A few items from around the game…
- The Pirates have one of baseball’s top prospects in third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who’s part of their 60-man player pool, but first-year manager Derek Shelton will ease him into a regular role slowly. Pittsburgh’s currently planning on sticking with Colin Moran at the hot corner, per Shelton, who said (via Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic): “I don’t think it’s an open competition. You’re going to see Colin there a lot. I think you’re going to see other people there … but you’re going to see Colin there.” The 27-year-old Moran, acquired from the Astros in the teams’ January 2018 Gerrit Cole trade, was the Pirates’ primary option at third during the previous two seasons. Moran only produced 0.8 fWAR in 968 plate appearances, in which he batted .277/.331/.419. Nevertheless, the Pirates believe it’s best for Hayes to continue his development as an understudy. The 23-year-old did reach Triple-A for the first time in 2019, but his .265/.336/.415 line across 480 PA was 8 percent below the International League average, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric.
- Multiple players’ positive coronavirus tests, including the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon and the Giants’ Hunter Bishop, have become public knowledge in recent days. Major League Baseball doesn’t want that to happen without consent from the player, though. In a statement issued Wednesday, the league said (via Marly Rivera of ESPN): “Because COVID-19 is not considered an employment-related injury, we will respect the privacy of the players who test positive or who are under evaluation, and we will defer to their wishes regarding public updates about their status. Without their voluntary permission, we will not disclose any COVID-19 related information.”
- Royals pitchers Tim Hill and Jorge Lopez have health concerns that could have led them to opt out of the 2020 season, but both players plan to take the field this year, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com relays. Hill, a colon cancer survivor, told Flanagan: “I’m playing. I’m not opting out.” Of course, Hill noted he has be as careful as possible during the pandemic, and he’ll continue on that path. Lopez doesn’t have a preexisting condition of his own, meanwhile, but his young son lives with Familial Mediterranean Fever and Crohn’s disease. Hill informed Flanagan that Lopez will not opt out, though, calling Lopez “one incredible guy” for surviving the adversity he and his family have battled.
it’ll be interesting to see what kind of role(s) guys like Hill will have this season. Now that the 3 batter minimum rule is in effect Hill will have to pitch to more RH hitters. He obviously handled it well enough in the minors but this far in the majors hasn’t really faced as many. I also don’t just mean him specifically there are plenty of former LOOGY’s out there who will have to adjust this season. Will be interesting to see how teams adapt and adjust and what impact it has on the game.
Hill is a piece of crap, one batter has been .. be out of the game soon
@mrgreenjeans
Seems a tad harsh! And perhaps a thoughtless stone to “throw” at a colon cancer survivor…. One thing is plausible – he’ll be out of the game before you or I are in it…
You seem nice.
Thank you @vtaave.
I am (as a poster) in fact 93% sarcastic, 5% nice, and 2% pretzel. But thank you again…
I’m not sure I’m 100% sold on Hayes… I do recognize and appreciate the plate discipline he exhibited in 2018 and that he’s hit for a pretty strong average (prior to 19)… But to me he just seems a little over hyped. He’s yet to really display all that much power and as a 3B I just feel like he’ll need to have more pop than he’s shown thus far in the minors. Maybe he’ll tap into more as he matures and if he does, combining that with his advanced approach (patience) at the plate and solid speed he could very well develop into an all-star level 3B… I’m just not sure I see him being there now, yet Scouts seem to be enamored with him so idk maybe I’m just the outlier?
Hayes is everything Moran is AND can actually play defense at a borderline-elite level. It’s a travesty he isn’t going to be the 3B on Opening Day.
I agree. Give him a chance. The team is terrible so why not play young guys
I’ve been underwhelmed with him as a prospect too. I’m trying to think of another glove-first infield prospect who didn’t play SS who went on to be a difference maker for his club and can’t come up with anyone.
Agree 100%. Unless he hits like his dad, he’ll be nothing more than a defensive replacement.
@ Jeff above….
I wonder whether Shelton’s reticence has as much to do with service time manipulation as to actual concerns about Hayes readiness.
Have been lucky enough to visit Pittsburgh & PNC park, and whilst I’m not (obviously) a Pirates fan, surely anything has to be preferable to watching Colin Moran play one man soccer at 3B? .
LOL your “one man soccer” comment.
A Brit (whilst) saying “soccer” lol?
@retire21 – a necessary evil, to avoid a loss in translation…
..
I love it! Do you have a team? Personally, I’m an Everton man.
@ retire21
The mighty Coventry City – alas missing from the premier league since 2000. Hats off to you as an Evertonian, happy from yesterday’s win…
Colin Moran is proof that “hit tool” is 90% of baseball and the other 4 tools are overrated.
Moran is the least athletic professional athlete I have ever seen.
But, he’s got pitch recognition and hand eye coordination and he’s drawing an MLB paycheck as a result.
PS- Don’t confuse this for me saying he’s good.
@josh bell tolls…
So, in essence, he’s a “natural” DH in the wrong league and a sublime soccer player. To be fair he is durable, but largely that’s down to the beard protecting 80% of his body from those pesky bouncy ones..
I was already giggling at the shameless positivity of the Shelton quote ““I don’t think it’s an open competition. You’re going to see Colin there a lot. I think you’re going to see other people there … but you’re going to see Colin there.”
The other person will be a 3B coach praying and wondering what possible purpose the good Lord can have for him at that moment.
So I’m guessing that’ll mean Hayes at 3B, and Colin teeing off as DH.
No, he’d be an awful soccer player. He can’t field a soft liner that is a foot and a half away from him.
He’d be great at darts, though, I bet.
I think Bell and Moran swap back and forth as the DH. Both are bad in the field.
There’s a good chance the NL with never look back from the DH. The owners proposed implementing a DH through the 2021 season, which shows there is interest/willingness, and the new CBA could make that permanent. It benefits both players (well, bat-first/only veterans) and teams, so it’s easy to see that being extended next season despite the failure of a deal this year.
But Bell would be a candidate as well. Both are horrific defenders. I could see Bell getting shopped (and moved), but if he sticks around and is somehow extended, Moran would seemingly be the odd man out.
I think power is the more blinding tool, but the point about Moran is fair.
i honestly have nothing but immense credit for what Hill had done so far and no less now. the guy might be the most vulnerable player in the game and on a bad team, and to stick with it only makes his sitiation even morw amazing.
Thanks for the uplifting comment, DS. I think sometimes we fans forget players aren’t superhuman, but actual people with real-life problems like the rest of us.
Ke’Bryan Hayes may be the best defender at any position among minor league prospects. Even if he never develops power, I think he will be a viable option for the Pirates or any team for that matter just based off of his glove and plate discipline. Can never have too good of a defender at the hot corner, it helps pitchers tremendously.
Ke’Bryan Hayes with no MLB experience is 10x better than Colin Moran, who’s been allowed to be terrible for 2 entire seasons with a career WAR of -0.7. He literally has lost the Pirates games just by being in the lineup. Moran is terrible, Hayes should have had the everyday 3B job given to him on Opening Day.
I’ve long wondered how Hayes might fit with Seattle and Evan White at the opposite corner. If a change of scenery proves best, Seattle has the pitching chips that should interest Pittsburgh.
But I’m hopeful the shakeup with Pittsburgh’s developmental system will help him get the bat on track and he’ll be a core piece for the Pirates in the near future.
Hayes is a great trade chip but I think they’d have to be crazy to trade him, even for a player like Sheffield or Dunn from Seattle. That would be a nice infield though with Crawford up the middle, who’s still young and i think can be a very good ballplayer still.
Colin Moran is the single worst everyday player in MLB. There’s literally dozens of 3B out there who can hit better and play the position competently.
No surprise the white guy gets a million chances to succeed while a superior Black player has to “earn it”. MLB is like 50 years behind where they need to be when it comes to stuff like this and it can catch up by not letting senior citizens control every aspect of the game.
Agree with you about Moran, Strike Four (except for the White part that’s just rediculous), he’s 23 not 19. I’d play Moran against LHP only
Idiotic comment about race, Strike Four. Owners and management want to win, and that means overlooking any prejudices to put the best team on the field. The Bucs aren’t going to win jacksh!t this year, so why rush a rookie into the starting lineup? Service time manipulation is a far more believable reason than racism.
Not everything is about race, you dweeb.
It ain’t about race. It’s about service time. Why bring him to the majors in a shortened season when you weren’t gonna compete anyways?
If I’ve learned anything about baseball, it’s that the Pirates only care about saving money.
Why do you always resort to the extremes of every situation?
Because he’s a mental midget?
MLBTR would like to send condolences and we will respect the privacy of the players who test positive or who are under evaluation, and we will defer to their wishes regarding public updates about their status.
And congratulation on all future endeavors .
How are they going to keep the names of players placed on the COVID-19 IL private if the players don’t offer their consent? Will the COVID-19 IL be kept anonymous?
Wouldn’t be too difficult for a fan to figure things out if the player isn’t on the active roster nor the regular IL.
Put Moran in left or 2nd base and play ball. He can hit, but maybe… he is not the greatest fielder
Shelton is just being a manager… which sometimes is like being a politician. If you pretend like Moran has the job to lose its a vote of confidence to him but if the very young Hayes shows up w more power and hit in his 2nd year at AAA than he’s the 3B going forward.