In a few weeks, we’ll be running a two-team mock expansion draft here at MLBTR – just for the fun of it! Currently, we’re creating 15-player protected lists for each of the existing 30 teams. You can catch up on the rules for player eligibility here.
The American League results are in! Click here to see who’s protected and who’s available for each AL team.
So far, we’ve covered the Brewers, Reds, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Rangers, Mariners, Athletics, Angels, Astros, Twins, Royals, Tigers, Indians, White Sox, Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles. The Pirates are up next.
First, we’ll remove free agents Jarrod Dyson and Keone Kela from consideration. Chris Archer and Gregory Polanco each have an $11MM club option for 2021. Polanco also has options for ’22 and ’23. We’ll leave the decision on whether to protect Archer and Polanco up to you.
Ke’Bryan Hayes will make the list as a Baseball America Top 100 prospect with a 2020 ETA. Here’s the list of eight total players we’ll protect out of the gate:
Ke’Bryan Hayes
Jameson Taillon
Adam Frazier
Joe Musgrove
Josh Bell
Kevin Newman
Bryan Reynolds
Mitch Keller
That leaves seven spots for the following 27 players. Click here to read up on the Pirates’ contract statuses and team control.
Chris Archer
Steven Brault
Nick Burdi
Kyle Crick
Michael Feliz
Erik Gonzalez
Geoff Hartlieb
Guillermo Heredia
Clay Holmes
Sam Howard
Kevin Kramer
Chad Kuhl
Luke Maile
Jason Martin
Colin Moran
Dovydas Neverauskas
Jose Osuna
Gregory Polanco
Pablo Reyes
JT Riddle
Yacksel Rios
Richard Rodriguez
Edgar Santana
Jacob Stallings
Chris Stratton
Cole Tucker
Trevor Williams
With that, we turn it over to the MLBTR readership! In the poll below (direct link here), select exactly seven players you think the Pirates should protect in our upcoming mock expansion draft. Click here to view the results.
knowing the Pirates they select the cheapest 15 and are done with it.
Accurate
Lmao
I didn’t vote I thought the Pirates were the expansion team my fault
Stallings
Crick
Feliz
Moran
Williams
Rodriguez
Tucker
Why protect Moran with Hayes and Bell on the roster? And personally, I’d dump Crick and Feliz and keep Kuhl and Polanco instead. Crick and Feliz are both highly volatile veteran bullpen guys who are a dime a dozen on the open market.
Let them take Archer and his contract. An expansion team would probably want him as an “Ace” to lead a rotation.
Given what the Pirates sent to Tampa for him, they wanted him as an “Ace” to lead their rotation as well.
2 seasons ago pal, that’s what all teams would have had to give up
This isnt a hindsight 20/20 thing. That trade has been ragged on as an overpay since it was a rumor.
I kept the players with the most value
Rodriguez
Santana
Neverauskas
Kramer
Williams
Tucker
Osuna
Didn’t keep Polanco or Archer because I felt like I set a precedent with the other clubs for the same reason. It’s hard “donating” Meadows and Glasnow to Tampa, but it would cut salary, and that’s what Pitt wants. I think without those contract wouldn’t the Pirates have like 20 mil on the books for 20′? Outrageous, but maybe it’ll workout for them.
It’s not a Pirates post without someone smashing the Archer trade
Its a different GM so i doubt they care about keeping Archer for the sake of image
Exactly, Begamin. That’s what I was thinking too.
You don’t keep Archer to avoid the perception of having “donated” Glasnow and Meadows to Tampa (which Cherington wasn’t the GM when that happened and frankly, they already have that perception regardless of what they do with Archer). You protect him (or don’t) because you think he does (or doesn’t) rank among their top 15 players in terms of surplus value.
I didn’t put him in my group of 7 because of his contract, and not protecting him would let the Pirates get rid of even MORE money off the books. It (of course) wasn’t Cherington’s fault the Archer trade happened, and I think it would almost be better if he just left him unprotected and got over that horrific trigger pull of a trade.
Personally, I think Archer can still be a number 2 starter on a good team, but he needs better coaching. Stop throwing that two-seamer so much and maybe he will get results (though one simple pitch change won’t make him a Cy Young winner, I’m not saying that. I’m saying it could make him better though).
All in all, I don’t want to blast the Pirates and their fans that much, they moved on from that, and everyone else should too. I just wish the Rangers could’ve packaged Hamels and Kela in 18′ when Kela was sent to Pitt (If the Pirates wanted a good pitcher that much).
He doesn’t rank among their top 15 players in terms of surplus value.
He’s got 1 year on his deal after 2020, it’s a club option. If the pirates can’t find a trade partner I don’t see them exercising his 11 mill club option with a 250k buyout.
No you didn’t. Kuhl has more value than most guys on this list. Kuhl can be a poor man’s Charlie Morton with better coaching. Certainly has the arm for it. Upper 90’s 4-seam combined with a sharp breaking curve he tunnels off the 4-seam will make him very difficult to hit.
First guy off the list is Osuna. Osuna is above replacement level value vs LH pitching, otherwise he’ s more likely to cost team a win with his defense and bad hitting vs RH pitching.
Josh Bell
Mitch Keller
Jameson Taillon
Kevin Newman
Bryan Reynolds
The rest are expendable….
I don’t think you get how this works since you listed guys already protected. You get to pick 7 more to protect. Preferably guys who could be useful pieces for years to come.
I know. I’m just acting like a nihilistic Pirates fan
Sleepin on Frazier.
Your name is a lie based on that comment.
anyone but chris archer lol
If Archer is good enough to protect then they would absolutely just trade him away rather than burn a spot
Tucker
Burdi
Williams
Santana
Martin
Kramer
Crick
That way, they keep bullpen depth and their young controllable hitters. Polanco is not healthy enough and has become a liability in the field. Cruz will probably take his spot in RF given the presence of Newman, Tucker, Frazier (until traded) and Kramer in the middle infield.
As for Archer, well you need to move forward and yes, get rid of him for nothing without thinking what you gave up to get him. All they will need at this point is a catcher.
They will have Bell, Frazier, Newman, Hayes and Tucker in the infield. Reynolds, Swaggerty, Cruz and Martin in the outfield, with Kramer being a 2B/OF bench utility guy.
Taillon, Musgrove, Williams, Keller as their top 4 rotation guys, with Santana, Crick, Burdi and Cederlind in the bullpen.
Add a regular catcher and left arms for the 5th rotation spot and bullpen duties and they will be set. Not championship caliber but a well-rounded roster.
had a hard time after Crick, Martin, Moran, Tucker, and Williams. i chose Polanco and Howard for the final two.
When will the Pirates be good again?
Never. With the current owner unwilling to spend money. They will get rid of all their priced players.
Moran might always be average but I think I’d keep him just because hes still young and controllable.
Kyle Crick is probably going to be their primary set up man.
Is Willie Stargell available?
I wouldn’t even want 7 from that list
There will be some interesting choices to make depending on how the players performed during a 2020 season if there were to be a draft after it. Names could change easily. Someone like Burdi would be a keeper if he stayed healthy and pitched well he would be on the list to keep. Another season like last year and definitely made available..
Am I the only one that just randomly picks players?
can you stop doing that? rest of us are taking this seriously.
Burdi
Crick
Osuna
Stallings
Stratton
Tucker
Williams
Can none of the above, aside the eight already protected, be an option?
Bucs should keep their version of “Our Magnificent Seven”, who aren’t that magnificent to start with, and expose the rest.
Doesn’t really matter what they do. So long as current ownership is in place, it’s a 4th or 5th place finish in the NL Central for years to come.
Is Taillon really worth protecting? I mean I’m really rooting for the man to prove me wrong, but who exactly has recovered from two TJ surgeries and shown to be close to the Pitcher they were before injuries?
If I’m Pirates GM, I’m making plans as if he won’t be on team in ‘21. And if he does make it back, I’d definitely make him a bullpen arm. Wishful thinking to believe he will be a TOR SP ever again.
Getting to seven out of that group wasn’t easy—and I don’t mean I had to whittle my choices down.
They can’t keep Archer! Because they would have to pick up his option to do so and when he doesn’t get selected they’re stuck with his terrible arm and salary.