The Pirates announced a series of transactions prior to tonight’s game, with outfielder Bryan Reynolds being placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. To take his place on the active roster, outfielder Jake Marisnick was activated from the 60-day IL. To make room for Marisnick on the 40-man roster, left-hander Cam Vieaux was designated for assignment.
Reynolds was removed from yesterday’s game with some discomfort in his side, which has now been diagnosed as an oblique strain. The outfielder has been one of the bright spots of a rebuilding Pirates team in recent years, with his 2021 campaign standing out the highlight so far. Last year, he hit .302/.390/.522 for a 142 wRC+ and helping him produce 6.1 fWAR, the tenth-highest such mark across the majors. This year, Reynolds struggled for the first month or so but has looked like his old self recently. On the whole, his batting line for the season is .261/.343/.465 for a wRC+ of 126.
Given the fact that Reynolds plays at a high level on a rebuilding team, there’s naturally been much trade speculation hovering around him. However, given that he’s not slated to reach free agency until after the 2025 season, the Pirates have maintained sky-high asking prices in any trade talks, which is why no trade has come together thus far. That hasn’t stopped teams from trying, however, with reporting from earlier today indicating the club has rejected offers on Reynolds, as well as closer David Bednar. It’s always seemed like the Pirates would hang onto him, but this IL placement effectively closes the door on whatever chance there was. The club hasn’t provided an estimated timeline for his recovery, but the August 2 deadline is now just over three weeks away. Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out that oblique strains typically come with a recovery time of about a month. If that holds true in Reynolds’ case, he’d be out of action until after the deadline.
Marisnick, 31, signed a deal with the Pirates on the cusp of Opening Day but required thumb surgery in May. He got into 12 games before that but slumped to a .163/.196/.204. Marisnick is a glove-first outfielder anyway, with 78 Defensive Runs Saved on his career ledger. He should be able to help the Bucs cover center field in Reynolds’ absence. If he can get into a nice stretch of play before the deadline, he could be traded to a team seeking a strong defensive outfielder. One year ago, he went from the Cubs to the Padres in a deadline swap.
As for Vieaux, 28, he was selected to the big league roster just a few weeks ago. He was given five appearances, but his line is marred by one particular game wherein the club left him out to dry in order to save their other arms. After allowing one earned run over his first four appearances, the Bucs sent him in to pitch the top of the eighth in a game they were losing to the Brewers 9-1. Despite Vieaux getting hit around badly, there was no help forthcoming to get out of the inning. The lefty ended up tossing 56 pitches in that one frame, allowing six hits, three walks and eight runs, seven of them earned. As a result, he has a 14.40 ERA through five innings this year. In 29 2/3 Triple-A frames, however, he has a 2.12 ERA this year. Lefty relievers are always in demand and Vieaux has options remaining, making it possible some team looking to bolster its depth takes a chance on him.
They probably won’t trade him anyway so this shouldn’t have much of an effect on his trade prospects.
Any team trading for him is only concerned about his availability in October and 2023 24 25.
Pennant/Wildcard races don’t exist?
If there is any doubt in making the playoffs you shouldn’t be in on Reynolds.
It’s mid July. Does anyone really KNOW they’re making the playoffs?
What phenom is pointing out is that the Pirates have always been very unlikely to trade Reynolds no matter his injury status. That they see him as a corner piece to their rebuild effort.
Every team has a price for a player. What’s the Pirate’s price?
An elite prospect or a few really good ones with a couple high upside a ball kids.
They wanted Julio from Seattle and didn’t budge on that and Julio was a way more desirable then anything the Yankees have. So it would be Volpe plus from the Yankees.
@Bruin1012- no thanks, no Volpe, no Dominguez, no Peraza. Pass. Looks like we’re going to have to acquire Ben Nintendo from Kansas City. You got to keep Reynolds anyway for you’re playoff run.
I’m not a Pittsburg fan just know if they asked for Julio who is a far better prospect then anything the have that tells me they want to blown away. The reality is if the Yankees take there top 3 prospects out they have zero chance to get an all star switch hitting center fielder controlled for 3 more years after this year. I know you think the Yankees are deep in prospects but they aren’t that deep that you keep your top 3 prospects.
I think 10d is going to cost more then you think. There are a lot of teams that need a guy like him. Probably take your guy in AAA to get him for sure what’s his name Waldichuk. He won’t come cheap to many other teams want him as well.
@Bruin1012- one thing I can definitely say is if the Yankees wanted to acquire Reynolds, they would of by now. Maybe he will get cheaper, let’s stop pretending this kid is Juan Soto. And the Pirates aren’t going to be a playoff team probably for the next 3 years. The Yankees definitely have the prospects to get most players. I would give up Peraza + for Reynolds. That said the Yankees won’t do it. If I was the Pirates I definitely would of taken Julio Rodriguez for Reynolds. Not really sure why they didn’t? Rodriguez is better then Reynolds. If the Yanks had to trade Aaron Judge tomorrow, the lst guy I would ask for is Julio Rodriguez on the Mariners. That would be a total no-brainer.
The Mariners said kick rocks they weren’t giving Julio and rightly so.
The oblique strain will be a burden the rest of the year. As a former SEC QB, I can tell you that the oblique strain I suffered in the Citrus Bowl plummeted my draft stock leaving me to wait until the third round to get selected. Being a man with self respect and pride, I refused to report and eventually just married into money.
It wasn’t the oblique strain bro
you too?
Oh, that was you. Was wondering what happened to you.
Glad it worked out Shane Falco
cool story bro
Is that you, Cliffy?
Woops…
no hit good field Jake. They’ll play him every day until the trade deadline to show off his skills ( other than his arm)
Worked for the Cubs last season. They turned him into Anderson Espinosa so the Pirates might get at least a lotto ticket for him
Might as well play him everyday for the next 3 weeks and see what they can get for him. After that if Reynolds is still out, bring Swaggerty or Madris back up.
Over/under on how many teams will claim Vieaux?
I’m going with the Rays and he’ll pitch to a 0.93 ERA with them.
No team can claim Vieaux. He has options remaining. The only way anybody acquires him is through trade. Otherwise the Bucs will outright him to AAA.
With this
“Lefty relievers are always in demand and Vieaux has options remaining, making it possible some team looking to bolster its depth takes a chance on him.”
and this
“To make room for Marisnick on the 40-man roster, left-hander Cam Vieaux was designated for assignment.”
happening, does it make him claimable? I might be confused on the rules.
This Team/Franchise is Cursed. Everytime one of their better players – Reynolds arguably their best – Gets going really good and producing they always get hurt.
It’s truly unbelievable how many times the past 3 years this has happened. Whether it be veterans, rookies or top prospects in the system….. It’s a curse
They have made a real mistake in designating Vieux.He will be quickly claimed.Once again BC does not give someone a chance.They easily could just have released Marisnick and called up a young player.Big mistake by BC.He is not going to get anything for a 153 hitter.
Again, nobody is claiming Vieaux. Fans just don’t seem to completely understand what a DFA means. He still has options. He’ll either be traded, or outrighted to AAA. But, they are not losing him to a waiver claim.
Tad-Once you are on the 40 man roster,you have to stay on it.
The options apply to sending someone from the 25 man roster to the minors only.You can do that without dfa’ ing someone.
The remaining options for Vieaux apply if a team picks him up on their 40 man roster,or the Pirates send him to Indianapolis if he clears waivers and subsequently put him back on the 40 man roster.
The reason why they put these type of guys on the 40 man and quickly take them off with little game experience at the ML level is unknown to me as this makes their Pirates career possibly cut well short.In this case they easily could have brought up Fletcher instead of Vieaux and now have lost them both.
Thanks for confirming my thoughts. Guess I should have read your comment before my response above.
No problem Brew.Like a lot of things,once one gets the hang of it,and simplifies it,it becomes pretty straightforward.
Dominguez, Wells, and top three pitchers below AA.
I’m wondering how much Shelton makes in player personnel. I’m sure he has some say. Maybe this why he’s playing these junkmen. Tonight’s lineup has five of them.
Up 3-0
Bubba-You do have to remember that this team is not exactly the 1927 Yankees.
I just can’t see them playing these guys who they are going to DFA or trade by the deadline. They aren’t going to get much for any of them except quintana and vogelbach. Just slows down the rebuild.
Van Meter should have been gone but Shelton likes him as a reliever.Yoshi makes too much money and they are hoping his power returns.Jake cannot hit except he looked very good yesterday.Vogelbach is fat but must be strong because he cannot follow through because of his belly but still has good power.Gamel will be traded and they will get something for him.
The young players have gotten a fair amount of playing time and will get more after the trade deadline.Bae and Bolton will be called up and the traded players will open up 40 man slots.
I haven’t seen much of Derek Shelton, but the description here of how he treated Vieaux and how he recently managed against the Yankees suggests he might be the worst manager in the majors. But, as I say, I haven’t seen much of him and I’d be interested to know what Buccos fans think of him.
He’s awesome. He does whatever his gm asks him to do. As a manager he seems about average but won’t know for sure until they actually try to win games as a top priority.
Fink- Shelton seems to have a good rapport with his players and does well with the press.For the most part he seems to have improved with the use of the relievers.The coaching seems to actually be making some progress with the players,including Mitch Keller who has been touted as their ace.I still think that teaching infielders how to play the outfield during ML games is stupid.He also has a penchant for putting infielders in as pitchers which does nothing but severely bloat the score and embarrass the team,
I think that he has been patient and deserves for his option to be picked up but I am not sold on him as a good manager on a good team.Only time will tell on either.
Shelton’s managing ability is slightly above John Russell
Fink- Vieux was actually appreciative that he did not replace him with Van Meter during the inning.He took it as he should have in an adult manner.My problem was that he has pitched well in his brief appearances otherwise.
Thanks for the insights, ML215.
You are welcome young man.
They are only my opinion but I like it when non Pirate fan posters ask questions instead of thinking that they know everything about teams that they do not follow.
Marisnick will probably hit like Reynolds tonight making everyone forget he’s on the IL.
He actually played very well tonight.
I will say that he is one of the best fielding centerfielders that the Pirates have recently had.
The Pirates split two against the Yankees. As for pitching a position player when the game started to get out of hand, they were facing a double header the next day.
I watched the Pittsburgh broadcast of that game and your announcers were disgusted with that call.
Fink-If you are talking about using Van Meter as a pitcher I would say that maybe once per year it is justified.Surprisingly,once in awhile they do well,but him and Castillo have done nothing but bloat the game score.Plenty of teams lose 12-2 but only rarely do they lose by 15-17 runs.Unless your team is the Pirates.