The Pirates announced Thursday that they’ve signed infielder Sergio Alcantara and righty Hunter Stratton to minor league deals and invited them to spring training. They’re two of a slate of eight NRIs announced by Pittsburgh today, although the other six — outfielders Gilberto Celestino and Billy McKinney, righties Ben Heller and Ryder Ryan, infielder Jake Lamb, lefty Michael Plassmeyer — have all been previously reported.
Alcantara, 27, has appeared in three big league seasons, spending time with the Tigers, Cubs, Padres and Diamondbacks. He’s a career .209/.281/.343 hitter in 502 MLB plate appearances and carries a .275/.389/.412 slash in a comparable amount of playing time at the Triple-A level. Alcantara is an above-average runner with a plus glove and arm at shortstop, but his sub-par track record at the plate leaves plenty to be desired. He’s played shortstop, third base and second base in his limited big league career to date and will give the Bucs some depth all around their infield.
Stratton, 27, was the Pirates’ 16th-round pick back in 2017. He made his MLB debut this past season and pitched well in a small sample, holding opponents to three runs on nine hits and three walks with 10 punchouts in a dozen innings of work. Pittsburgh non-tendered him earlier this winter.
Stratton has long demonstrated worrying command issues in the minor leagues, however, and those were on full display again in 2023. Stratton notched a solid 3.99 ERA with a hefty 30.6% strikeout rate in 56 1/3 Triple-A frames, but that was accompanied by a 12.8% walk rate. He’s never posted a single-season walk rate south of 11.8% and has issued a free pass to 13.1% of the opponents he’s faced as a professional. Add in 24 hit batters in his career, and nearly 16% of Stratton’s opponents have reached base without needing to put a ball in play. Stratton throws hard, sitting just shy of 96 mph with his heater, and can clearly miss bats in bunches, but he’ll likely need to improve his command to carve out a longer look at the MLB level.
Unclemike1526
This is more Nuttings expected signings.
TheMan 3
I agree, UncleMike
It’s the annual Cherington dumpster diving festival beginning today
Robertowannabe1
Every team makes these signings. Heck, the Mets just signed Yacksel Rios yesterday or the day before.
TheMan 3
yeah but the Mets have actually signed major league free agents and to long term contracts
The last free agent that the Bucs signed to a long term contract.
Nelson Liriano
Mendoza Line 215
Close- Francisco Liriano
Joeydonuts
What mistake, Mr obtuse?
You agreed with him
panj341
And I don’t think they have signed a pitcher to more than 1 year since.
Does not bode well for a Keller extension.
Robertowannabe1
Francisco Liriano?
Joeydonuts
Are you new to baseball?
TheMan 3
people make mistakes mrjoeyperfrct
PuttPutt⁰³
Of course, but you’ve made this exact mistake AT LEAST 5 times that I’ve seen.
geg42
No relation to Sandy?
Monkey’s Uncle
Baseball Reference doesn’t mention any relationship on either guy’s page.
Slider_withcheese
Only 1,663 days until the 10yr anniversary of the Chris Archer trade for those who celebrate.
TheMan 3
that’s almost 5 years from now, at 68, I don’t even know if I’ll be around to care
Unclemike1526
At 67 I feel exactly the same way about the Bears.
Chuck from Uniontown
Nice way to spend the money they saved on not signing Imanaga.
metalhead
Most of the time I think why I still support this team. They have done some good things with the recent extensions but unfortunately they just won’t ever spend enough to really compete.
TheMan 3
and with spring training starting in about 6 weeks, the choices for decent starting pitching is slowly dwindling down.
Cherington said that he was going to increase payroll, as of today and including arbitration, the payroll will be around $73 million
He said he wants to add a starting pitcher and an outfielder
Who’s left that BC is willing to pay for?
holecamels35
I may get bashed for this but I believe Nutting is as hands off as it gets and gives him permission to spend as he sees fit, but he’s too picky. Yeah there is risk with any free agent contract but the team needs to sign a guy who can give them plenty of innings with more upside. Stroman or Lorenzen at this point would be great moves.
I am on record for wanting Lugo, Wacha, or Montas in that order and would have been fine with the contracts they received. Glad they didn’t sign Flaherty, Gibson or Lynn.
User 1404051815
Yeah, agree that they missed the boat on a number of guys who were “second tier” types and that there aren’t many left. And agree with you about the guys they *didn’t* sign.
At this point, the bargain basement with guys like Keuchel, Syndergaard, Carasco and a couple others look more likely than Stroman or Lorenzen.
But again, I can’t blame them. By mid-summer—and if all goes as planned—they’ll be on the cusp of having a glut of starters, as the surgically repaired and the young guns on the farm are ready
Yeah, that’s pie in the sky as things never seem to go as hoped for this team.
As is now, you’d have to believe that the first 4 months will have Priester and Ortiz penciled in as numbers 4 and 5
Oh boy
TheMan 3
Every year there’s injuries and we hear that next year is the one for being competitive
Next year never arrives
There’s no guarantee that these current players who are injured will make a complete recovery next year
With the Bucs it’s always a crapshoot
User 1404051815
Perpetual rebuild. It’s the Pirates Way. But the most beautiful stadium in MLB, complete with pierogi races. Come on down for an evening of fun. And perhaps some baseball too
Unclemike1526
6 Weeks? More like 4 weeks and then it’s my favorite words. Pitchers and Catchers report.
TheMan 3
I stand corrected, 4 weeks
Monkey’s Uncle
Happy to see Stratton return, live arms are always worth a further look. And good gloves are always worth a minor league deal.
User 1404051815
Now if he can only figure out where the plate is
PiratesPundit51
I can’t imagine living my life with a perpetual Charlie Brown storm cloud over my head, somehow believing that minor league signings is evidence of “cheapness”. Luckily you all have your tinfoil hats in case your storm cloud sparks a little lightning.
These are guys who can be stashed in the minors and pressed into service in an emergency for a week or so stretch without completely killing the team or putting pressure on a prospect who is not ready.
I generally feel like the Pirates have dodged several bullets in terms of mid-tier arms on contracts that won’t pay for themselves. As we sit today, Eric Lauer still is a free agent – a higher upside arm than almost any of the already-signed guys – who will certainly take less money than any of them. I suspect we’ll have at least another arm in the mix within the next month, Lauer or otherwise. And I could be wrong, but I don’t believe any of the names mentioned above are going to even come close to being worth what they’re paid, let alone be big comeback stories in 2024.
TheMan 3
It’s not the concept of being cheap because they sign minor leaguers, it’s the concept that Cherington said and repeatedly that he’d be busy this offseason in negotiating trades and free agent signings
With a little more than a month before ST starts, we’re still without a reliable starting pitcher. With a glut already of middle infielders, the last position they needed is another middle infielder
So excuse me if I lack confidence in how BC has handled the offseason