Pirates Rumors

Pirates Designate Cole Tucker For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | May 30, 2022 at 8:40am CDT

The Pirates have announced their acquisition of Yu Chang from the Guardians, which was reported yesterday. In order to create space for Chang on the 40-man roster, utility player Cole Tucker has been designated for assignment. A corresponding move on the active roster will be required once Chang reports to the team.

This potentially marks the disappointing end of the Tucker-Pirates relationship that was once so full of hope. Tucker was a first round selection of the Pirates in 2014, 24th overall. As he rose through the ranks of the minors, he was considered by Baseball America to be one of the club’s ten best prospects from 2015 to 2019.

Tucker often impressed with his defense and speed, stealing over 30 bags in the minors in both 2017 and 2018. Unfortunately, his bat never provided enough for him to earn any kind of extended look in the big leagues. This is his fourth season seeing MLB action, yet he’s never played more than the 56 games he got in his 2019 debut.

Tucker exclusively played shortstop that first season, when it was hoped that he could take the position and run with it for years to come. But after a tepid .211/.266/.361 batting line on the year for a wRC+ of just 60, the club tried transitioning him into a super utility type, slotting him in at each infield position as well as center and right field at times. He never really seemed to settle into a good home anywhere on the diamond, and the bat never did anything to justify his roster spot. He’s now played 154 games over the past four seasons with 469 plate appearances, roughly a full season’s worth. His career batting line is .211/.259/.314 for a wRC+ of just 53. He has a 6% walk rate and 27.5% strikeout rate, both of those being a bit worse than league average. Despite his speed, he only has four steals on his ledger.

The Pirates will now have a week to try and trade Tucker or put him on waivers. Despite all those struggles, Tucker is still just 25 years old and is in his final option year. Some rival team could put in a claim and send him to Triple-A for the final few months of the year and see if he can get into any kind of a groove. But he’ll be out of options next year, meaning he’ll need to keep his roster spot or else be designated for assignment again. Should he clear waivers, the Pirates can keep him in the minors without him taking up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Pirates Acquire Yu Chang

By Darragh McDonald | May 29, 2022 at 10:55pm CDT

The Pirates are acquiring infielder Yu Chang from the Guardians for cash considerations, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Chang had been designated for assignment by the Guardians on Thursday.

This will be the first new organization for Chang, who has spent the entirety of his professional career with Cleveland so far. A native of Taiwan, Chang was signed as an international free agent in 2013 for a signing bonus of $500K and started playing Rookie ball before his 19th birthday. As he rose through the ranks of the minor leagues, he often hit well, especially for power. Baseball America considered him to be one of the top 30 prospects in Cleveland’s system for seven straight years from 2015 to 2021.

Unfortunately for Chang, he’s struggled to translate his skills to the major league diamonds thus far, in limited opportunities. Over the past four seasons, he’s gotten into 131 games and hit 10 home runs, producing an overall slash line of .208/.265/.372, 71 wRC+. The 26-year-old was designated for assignment last week, after exhausting his option years and his time with the Guardians.

Pittsburgh should be able to give Chang more opportunities to get into a groove than he saw in Cleveland, as they have a number of position players currently on the injured list. Ben Gamel just went on the IL today, joining Roberto Perez, Jake Marisnick, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Daniel Vogelbach, Kevin Newman and Greg Allen among hitters currently out of action due to injury. Chang has played all four infield positions during his time in the big leagues but is likely to get consideration for extended time at first base. Up until yesterday, every Pirates’ game this season had featured either Tsutsugo or Michael Chavis starting at first. With Tsutsugo on the IL and Chavis day-to-day with forearm discomfort, the club has put Josh VanMeter into the starting lineup yesterday and today, who has played first before but is much more experienced elsewhere. Shortly before the trade, Mackey relayed word from assistant general manager Kevan Graves, who said the club was looking to supplement the first base situation. With Vogelbach on the IL, the club is also missing its primary DH, freeing up more at-bats for whoever the club deems most worthy.

Pirates Place Ben Gamel On IL With Hamstring Strain

By Darragh McDonald | May 29, 2022 at 3:35pm CDT

The Pirates announced that Ben Gamel has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left hamstring. The outfielder left last night’s game holding the back of his left leg. Infielder Hoy Park has been recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Claimed off waivers from Cleveland in May of last year, Gamel has been a bright spot on a struggling Pirates team. He started last season in a miserable funk, going .071/.235/.143 while in Ohio. After being claimed by Pittsburgh, he righted the ship and hit .255/.352/.399 the rest of the way for a wRC+ of 105. Through 45 contests this year, his line is .257/.350/.386 for a wRC+ of 113. (Those extra eight points on his wRC+ with a very similar batting line are likely due to the deadened offense around baseball so far this season, as the statistic compares a player’s production to everyone else in the league.)

With Gamel now out of action, this will put a dent in a lineup that was already facing its share of challenges. The team as a whole is hitting .223/.295/.352 for a wRC+ of 86, a mark better than just three teams in the majors (Reds, A’s, Tigers). They’ve also seen many position players head to the injured list, including essentially all of their veterans. Gamel joins Roberto Perez, Jake Marisnick, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Daniel Vogelbach, Kevin Newman and Greg Allen as non-pitchers on the shelf. That leaves the active roster as almost entirely composed of younger and still-developing players. Excluding pitchers, backup catcher Tyler Heineman is the only guy on the team who has been on the planet more than 30 years, while starting catcher Michael Perez is the only one who began this season with more than three years of MLB service time.

Gamel came into this season with over five years of MLB service time, meaning he’s heading into free agency this winter. That gives this injury implications both for him and the team. The Bucs have been in rebuilding mode for years now, meaning that any short-term asset is a potential trade chip, with Gamel certainly fitting that bill. The trade deadline is still two months away, which gives him some time to recuperate and get back on the field before then, though the severity of his injury isn’t clear at this time. For him personally, he will surely be motivated to return to the field and demonstrate his health and abilities before hitting the open market in search of free agent dollars.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/29/22

By Mark Polishuk | May 29, 2022 at 11:45am CDT

Catching up on some minor moves from around the baseball world….

Latest Moves

The Yankees announced that catcher Rob Brantly was re-signed to a new minor league contract. Brantly was designated for assignment earlier this week and cleared waivers, but then opted to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A. After two days of testing the market, Brantly is now back in the organization and has been assigned to Triple-A. Originally joining the Yankees back in August 2020, the veteran backstop has appeared in seven games with New York at the MLB level, including one game this year to provide depth when Kyle Higashioka was on the COVID-IL.

Earlier Today

The Braves announced that right-hander Tyler Thornburg has been released. Thornburg was designated for assignment earlier this week, after posting a 3.86 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate, and 10.6% walk rate over 9 1/3 relief innings. After missing the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery, Thornburg signed a $900K deal with Atlanta, and the injury-plagued righty will now return to the open market in search of another new contract. Atlanta also selected the contract of reliever Jesus Cruz.
The Pirates outrighted left-hander Cam Alldred to Triple-A after Alldred cleared waivers. Another recent DFA, Alldred made his Major League debut in cup-of-c0ffee fashion this season, tossing a scoreless inning for Pittsburgh on May 12. Mostly working as a reliever over 178 1/3 innings in the Pirates’ farm system, Alldred has a 2.83 ERA, though with an underwhelming 23.56% strikeout rate.

Russell Martin Announces Retirement

By Mark Polishuk | May 28, 2022 at 2:31pm CDT

Four-time All-Star catcher Russell Martin officially announced his retirement on his Instagram page today. Martin thanked many people who helped support him throughout his career, and is now stepping away from the game after 14 MLB seasons’ worth of “timeless memories that I will cherish forever.”

A 17th-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2002 draft, Martin spent his first five Major League seasons and his final season (2019) in Dodger blue. In between his two stints in Los Angeles, Martin played two seasons apiece with the Yankees and Pirates, and four seasons playing the Blue Jays in his home country of Canada.

It didn’t take Martin long to make an impression, as he was a ninth-place finisher in NL Rookie of The Year voting in his 2006 debut season, and he then crushed the “sophomore slump” by winning a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award in 2007. Martin also earned the first of his four All-Star nods that year, later returning to the Midsummer Classic in 2008, as a Yankee in 2011, and as a Blue Jay in 2015.

One of the sport’s better defenders and pitch-framers during his career, Martin would likely have captured more than one Gold Glove had he not spent so many of his prime years in the same league as Yadier Molina. Bringing some extra athleticism to the catcher position, Martin also saw some action elsewhere around the diamond during his career, appearing in 57 games at third base and making a handful of appearances at second base, shortstop, and both corner outfield slots.

Martin complemented his defense with some solid and occasionally excellent hitting, including his Silver Slugger year and a 2014 season with Pittsburgh that saw him hit .290/.402/.430 over 460 PA. That latter season was particularly timely for Martin since it came just before a trip into free agency, and the result was a five-year, $82MM deal that at the time was the second-biggest contract in Blue Jays history. It was the long-term payday that Martin had been seeking after a few underwhelming years, including an injury-marred 2010 season that led the Dodgers to non-tender him that fall.

Winning was a common element for Martin no matter where he went, as he appeared in the postseason in 10 of his 14 seasons. While none of Martin’s teams reached the World Series, he had his share of memorable playoff moments — perhaps most notably a (crowd-assisted) home run off Johnny Cueto as part of a two-homer game for Martin in the Pirates’ Wild Card game victory over the Reds in 2013.

As his career wound down, Martin did plan to play in 2020 and received a few offers from teams, but the pandemic seemed to scuttle any chances of the catcher returning for one final season. He’ll now hang up his cleats after hitting .248/.349/.397 (104 wRC+) with 191 home runs and 1416 hits over 1693 games and 6648 PA in the Show. Martin retires as an icon in Canadian baseball, as only Ferguson Jenkins, Larry Walker, and Joey Votto recorded more career bWAR amongst players born north of the border.

We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Martin on a terrific career, and we also congratulate his family on the impending arrival of a third child (as Martin announced in his Instagram post).

Pirates Designate Cam Alldred For Assignment

By Anthony Franco | May 24, 2022 at 5:35pm CDT

The Pirates announced they’ve designated reliever Cam Alldred for assignment. Pittsburgh also placed first baseman Daniel Vogelbach on the 10-day injured list and put reliever Heath Hembree on the 15-day IL. The moves clear roster space for the previously-reported promotions of right-hander Roansy Contreras and outfielder Calvin Mitchell.

Alldred just earned his first major league call a couple weeks ago. The 25-year-old made one appearance, tossing a scoreless inning against the Reds before being optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis. He’s spent the rest of the season there, working 20 1/3 innings across ten appearances. Alldred has a sterling 1.33 ERA, inducing grounders on three-fifths of the batted balls he’s allowed.

The University of Cincinnati product hasn’t missed many bats in the minors. He has a below-average 21.3% strikeout rate in Triple-A, unsurprising for a pitcher who averaged 86.7 MPH on his sinker during his lone big league outing. Alldred has performed throughout his time in the minors, however, and he’s seen marked improvements in both his walk and ground-ball numbers thus far in 2022.

Vogelbach hits the IL due to a left hamstring strain. The team hasn’t provided a timetable for a return for the 29-year-old, who has been the club’s primary designated hitter this season. The lefty-swinging Vogelbach signed a $1MM deal over the offseason and had been off to a nice start to his Pittsburgh tenure. He’s hitting .241/.321/.457 while popping six home runs through his first 131 plate appearances.

Hembree also signed a one-year deal with the Bucs as a free agent, though he’s gotten off to a more inauspicious start. The right-hander has an 8.10 ERA through 17 appearances, walking 14.5% of batters faced. Hembree profiled as an interesting buy-low flier after striking out 34.2% of opponents between the Reds and Mets last season. He hasn’t come close to replicating that thus far, owning just a 16.1% strikeout rate in the early going.

In other Bucs’ injury news, the club transferred shortstop Kevin Newman to the 60-day IL yesterday. (The move was necessary to accommodate the promotion of Yerry de los Santos). General manager Ben Cherington announced over the weekend that Newman had suffered a hamstring injury while on a minor league rehab assignment (link via Jerry Dipaola of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). That’s a separate issue than the left groin strain that originally landed him on the IL last month.

Cherington indicated Newman’s new injury isn’t likely to be serious, though it has halted his rehab stint. He won’t be eligible to return to the majors for sixty days from the time of his initial IL placement on April 27. A late-June return is now the best possible outcome for the 28-year-old, who hit .250/.308/.375 in 14 games before suffering the groin injury.

Pirates To Promote Cal Mitchell

By Steve Adams | May 24, 2022 at 9:08am CDT

The Pirates are calling up outfield prospect Cal Mitchell, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic (Twitter link). Mitchell isn’t on the 40-man roster, so he’ll need to have his contract formally selected (unless he’s being brought up specifically as a Covid-related substitute player). Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster is full at the moment, so they’ll need to make at some corresponding moves. It seems likely there’s a set of transactions on the horizon, as it was reported Sunday that right-hander Roansy Contreras was also being brought back to the big leagues — and Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted last night that a locker is indeed set up for Contreras.

Mitchell, 23, was the No. 50 overall draft pick back in 2017. He’s had something of a slow developmental arc and hasn’t been considered among the Pirates’ top tier of prospects. Prior to the season, he ranked 22nd among Bucs farmhands at Baseball America, 25th at MLB.com and 37th at FanGraphs. However, Mitchell’s early work in 2022 has surely elevated his status. So far in 2022, he’s hitting for more power, striking out far less and running more often (and more successfully) than in any season of his professional career.

Prior to 2022, Mitchell had never reached an .800 OPS and was generally an above-average but not excellent hitter, by measure of wRC+. This year, however, Mitchell has stormed out of the gate with a .306/.362/.500 batting line (128 wRC+) through his first 138 plate appearances. He’s homered five times and connected on nine doubles, and the resulting .194 ISO (slugging percentage minus batting average) is the best of his career by 39 points. He’s also gone a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases, already tying his career-high total, and has fanned in just 14.5% of his plate appearances — well south of his prior rate of 22.4%.

Mitchell has spent the vast majority of his professional career playing right field (2797 innings), though he’s also logged 488 frames in left field and 27 in center. The Bucs have gotten solid production from Ben Gamel in left field, so he’s unlikely to be displaced, barring injury. Over in right field, rookie Jack Suwinski has struggled to the tune of a .182/.232/.377 batting line in his first 82 big league plate appearances.

Pirates To Select Yerry De Los Santos, Promote Roansy Contreras

By Mark Polishuk | May 22, 2022 at 7:10pm CDT

The Pirates are planning to add two new arms to their pitching mix, as Z101 Digital’s Hector Gomez (Twitter links) reports that the Bucs will call up right-handers Roansy Contreras and Yerry De Los Santos from Triple-A. De Los Santos isn’t on the 40-man roster, so the Pirates will need to make another corresponding move to create space.

This is the second time that Contreras has been on the big league roster this season, as he posted a 3.52 ERA over 7 2/3 innings of relief work in April. Pittsburgh then sent Contreras down to the minors to get him stretched out as a starting pitcher, and it would appear as though the Bucs will now use Contreras in their rotation. With his last Triple-A game falling on May 19, Contreras would seem to be lined up to start Tuesday when the Pirates host the Rockies at PNC Park.

After also tossing three innings in a single appearance with Pittsburgh in 2021, Contreras may finally be set for more of an extended look in the big leagues. A consensus top-100 prospect in preseason rankings, Fangraphs was the most enthusiastic about Contreras’ potential, ranking him as the 42nd-best minor leaguer in baseball. Contreras added a lot of velocity to his fastball in 2021 and now sits around a 94-96mph average. His slider and curveball are also considered plus pitches, and his changeup has potential, though lacks some consistency.

Contreras was acquired from the Yankees as part of the Jameson Taillon trade package in January 2021, and has now become the most MLB-ready of any pitching prospect in the deep Pirates farm system. Getting Contreras into a starting role would not only be a good sign that the Bucs’ long rebuild is turning a corner, but it is also quite possible that he could provide immediate help. Aside from veteran Jose Quintana, Pittsburgh’s rotation has struggles, so there is plenty of opportunity for Contreras to claim a regular turn.

After signing with the Pirates as an amateur free agent in 2015, the 24-year-old De Los Santos is now getting his first taste of Major League action. While De Los Santos isn’t ranked within the top 30 Pittsburgh prospects by either MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, it isn’t uncommon for relievers to be omitted from those lists, even when a reliever posts De Los Santos’ kinds of eye-popping numbers. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2017, De Los Santos has a 1.63 ERA and 32.3% strikeout rate over 115 2/3 innings — this includes a 1.72 ERA, 34.5% strikeout rate, and 3.4% walk rate over 15 2/3 frames at Triple-A this season.

NL Central Notes: Carlson, Brewers, Cousins, Pirates, Kuhl

By Mark Polishuk | May 21, 2022 at 10:06pm CDT

Brewers right-hander Jake Cousins has been shut down for the next 4-6 weeks after receiving a PRP injection, Cousins told Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other reporters. Cousins has been on the IL since May 1, though an issue with his UCL was detected two weeks ago and the reliever was known to be seeking out a second opinion before deciding on his next treatment. Both of the consulting doctors recommended the injection, and Cousins will now embark on what will still be a pretty lengthy absence, even if he has been able to avoid surgery. If Cousins’ arm problems weren’t enough, he also told the media that he recently recovered from a case of COVID-19.

Depending on when Cousins is cleared to begin throwing or if a 40-man roster spot is required, it is quite possibly that the Brewers could shift him to the 60-day IL at some point. The righty made his MLB debut last season and made an immediate impact in Milwaukee’s bullpen, and Cousins has a 3.08 ERA over 38 total innings of big league action, with hefty strikeout (35%) and walk (14.7%) rates.

Andrew Knapp Elects Free Agency

By Darragh McDonald | May 18, 2022 at 10:29pm CDT

Catcher Andrew Knapp has cleared waivers and elected free agency, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Knapp had been designated for assignment by the Pirates a few days ago. Players can reject outright assignments and elect free agency if they have been previously outrighted in their careers or have more than five years of MLB service time. Knapp fits both of those categories, allowing him to return to the open market.

Knapp, 30, was signed by the Reds to a minor league deal this winter but didn’t make the team out of Spring Training. After being granted his release, he very quickly latched on with the Pirates to serve as the backup behind Roberto Perez. The switch-hitting Knapp got into 11 games with the Bucs but hit just .210/.310/.315, for a wRC+ of 23.

Perez recently underwent season-ending hamstring surgery, forcing the club to figure out a new plan for who would handle the receiving duties in Pittsburgh. Michael Perez had his contract selected and then the team claimed Tyler Heineman off waivers from the Blue Jays, with Knapp getting nudged out as part of the latter move.

Knapp will now be free to communicate with all 30 clubs and figure out his preferred next step. Over 320 career games, he’s hit .210/.310/.315 for a wRC+ of 70. That’s 30% below league average for all hitters, though backup catchers who can hit at a league-average rate are few and far between. The fact that he can hit from both sides of the plate could perhaps help him find a job with a team whose primary catcher has a notable platoon split.

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