March 6: Moreta is dealing with a ligament injury in his right elbow, Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk announced Wednesday (X link via Stumpf). The team is still gathering information and determining how to treat the injury, but Tomczyk acknowledged that Moreta will miss “an extended period of time.”
March 5: Pirates right-hander Dauri Moreta exited his most recent spring training appearance with an elbow issue, and while the team is still in the process of gathering information and opinions on the issue, GM Ben Cherington is expecting an absence of some note for Moreta, tweets Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. Stumpf noted Sunday that Moreta’s final fastball of the spring appearance in question clocked in at 89.9 mph; he averaged 95.3 mph on his heater in 2023.
While Moreta isn’t exactly a household name, he stepped up and cemented himself as a solid middle relief arm in Pittsburgh last season. Acquired in Nov. 2022 from the division-rival Reds in a trade sending infielder Kevin Newman to Cincinnati, Moreta pitched 58 innings out of the Pittsburgh bullpen and logged a 3.72 earned run average. It was a solid mark that was generally supported by fielding-independent metrics (3.25 SIERA).
With the Pirates, Moreta largely scrapped his changeup, dropping his usage rate on that pitch from 21.2% as a Red in 2022 to just 6.4%. He also roughly halved the usage of his fastball, throwing it at only a 26.4% rate last year. Both drops in usage were accompanied by a massive increase in the usage of Moreta’s slider, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of his pitches thrown in 2023. Moreta saw a substantial jump from an 11.1% swinging-strike rate to 13.8% as a result; his overall strikeout rate also climbed from 24.4% in 2022 to 31.8% in 2023. Moreta’s command took a turn for the worse, with his walk rate climbing from 8.1% to 10%.
The Bucs used Moreta primarily in low-leverage spots last year, though he worked his way into slightly more critical situations late in the season. He picked up just one save and five holds, but Moreta’s blend of velocity and missed bats made him an intriguing option to take on a more prominent role in 2024. While details remain scarce, any ascension up the bullpen hierarchy could be on hold based on this new elbow ailment.
As it stands, the Pirates will again turn to All-Star and Pittsburgh native David Bednar to close out games. Newly signed Aroldis Chapman will be his primary setup man, with righties Colin Holderman and Carmen Mlodzinski also on hand to serve as setup options.
Even if Moreta is out for an extended period of time, he’ll likely remain in the Pirates’ plans long term. He’s under club control through the 2028 season and won’t even be arbitration eligible until the 2025-26 offseason at the earliest.
The bullpen is still pretty deep, with or without Moreta. This might also open the door for Braxton Ashcraft to make the Opening Day roster, who has looked outstanding in Spring. But I’ll be bummed if he misses a lot of time. He’s just a really fun pitcher to watch.
Ashcraft has a 0% chance of making the opening day roster. He’s a starting pitcher and will begin the season on an innings limit and probably at AA (maybe AAA if the Pirates are thin there).
Idk, the Pirates haven’t even let Ashcraft pitch more than one inning so far in Spring Training and his longest outing last year was only 4 innings. He has never pitched more 53 innings in 6 years and 5 minor league seasons, so I doubt they’ll all of a sudden pitch 120+ innings or something like that as a SP.
That’s because he was coming off of Tommy John last year. He missed the entire 2022 season. He was on a strict innings and pitch limit (both per game and total), which is normal for a prospect coming off TJ surgery.
They still see him as a starter and his innings limit will be much higher this season and the cuffs will be off (probably around 130 innings). He’s going to get stretched out as a starter and that’s where they still see his future.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn’t know his injury history, but happy I could inform you so you aren’t surprised when he doesn’t make the team.
Well, you know what assuming does…
I 100% did know his injury history. I know that he had Tommy John and other set-backs. That’s why he missed most of 2021 and all of 2022. I have been following him closely for years now. I just don’t see them ramping him up to 130+ frames after barely having pitched 160 from 2018 to present day and never having thrown 55 in a full year. If they are see him as a SP long term, they would probably let him pitch more than just one inning at a time in Spring Training. Just keep in mind what they did with Carmen Mlodzinski last season, taking him from a SP most of his minor league career to a RP fulltime last year, and he never had any massive injuries like Ashcraft did. I feel they’ll take a similar route with Ashcraft.
I’m not going to be shocked if he doesn’t make the team, but just saying it’s more likely if Moreta is out for an extended period of time. Idk how much the Pirates trust the minor league signees they have in camp to take over a role like Moreta had last season.
You are still wrong. The Pirates have yet to let any of their young pitching prospects pitch more than one inning until the last couple of days. I’d almost guarantee that Ashcraft pitches two innings next outing, and then is optioned to minor league camp to finish being stretched out (or possibly after one more two or three inning outing).
Ashcraft has a zero percent chance of being on the opening day roster. Him and Mlodzinski are NOTHING alike. Mlodzinski was always seen as a probable reliever because he struggled with control/command as a starter (literally since he was drafted). Ashcraft has always been seen as a starter. If he gets hurt again that could change, but the Pirates aren’t going to tank his value at this point, especially with how well he performed last season.
Ashcraft has a near zero chance of making the team. He’s a top 10 prospect with multiple pitches and mid rotation or better stuff. You need start pitching. Pirates aren’t going to buy it via free agency. So they can continue development as a starter and build his innings up or do what you suggest and just give up and make him a reliever and throw away a year of team control? Hmmm wonder what they are going to do?
Mlod wasn’t nearly the arm. Most thought he was a reliever before draft. It wasn’t the greatest draft pick. His stuff plays better as a reliever. He still didn’t make opening day roster.
You have a good argument Buctober and I agree with you. It’s always the least knowledgeable worst members who mute me so I like to really humiliate them. I saw red and didn’t even read your comments til afterwards. Yesterday I had to reply below so was happy to see I could reply more directly. Excellent work.
100% agree on building up Ashcraft innings in Indy as a SP. Based on how he looked at end of year, and thus far in ST, he’s a legit depth option for later this year if injury/poor performance dictate a change.
Well forgive me for being somewhat skeptical about his future as a SP. After missing nearly 3 years becuase of constant injuries, and Tommy John surgery, I just don’t see him pitching 120+ innings.
It’s okay to be skeptical, but that wasn’t the main point being discussed or what you claimed. You claimed he might be in the bullpen season, and went even further to say he could be in the bullpen on opening day.
It’s quite clear he’s still viewed as starting pitcher based on the Pirates comments and comments from scouting services. He could inevitably end up in the bullpen down the road, especially with another injury, but that hasn’t happened yet (nor should it).
100 innings is a good target for him this season, and he’s not going to get that as part of the big club at the start of the season. The team needs the SP depth, they’ve got the loser of the Priester/Contreras/Ortiz battle for the last two spots and Jones to start the season. Chase Anderson might bump Jones if the Pirates need another guy by the start of the year or in the first few weeks.
It makes sense to send Ashcraft to Indy and get him some 3-4 inning stints to get him worked into a position where he could be a spot starter until Brubaker and/or Burrows are healthy, or Skenes is clear of all of the service time and Super 2 stuff (mid-June).
Sounds like one too many sliders.
mlb1225 has me muted because he is so smart. But if you are on your burner account I promise you Ashcraft won’t make the opening day roster. There’s no open door. He can’t even sneak in through the window.
Reminds me of Dinelson a little bit, started hammering sliders and the arm reacted.
I hear the Tommy John monster creeping up
Steve Blass-syndrome coming
Walks and taters were always his big downfall.
That being said, hoping for the best for him just like any player.
Makes one wonder if bringing in Trevor might really be the best thing to thrust them into contention
Cherington has repeatedly said that he won’t bring Trevor to the Bucs so please stop with the wishes, it isn’t going to happen
If he gets desperate he will view the waiver wire for an arm
Why not? We saw what happened when the Chiefs signed the SDSU punter. It was a story for like a day or two.
really, an optionable reliever gets injured and youre wondering about a best-case fourth place team signing a guy who would play an entirely different role for them? sounds like bauer lives rent free inside your head.
Trevor needs to stop embarrassing himself by begging for work and thrust himself over to Japan. Take his fanboys with him.
‘begging” don’t think you know what that means
This is no small loss. Dauri truly broke out at the MLB level last year after being the Reds minor league pitcher of the year in 2021. His slider was one of the best pitches in baseball and it really looked like he was gonna be dominant again this year. Buccos pen is still deep but with that rotation they need to shorten the game as much as possible.
I had him as an underrated pick for being a setup or even CL by the end of the year (depending on if Bednar ever gets moved). Definitely not helpful for them if he misses a lot of time
He might be in the handful of candidates if the Pirates needed a closer, but I’d say he surely isn’t the top candidate. Holderman, Mlodzinski and even Ortiz would probably get consideration before him, and of course, Chapman (who I suspect will be flipped at the deadline almost regardless of the team’s record).
This stings. His strikeout ability was huge for getting out of jams in the middle innings.
Bullpen is still deep, but the Pirates really need Selby, Fleming, Hernandez, or Stratton to step up in his absence. Moreta combined with losing Perdomo for the year and Jackson to Japan is a lot of bullpen talent to lose, so it’s impressive the Pirates still have a strong bullpen.
With Brubaker, Burrows, Oviedo, Vince V, and now Moreta being out with elbow issues, the Pirates need to take a hard look at their strength and conditioning staff. This has been a reoccurring problem.
Who’s their 4 starter now Jason Vargas?
Not surprised with how he looked so far in spring. I think the bullpen still offers a ton of depth.
Especially next year even when you start to factor in some of the dozen-ish of their pitchers in their top 30 figure being more suited for reliver roles.
yes, we can always look towards next year, except that it never arrives because next year we will be looking forward to the next year again
There’s always an excuse for why they can’t compete every year
That’s not at all what I was saying. This team should produce THIS year with or without Moreta.
Big Bank will be closed for repairs.
The Teller line is closed.
Too bad for him. I believe the pen is strong enough to move forward without him.
Losing Moreta was one of the better-case scenarios in terms of bullpen injuries; he’s somewhat replaceable.
Bednar, Chapman, Holderman, Borucki and Mlodzinski are locks, which leaves 3 spots. Right now, I’d say Jose Hernandez to have the inside track for one of those.
Here’s where it gets tricky: Contreras is out of options, so he’s probably the swingman if he doesn’t make the rotation. Priester is off the table as a reliever, if he doesn’t make the rotation, he’d go back to AAA to stay stretched out. The same may go for Ortiz, though I’d say the team would be more amenable to using him as a multi-inning option out of the pen.
I think Peralta might make the club, if Moreta hits the 60-day, there will be a roster spot. Another spot could be cleared by moving Burrows. That leaves Falter, Fleming, Selby and Nicholas for the last spot, all of whom have been awful so far — or non-roster options in Honeywell (not so good) and Hunter Stratton, who’s done nothing but pitch well both last year and this spring.