The Pirates have claimed outfielder Ryan Vilade off waivers from the Rockies, per announcements from both clubs. Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster is now full.
Vilade, 23, was the No. 48 overall pick in the 2017 draft and ranked among the Rockies’ best prospects just last offseason, landing No. 6 on Baseball America’s organizational rankings. The team over at BA also placed Vilade tenth among Rox farmhands just this past summer.
Despite replaying the Triple-A level for a second time in 2022, Vilade had a season to forget, hitting just .249/.345/.352 with five home runs and ten stolen bases in 99 games. The Oklahoma native was drafted as a shortstop but has quickly slid down the defensive spectrum, first moving to third base and now spending the bulk of his time in the outfield corners. Vilade’s glove was never his carrying tool, however, as he was viewed as a bat-first prospect from the time of his selection.
Vilade’s bat indeed stood out in the lower minors, but after the canceled 2020 minor league season he jumped from High-A in 2019 directly to Triple-A and turned in lackluster results. He’s now played 216 games at that level and owns a .269/.342/.385 slash in 948 plate appearances. He made a brief MLB debut in 2021 but went hitless in seven plate appearances.
The Pirates will hope that a change of scenery and some new coaching can help coax another level out of Vilade’s bat in the upper minors. He won’t turn 24 until February and has a pair of minor league options remaining, so he can give the Bucs some flexible outfield depth if he survives the offseason on the 40-man roster.
The annual Nutting approved dumpster diving has began
“…a change of scenery and some new coaching can help coax another level out of Vilade’s bat….”
Not in the Pirates organization.
Hey
That’s a really good point, but I disagree. I think that the Pirates coaching can take his bat to a whole new low.
As a Pirates fan yes.
Yep. Worst scouting and coaching organization in MLB,
BIg-Maybe,maybe not.
There are a number of bad ones,and the current staff has only been in three years.
Their farm system is rated fairly highly so they cannot be too bad.
The proof of the pudding is how their young players will or can adapt to the ML.
They do not have the fundamentals down well,and this year will tell for sure whether the best that they can be is to achieve mediocrity.
Their farm system gets propped up by drafting highly rated talent, but they fail at cultivating that into MLB ability. So it looks great on paper, but never quite materializes into success.
To some extent that was true of the previous regime,but this new one has another year or two to see if they can change that outcome.
Cool, Jake Marisnick who can’t field. great addition.
This could be a good under the radar move. He played ’19 in Hi A, then no milb season in ’20, and then played the last 2 yrs in AAA. Colorado placed him to high to start ’21. He’s still ONLY 23. This could work out pretty good or he might not do squat at the Major league level but I like this move.
YE PIRATES
It just never ends, does it?
Nope. Probably never will unfortunately
Not worth a roster spot since we have better players that we need to protect from rule 5 draft. We have plenty of young outfielders.
He doesn’t have a roster spot. They will drop him when if needed.
The point is why even do this in the first place.Sometimes they may hope that he sticks when he is put on waivers then outrighted.This guy is not even that good.If BC does not know that he needs at least seven or eight spots open within about one week then his timing and his math are both far below Ivy League competence.
Nothing to lose. He either makes it to AAA or another team claims him. Try to pass him by when there is more traffic. They won’t worry about keeping him over a prospect they think is going to be better.
Under the radar acquisition by Pittsburgh. If this guy couldn’t figure it out while playing in the Rockies system, they need to improve their player development.
Huh? Maybe he’s just not good enough to make it to the majors? Not like he’s a former #1 overall or anything. More a sign of how jacked the Rockies farm is with outfielders.
Got your VanMeter replacement
no one can replace Van Meter. Even he couldn’t replicate what he did in 2022.
What’s funny is he is a beast in MLB the Show 22. I have to remind myself that video games are fantasy.
I busted on this guy a bit, but after looking at the videos, I can see why the Pirates are taking a chance on Ryan. The Arizona Fall League footage looks promising.
It’s a shame, 7 at bats, one walk, one strike out. Maybe he’ll get another look in Pittsburgh .
Dumpster diving once again
Like the look they gave Yoshi?
geez it is a waiver claim on a not the worst prospect not a washed up vet signing. Just something else to throw at the wall to see if it works out. Different system maybe able to help him.. if not well MiLB depth.
When you can get a “free” former first round pick might as well if you are stacking talent to throw at the wall.
C’mon guys! How many talentless OFs have they signed only to release them by May?
Too many to name.