drought to four years in 2019.

This happens to be the fourth season in Pittsburgh for reliever Felipe Vazquez, though he’s obviously not to blame for the team’s ongoing struggles. In fact, since the Pirates acquired the flamethrowing left-hander from the Nationals in a deal for veteran reliever Mark Melancon in July 2016, Vazquez has evolved into one of the majors’ premier late-game options. Vazquez was downright exceptional over the previous two seasons, but this may go down as his best campaign to date. The 28-year-old has pitched to a dominant 1.91 ERA/2.02 FIP with 14.03 K/9 against 2.34 BB/9 in 42 1/3 innings, adding 21 saves on 22 tries for good measure.

Considering Vazquez’s brilliance, not to mention the Pirates’ woes, there is a case they should consider parting with him before the July 31 deadline. The fact that Vazquez is controllable over the next few seasons for team-friendly salaries would help enable the Pirates to land an enormous return for him. The club shrewdly signed the strikeout artist formerly known as Felipe Rivero to a four-year, $22MM extension months before the 2018 season. He’s under wraps through at least 2021 as a result, though the way his career’s going, it looks like a sure thing right now that his employer will exercise $10MM club options in 2022 and ’23. Granted, those decisions are a long distance off, and considering the volatility of relievers, Vazquez could turn into a pumpkin by then. Perhaps that’s another reason to sell high on Vazquez now. But general manager Neal Huntington doesn’t seem to agree. Huntington has shot down the possibility of a Vazquez trade twice this month, noting both times that he expects the two-time All-Star to be indispensable to the Pirates’ next playoff team.

“Our expectation and anticipation is that Felipe will be closing out playoff games, be it this year or in the future with us,” Huntington said on July 1.

Unlike back then, the Pirates’ season now looks as if it’s close to flatlining. Nevertheless, Huntington remains steadfast in his desire to keep Vazquez, having said this past weekend that “we always have to entertain ways to make this organization — and ideally this current club — better. Sometimes you make the future clubs better, but we fully anticipate Felipe will be closing the next playoff games that we’re a part of.”

It certainly wouldn’t be indefensible on Pittsburgh’s part to retain Vazquez, who’s magnificent and affordable (all the more important for a low-spending franchise). On the other hand, Vazquez would probably be the best relief trade chip in the game if the Pirates were to shop him over the next week. What should they do?

(Poll link for app users)

Quick Hits: Scherzer, F. Vazquez, Broxton, Reds

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The Nationals are expecting ace Max Scherzer to return from the injured list by Thursday or Friday, Byron Kerr of MASNsports.com reports. Scherzer, out since July 13 with right shoulder bursitis, threw a full bullpen session Monday and offered an encouraging assessment afterward, per Kerr. The Nationals have maintained a playoff spot during Scherzer’s absence, but the three-time Cy Young winner is their MVP and someone they likely can’t go without for much longer. The 34-year-old Scherzer was amid another all-world season before hit hit the shelf, with a 2.30 ERA/2.02 FIP, 12.6 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and 5.5 WAR in 129 1/3 innings.

More on a few other clubs…

  • Back on July 1, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington downplayed the possibility of trading closer Felipe Vazquez. The Bucs have lost 10 of 16 since then, putting them six games out of playoff position, but Huntington’s mind hasn’t changed. He once again made it clear Sunday that the Pirates expect to push for contention in the near future with Vazquez on their roster (via Adam Berry of MLB.com). On a potential Vazquez trade, Huntington said: “If we were expecting to lose 100 games next year, then it’s a different approach. But our expectation is to be right back in this — if we don’t get there this year — to be right back in this next year, and to have a guy like that in the back end is really important.” The Pirates haven’t made the playoffs since 2015, the year before they acquired the electric Vazquez, and appear as if they’ll extend their drought this season. Vazquez is controllable through 2023, giving the Pirates time to take advantage of his presence; on the other hand, Vazquez’s team-friendly contract is one of the reasons he’d bring back so much in a trade. Huntington appears to have no interest in giving up one of the greatest acquisitions of his tenure, though.
  • When the Orioles designated center fielder Keon Broxton for assignment Sunday, manager Brandon Hyde suggested the O’s would lose him, saying (via Joe Trezza of MLB.com): “I’m hoping he’ll get picked up by somebody, especially someone who needs outfield defense and baserunning for the postseason. I wish Keon the best.” It appears Broxton will indeed end up elsewhere in the coming days, as Trezza reports “a few teams” have checked in on the 29-year-old. Broxton can run and defend, as Hyde noted, though horrid hitting has torpedoed his value in 2019. Broxton has struck out in 43 percent of his 165 plate appearances, thus limiting him to a .184/.244/.289 line (42 wRC+). With no minor league options left, both the Mets and Orioles have given up on the once-promising Broxton this season.
  • The Reds put right-hander Tyler Mahle on the injured list Monday with a left hamstring strain and recalled fellow righty Sal Romano from Triple-A Louisville. The 24-year-old Mahle’s IL placement came after a pair of rough starts that saw him allow a combined 14 runs (10 earned) in 9 2/3 innings in losses to Colorado and St. Louis. Mahle has now mustered a 4.93 ERA in 102 1/3 innings, though he has also logged a much better 4.32 FIP, posted 9.32 K/9 against 2.29 BB/9 and notched a 45.6 percent groundball rate.

Keone Kela Close To Rejoining Pirates

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Keone Kela has been out of action since May 4 when the Pirates placed him on the 60-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. One of their key deadline additions from last season, it seems Kela will be ready to rejoin the team right around deadline time once again. The Pirates sent him to Triple-A Indianapolis on a rehab assignment last week, and he could be ready for game action with the Pirates within the week, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter).

Kela was tremendous for the Pirates in 16 appearances last season after coming over from Texas. This season was more of a mixed bag: he’ll carry a 4.63 ERA (5.71 FIP) whenever he returns to game action. The 26-year-old endured a rough stretch in early April, but he’d run up a streak of six consecutive scoreless outings before hitting the injured list. On his rehab assignment he’s been roughed up a bit (13.5 H/9), but the stuff is there as he has struck out seven batters in 3 1/3 innings.

The Pirates bullpen could use the boost, as they’ve been a bottom-10 unit by ERA, xFIP, and fWAR this season. Bullpen coach Euclides Rojas is tasked with getting this previously-strong group back on track as they’ve fallen particularly prone to missing the strike zone this year, ranking 29th in the majors with 4.34 BB/9. Kela’s been dogged at times by control issues himself, but if he returns as he’s been in 2018-19, he’ll strengthen the bridge between the Pittsburgh starters and closer Felipe Vazquez. 

The trade rumors continue to swirl around Vazquez, of course, despite the Pirates insistence that their closer is not on the market. Were the Buccos to move Vazquez, a healthy Kela might be first in line to replace him. Vazquez is on a great contract, however, and the Pirates are still within shouting distance of the playoffs, trailing both the division and wild card by only five games.

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.

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