2:18PM: The Pirates have officially announced the selection of Skenes’ contract and the other transactions. Hayes’ IL designation is listed as low back inflammation.
12:53PM: Pirates GM Ben Cherington announced to Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (links to X) and other reporters that right-hander Roansy Contreras has been designated for assignment. This move opens up a roster spot for Paul Skenes, as the star prospect is set to make his Major League debut in today’s game against the Cubs. Cherington also revealed that third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a bad back, and infielder Alika Williams has been called up from Triple-A to take Hayes’ spot on the active roster.
It wasn’t long ago that Contreras was a notable prospect in his own right, checking into the back end of top-100 lists from Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, and MLB Pipeline prior to the 2022 season. Acquired from the Yankees as part of the four-player return in the Jameson Taillon trade in the 2020-21 offseason, Contreras elevated his stock in his first season in Pittsburgh’s farm system, culminating in reaching the big leagues for one game before the 2021 campaign was over. The righty then posted a 3.79 ERA in 95 innings (starting 18 of 21 games) in 2022, and looked like a promising building block within the Pirates’ rotation heading into 2023.
Unfortunately, things then went south for Contreras during a disastrous season. He posted a 6.59 ERA over 68 1/3 MLB innings, and first lost his rotation job with a demotion to the bullpen, and then was optioned back to Triple-A altogether and didn’t pitch again in the majors after July 5. The move to Triple-A didn’t get Contreras on track, as he had a 4.96 ERA over 32 2/3 frames for Indianapolis. Contreras also spent some time going fully back to the drawing board with the Pirates’ Complex League team, trying to work out the mechanical problems that led to such issues a drop in his strikeout rate, an increase in his walk rate, and a minor velocity drop on his fastball.
Pitching out of the Pittsburgh bullpen this season, Contreras’ bottom-line numbers improved to the tune of a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings, and his strikeout rate rose from 18.2% in 2023 to 21.6% this year. It still isn’t exactly an eye-catching set of results, and the Pirates have seen enough to feel comfortable in possibly losing Contreras to the waiver wire. While the righty is out of minor league options and thus had to be DFA’ed in order to be sent to Triple-A, it still counts as a bit of a surprise to see the Bucs potentially move on from a 24-year-old who showed such potential as recently as 2022. Odds are that Contreras will be claimed away for nothing unless the Pirates can get some kind of trade return from a particularly interested team before the end of Contreras’ DFA period.
Skenes’ first taste of the majors will come without the luxury of the game’s best defensive third baseman behind him. Hayes hasn’t played since May 7 and he is only 2-for-26 in his last seven games, dropping his slash line to .240/.322/.318 over 149 plate appearances for the season. Hayes has only hit one home run after he hit 15 taters in 2023, and his Isolated Power total of .078 is less than half of his .182 ISO from last year.
While Hayes has both increased his walk rate and reduced his strikeouts, it is fair to wonder if his back problem is the cause of these offensive struggles. Hayes only had a 101 wRC+ in 2023, but getting even league-average offense from such an elite defender makes Hayes a very valuable player. Speaking of glovework, a -9.1 UZR/150 for Hayes this season is perhaps the bigger red flag that he isn’t physically right, even if other defensive metrics (+2 Outs Above Average, +3 Defensive Runs Saved) still have a positive view of Hayes’ defense.
Jared Triolo is the only other Pirate to get any time at third base besides Hayes this season, so Triolo could be shifted from his usual second base spot over to the hot corner while Hayes is sidelined. This would make Williams and Nick Gonzales the top options for second base, leaving the Bucs quite thin on the infield. Llover Peguero and Ji Hwan Bae are on the 40-man roster and could be called up more easily from Triple-A if a need develops, or the Pirates could look to obtain more experienced infield help on the open market or via a minor trade.
No way they’re giving up on Contreras this early.
Appears so. Once a player is DFAd, he’s basically gone. No doubt he’ll be traded, maybe someone can fix him.
gigantes!
Always – not true; often a player clears waivers, no one claiming him & he gets a choice to become a free agent or take an assignment in the minors. My guess is Contreras will be in Indy soon.
He’s awful. Nobody will claim him so he’ll be down in Indy
The Yankees will claim him and turn him into an elite reliever in a matter of days.
Wrong. He’s another example of the Pirates screwing up a pitcher.
Yes he’s awful, but someone will claim him guaranteed.
no kidding PuttPutt
s/
Out of options and not good enough to be on a big league roster. They tried hiding him in the ‘pen like a rule 5 pick, but there’s been no improvement from last season.
We’ll take him and turn him into a weapon. Kid has a live arm. I think he’s a bit of a tweener in that he has more of a starters repertoire but can’t locate enough to get consistent results there. They tried to let him loose in the pen and it hasn’t popped like they hoped. I’m sure there’s production in there somewhere, it’ll just be a matter of if a team can get it out of him. Maybe he’s reached his ceiling.
The kid has a live arm?
His velocity on his fastball fell significantly over the past two years and his slider often times hangs up too much in the strike zone
3 years ago he had a live arm, he doesn’t anymore
I mean, is he not still hitting 96? Does the slider not have movement? Obviously he’s a project if he’s getting dfa’d, I merely wanted to point out that there’s some talent there, and the journey might not be over
His fastball is closer to 92 than 95 and has no movement and his slider is ineffective
He only throws 2 pitches which makes him predictable
He AVERAGES 95 on the heater THIS YEAR. And also throws a curve and a change.
SODO, he can hit 105 on the gun but it won’t matter if he is either throwing it dead red or can’t master his control
And bis off speed pitches have the same general problem
Agree that he’s worth someone taking a chance to turn him around and his troubles seem to begin in his head, with self confidence. Wearing a new uniform might be a start. Here, pitchers need to be almost perfect as they rarely have run support
according to mlb.com, batters are hitting .392 against his fastball
Is that good?
it’s good for the batter, not so much for Contrares
Have you watched him pitch? He could not be counted on to over a year now
Why would they bring back shoestring williams??? Shelton must live this anemic little league player
No one else to really bring up to help the INF. look at the guys down in AAA that are INFers and tell me who you’d suggest to come up while Hayes hits the IL. Triolo is going to slide over to 3B and Williams/Gonzales will work 2nd Base. Offense isn’t the pirates strongest area and it been known for several years.
BC must view Bae as a CF only now. He looked poor at 2nd last year.
Bae is hitting quite well in Indy, while Williams can barely hit his weight in Pittsburgh
I dunno. Is Peguero hurt? If nothing else, he showed some spark here when he first came up
I’ll answer my own question. No, he’s at Indy, hitting .293. A lot more upside to him than Bae as a fielder and Alika as a hitter
Then again, Lamb is down at AAA, hitting .369 as Tellez gets a roster spot
Kooky, no?
Bae is hitting .373 and playing every game at Indy but some here prefer Taylor and Williams
SMH
With Tellez, a $3.5 mil contract has everything to do with it. He may still find it. Only been 1.5 months.
I have been saying for a month to let Tellez go. He’s not hitting and Pirates need a power bat. Rather that is Lamb or a trade, Tellez isn’t the answer.
Tellez isn’t the answer and neither is Taylor
A combined $7.5 million for their salaries and what have they achieved?
the problem with trading say Rowdy, he brings no value to the table and it would require more than just him to bring back a power hitting first baseman
And it’s too early for him to be DFAed, Nutting isn’t about to eat whatever is left of his salary already
I imagine we are stuck with him for awhile
I’m happy enough with MAT. He’s hitting pretty much as badly as players around him – awful with the bat but at least provides def value unlike Suwinski, Tellez, Cutch.
Once Haines is fired he’ll be a decent piece for what they’re paying him.
I read that the approach of the hitters in taking as many pitches as possible during their plate appearances is directed by Cherington and not Haines. Which could explain why Shelton constantly defends Haines
And that they won’t fire Haines, at least not during the current season, if at all.
Does anyone know how many years BC has left on his contract?
Where did you read that? Could you provide link?
I’ve read that too about Cherington but don’t remember the site.
Bucsdugout website I believe
Hmmm…. no credibility on that site for quite a long time. Even the commenters claim the writers are SBN bots.
also try Greensborosports.com
apparently Haines was their hitting coach in 2011
I don’t know what to tell you, Terrier1980. But regardless of where I read it, the approach that these players are using at the plate isn’t working
Whether it’s BC or Haines’ fault, a change is needed
It’s Haines and he needs to go ASAP. You were right all along.
MAT going yard oppo field, haha!
I almost fell out of my chair when Taylor finally connected on a home run.
Good for him and the team
Yes tired I was wondering about peguerro myself. Apparently SkELTON has a man crush on AKEho Williams. And when are the pirates going to make SKELTON walk the plank. He blew today’s game. Skenes was ok in his first game, amazing potential. But SKELTON might ruin him if he still mismanageds the pirates. I can’t stand this walking coaching disaster.
Man 3, I wholeheartedly agree. Haines, SKELTON and cherrington need replaced. IMMEDIATELY
Shelton has a tendency of pulling pitchers out of the game too early as he should have given Skenes the opportunity to get out of the 5th inning in today’s game
He did it again with Perez the other day then Ortiz blew the lead and the game
Shelton micro manages every facet of the game and doesn’t give his players confidence when he does that kind of thing
If Nutting really cared about being competitive he would be putting management on the chopping block
Sorry, he was this awful in Milwaukee last season. Just a dumb signing.
He has zero feel for the flow of a game. It’s really quite impressive.
I found the article, Terrier1980
DKsports.com
May 3rd edition
This is yet another instance where you would simply wonder why. Why tinker with Reynolds? He doesn’t look like the same hitter from two years ago. Why tinker with Suwinski unless you truly have answers (they don’ t)? You have taken away his homers and accomplished nothing other than having him “hang in” against left handers
Just doesn’t sound right
and obviously they don’t have much confidence in him hitting against lefties despite doing well against them this season
In fact, Suwinski plays less often than he did last year it seems
do you think they have tinkered with Rowdy’s swing, tired?
Cutch is strictly the DH
Rowdy looks like the same guy we saw in Milwaukee last season. I said it was a dumb signing given that but hey, some have it an A+
I have a question for you, Tired
If Hayes is out for a lengthy period beyond the 10 day IL, will Triolo be able to hit better and who else do they have that can play 3rd base
I thought Triolo was the real deal when he came up at the end of last season. But he sure hasn’t shown much this year. Doesn’t look like a guy you’d call a star in the making. Utility, that’s about it
Loved the last 3 batters in today’s lineup. Tellez. Bart. Williams. A collective 0 for 8 so far
But hey, guys undoubtedly a day off from the salt mines and all
I thought he was the real deal too last year but obviously he isn’t this year
I made this comment below and it’s worth repeating
They score 10 runs yesterday on 5 homers, their best offensive performances in at least a month and most homers in a game in a year
Why change the lineup? Why not go with who’s hot?
By the way called third strike today, 5 times
Triolo has a phenomenal arm and is a defensive whiz but he has also regressed this year offensively
And with Hayes gone for at least 10 days along with the other light hitting players we have, it should be only a matter of time before we’re so far out of contention that it won’t matter whether Jake or Bae are promoted
I am not against your opinions. The Pirates have a surplus of middle infielders and pitching. Making a call to the Mets or even Guardians wouldn’t hurt. Manzaro is roughly a year away at best, but I think he can be a stud. I wonder what the Guardians would ask for him?
Tampa has Morgan and Isaac who could be 3 years away at best. I like Morgan for some reason but Tampa always asks for the moon and stars for players. Hence Archer. So, I wouldn’t be hard pressed on those two because Tampa will want Jones in return. Something I am not ok with. Priester, Kellers, Ortiz, or Oviedo (will need to add 2 others due to his injury) are guys I can see being used to trade for a long term answer at 1B (once Andy Haines is gone and put a guy like Andy VanSlyke at hitting coach)
The Pirates are going to have one helluva starting staff here in a year or two. But if they aren’t going to make moves, how will it matter
Cruz is the only guy in the lineup who you may get 25 or more homers out of, a guy who can drive in a lot of runs
After him, who do you have?
There is no one on this roster who can drive in runs. There’s no one coming up through the pipeline.
That leaves trades for young hitters with potential to stock your minors again—-because let’s face it, that’s all this roster can bring back in value—-or finally go after a big bat or two to play OF of perhaps 1B
And truthfully, I doubt ownership will opt to do that, shame as it is
Suwinski. Taylor. Olivares. Smith-Ngiba. White. Palacios. None of these guys are the answer
Odd as it is, I’d have pegged Davis as a guy with potential until they messed with his head
Yea tired, they do mess with these young guys. I wonder how many of these young guys would flourish under a different manager or team
We touched on this in another thread, Tired. Last year when Davis played right field, while he wasn’t a great hitter, he still managed to hit 7 homers in limited play
As a catcher, he was lucky to hit the ball out of the infield this year
I realize this happened under a different General Manager, but look how Charlie Morton became a good pitcher after he left for Philadelphia or even for only a few years, Austin Meadows found his power when he was traded to the Rays
Not every player that leaves thrives elsewhere but there’s enough to make me wonder
We can talk scouting and player development and their assorted shortcomings for years. And we have, really.
I’d love to know the thinking of the front office. They know they have a real problem but embraced the Rays’ blueprint. As Dream stated, it failed
The Rays draft better. They develop better. Funny that the O’s and Reds use the same blueprint
So now what?
They won’t burn it all down yet
And they’re smart enough to know that no hitting coach is going to magically make power hitters or run producers out of this lot Not in Pittsburgh. Not on the farm
The most logical thing is to sign a couple big timers. Open up the checkbook
I’m betting their plan is to go after more Tellez types and keep the hype game going
“Don’t believe what you actually are watching.”
@PiratesFan1981 I assume you’re talking about Manzardo. He’s not a year away; he’s in the majors right now. The Guardians also love him and I feel like they’d trade Naylor before they traded him because of the way they typically operate.
Might as well talk about Jose Bautista if you’re going to discuss what happened in previous regimes.
Yes, Bautista and even Jay Bell both found their raw power after leaving the Bucs
But my point was that the Bucs for some reason have problems getting the best from players and those players find their maturity with other clubs
I’d personally rather see Peguero given Pirates offensive woes, but I’m sure BC/DS want Williams for his defensive abilities at SS.
Williams is no defensive whiz either as he’s made several errors playing shortstop and even at second base
And I agree, especially for offense, Peguerro is better and despite yesterday, they need offense
Agreed, Scott. And the kid played with some fire. I want Gonzales to succeed but it’s hard to see it happening. And Alika is really the defensive replacement they currently can’t afford in such an anemic offense
But it was HR derby yesterday. Hope springs eternal
Wow, pretty shocked the Pirates threw in the towel so quickly on Contreras. He was a pretty highly regarded prospect in the very recent past and he isn’t even 25 yet. Weird.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the O’s send them some cash for the opportunity to tinker with him and see if they can turn him into something useful.
highly touted 3 years ago isn’t anymore
His problem is in his head, first and foremost. One problem during an outing usually morphs into three or four more. His first year here looked promising and most thought he’d compete to be a starter. A couple rough outings and the next thing you know, he has no command and has lost 5-6 mph on the fastball
Now it’s become an issue of control or throwing dead red
Yeah, maybe the O’s or Yanks take a shot. A change of scenery might be a good first step
O’s really don’t have the space for another non option able pitcher but I too was surprised to see him on the DFA train.
Light hitting Williams recalled while hot hitting Bae remains in Indy
This management makes zero sense
And Contrares regressed from his first season, lost velocity on his fastball and only throws 2 pitches
Fastball and slider
They brought up hot hitting Gonzales just the other day. Does it really make sense to call up Bae as well?
What I mean is Williams is a jabber for the Pirates. They are counting on Bae and/or Gonzales to break through. Why take ABs for both when one can get them at Indy and the other in Pittsburgh. Why count all the chickens before all the eggs hatch?
Why?
Because our collective offense sucks with the players we have now unless you would rather w wait until we’re 20 games out of first place to improve the offense
Bae can also play center field unless you prefer Taylor who strikes out more often than anyone on the team
if Bae can contribute to the offense why not bring him up.
Bae will cost more runs on defense than he can produce on offense. Everyone knew what Taylor was when we signed him; light hitter who Ks a lot but a great defender. Bae is only ok offensively because of his speed but a terrible defender at 2nd and CF.
We have plenty of IF depth. The issue is we have nothing promising on offense, in Pitt or in the minors. If Lamb comes up he’ll hit 200 with no power, we already have that. Bae will come up and hit 235, we already have that. Same with Peguero. If we don’t trade for production then we won’t have production. Once the pitching hits a wall we’ll be 20 game under 500.
Surely worth trying a new hitting coach, though?
Great that Taylor is a good defender but this team needs offense badly and while Bae isn’t good at 2nd base he’s good playing center field
He might be a better CF than 2b but that doesn’t mean he’s good. Below average (-1) if you’re in to those stats. His offensive numbers weren’t good last year and nothing tells me he’ll be any better this year. I agree we need offense but it won’t be found within the organization.
Rowdy is a good defender of first base and couldn’t hit a ball off of a T
Who do you trade and who would the opposing team want?
You aren’t going to get much in return if who you’re offering doesn’t have any value
Our bullpen blew a 5 run lead in this game, and I can’t watch this fiasco anymore even after the rain delay ends
All we have to offer is young pitching. Hate to dip in that well but…
Its that or sign a decent free agent now and again and we know that’s not going to happen.
They are leaving Bae in AAA to find out if he can play CF.We may forget that the Pirate credo is to move these guys all around and mess with their heads.Bae is so fast that he may become a good centerfielder but outfield and infield are two very different animals.
Lamb should have been called up to play 1b.
Contreras would be a perfect flier for the Nationals, but I doubt they do it.
Williams might be the weakest hitter in MLB. His defense is plus, but he’s a complete zero hitting. You can’t afford to carry him when your 1B (Tellez) sports a sub .550 OBP, your everyday CF (Suwinski) is under .550 OPS and 3-week spring training sensation Triolo as everyday 2B joins the sub-550 OPS clan as well. Why not recall Peguero when no infielder is even replacement level?
I liked Roansy, even before the Pirates traded for him. Wish it worked out.
I hope that they can get something decent for him in a minor bidding war.
I am surprised that they did not send Priester down and put Marco on the 60 day IL.
Priester, despite having 2 years of major league experience under his belt, is still not a major league pitcher
Contreras seems like he would be a fit in the White Sox bullpen, because they are going to need guys to cover innings in blowouts.
The Guardians needing pitching depth and the Pirates needing infield depth makes this an interesting possible match to me.
At worst, the Guardians could use Contreras in the role Pedro Avila has now, or they could stretch him back out over time. They still have a million infielders so someone like Jose Tena going the other way might make some sense.
The Bucs don’t need infield depth, they need a first baseman who doesn’t hit .200 with very little power
Whatcha willing to trade for Darick Hall?
I live near Philadelphia and think that Hall would be a good catch.
He is blocked by Harper now.
I would give up a couple of decent minor league pitchers for him plus another player if they would take Telez off the Pirates hands.
Also Clemens has moved ahead of him so he should be available.
This is the route they should be thinking of but probably aren’t. Again, a staff of Jones, Keller and Skenes plus two. It behooves them to see the future and so many of the guys on this roster just aren’t it
The Guardians can offer Jhonkensy Noel who has light tower power and won’t hit .200. The problem is that he won’t hit .200 because he’ll be way under that lol
I’m mostly being sarcastic so don’t take that part seriously but he really does have prodigious power, although the fact that he’s in AAA and hasn’t hit more consistently seems to be a pretty strong hint that he probably never will.
So… the pirates are spending $80m on a guy with yearly back problems.
It’s a shame, but yep… looks like Hayes is gonna struggle with his back for the rest of his time in Pittsburgh.
What is the prediction for Pirate batter’s strikeouts and runs for tonight’s game?
Double digit ks
3 or less runs
Pirates or Cubbies with most K’s in Skenes debut?
The Pirates struck out 12 times last night, 8 alone by two of their relievers and considering Skenes will most likely be on a limited pitch count, I would go with the Pirates hitters
They excel at that, have made it their goal every game it seems
Would I prefer that Skenes strike out more Cubs? Absolutely. But this offense stinks
I’m calling a 10/10 tie 🙂
That’s like 2-1 odds with this group. Agree on Ks but I say only 1 run tonight. With that Skenes will get the loss in his debut.
Can’t wait to see the Rays or Yankees claim him and turn him into a Cy Young candidate.
And I can’t wait to laugh at you when they can’t
Seriously, will you even remember this post?
Oh he will! Believe me, he will.
I have a vivid memory of my childhood and that was 60+ years ago
The Yankees have a very good pitching coach. He turned Clay Holmes around and it wouldn’t surprise me that he’d work on Roansy’s head so he can realize that raw talent he has
Contreras always had potential, it was only 2 years ago when he was the 2nd best pirates starter I can’t believe they are giving up on him already
He reminds me of Solomon Torres from the early 2000s. Had 2 pitches and surprised early as a starter but faded badly. Torres though was good out of the pen. Contreras not so much. Without options he had to go.
Maybe Roansy needs to give up baseball for a couple of years… haha.
I loved Solly Torres in that team with Wilson, Sanchez, Giles etc.
Change of scenery and change of pitching coaches will do Roansy alot of good. Good luck Roansy!
Roansy to the M’s makes too much sense. Outbid everyone for a trade and put him in the bullpen. Make this happen!
Kirby for Contreras will work, if you’re looking to outbid everyone.
Ha! Maybe throw in Skenes and Jared Jones and we’ll talk lol 🙂
Would you take Andy Haines as a bonus?
Sure, then fire him immediately lol.
Cubs need to take a chance on Contreras. The chances are low because of their record.
Watch the rays get Roansy and fix him in a matter of weeks lol
I will watch the Rays find out what everyone in this organization already knows
He’s at best a short time reliever with no upside
Brewers should give him a look they have good success in helping young arms
I guess we should have kept him. Hope Nicolas is on the first bus to Indy. What an embarrassing performance in front of a packed house.
Skenes’ debut wasn’t exactly Strasburg-ian, limited to four innings with eight runners on base, but the talent was evident. Hopefully the Pirates can help him refine his skills.
I think Skenes was a little nervous too, taking the mound and from all of the national hype and attention he was receiving
He comes across like an introvert but with people skills because of the attention he received in college
Pitching in small market culture might be good for him
I remember Strasburg’s debut and you’re right. Don’t know who was calling Skenes’ pitches but it appeared they wanted to establish off speed pitches a bit too much while nibbling on corners of left handed batters. No doubt he overthrew on a number of fastballs but that’s understandable
Unlike some, I had no problem in lifting him as management wanted him to come out of the experience with a positive vibe. He’d already worked out of a jam
He and Jones are an impressive 1-2 punch for the future
now if we could only find a 1-2 punch of Cruz and another hitter with power
It certainly isn’t Rowdy or Jack
And Triolo has been a major disappointment, if Hayes is on the IL longer than expected, we’re in trouble
Even if Hayes is healthy, they’re in trouble. Let’s face it. I mean, he’s on a pace for what, .260 and. 40 rbi?
So sad that it appears the Buccos cannot develop players
So SKELTON IS PLAYING SLEEPY ASHEHO WILLIAMS AT SECOND TODAY. WHY WHY WHY??? THIS GUY BELONGS IN THE FAST GOOD INDUSTRY. FOR THAT MATTER, SO DOES MORON SKELTON. IM BEGINNING TO HATE SKELTON AS MUCH AS I DETEST SMALL HANDS
Tell us how you really feel, Buccoprojectory!
Seriously, I agree. Williams should be a defensive replacement only and not be seeing any pitches
Otherwise, both Jack and Rowdy, at least at this stage of the game, shouldn’t be in the lineup either
Your “ small hands “ dig here and on other comments is what I’m presuming is a reference to the most corrupt politician in history?
The team collectively scored 10 runs yesterday with 5 homers. Why change the lineup?
You had hitters yesterday doing good work, getting on base and scoring runs.
I have an idea, says Shelton, let’s change the lineup so we can possibly lose to a 34 year old pitcher who is fresh off of the IL
Man 3..yes I am referring to shithispants..and yes SKELTON doesn’t believe in playing guys 4 or 5 times a week….basically he’s got a bigger worm in his brain than RFK jr
One of my pet peeves about our hitters is being called out on strikes, instead of protecting the plate and fouling off the close pitch.
Like worthless Rowdy just did
I agree with you. Remember as kids playing baseball. The opposing team would chant “swing batter swing “. Maybe that’s what the fans should shout
AB
AVG
HR
RBI
SB
OPS
149 .208 0 8 1 .542
These are the career stats of SKELTONS man crush ASSHEO Williams. Putrid player, putrid manager. Maybe next road trip. Motel 6 will keep the lights on for them
Bednar doesn’t have it this year either
They’re back to normal, handful of hits, double digit strikeouts, can’t score with bases loaded and only one out and probably another loss awaits them
Rowdy should be DFAed, only trade Contrares for a power hitter and send Triolo back to Indy, bring up Bae. This team needs a shake up
Bae or Pegs
They’ve got the book on Bednar, that’s for sure.
But I guess the idea with Chapman is that they spent $10M and are going to get their mileage out of him. If Tellez should go, this guy should be hitching a ride. I can’t remember a worse late inning reliever than this guy.
Starting pitching isn’t the issue here. And now, a 6-man rotation for a while
Lack of driving in runs and guys like Chapman are killer for any team
I feel bad for Tellez when the fans boo him but on the other hand, I blame his inability to be productive on the coaching staff and Cherington for wasting $3 million dollars on signing him
I was originally hoping he would return to 2022 form or even somewhere between 22 and 23 but it seems he was just a waste of money and a roster
There’s so many holes in this lineup, Rowdy isn’t the only problem
I can agree with that. I’ve never been someone to boo a player…or worse….but perhaps it goes with the territory. Look who he had starting today. Tellez. Bart. Suwinski. Alika. It’s almost unbelievable
RumBunter website today has an informative article about how Haines has changed the batting styles of Hayes, Reynolds and Suwinski, trying to make them contact hitters instead of allowing each to focus on their own style of batting
The article also places some blame on Cherington for allowing this to continue because it’s not working
Especially when the players he had started yesterday delivered in a very productive game
So instead of using the same lineup, he starts 5 very weak hitting players and ironically, the runs today were a result of the same players that were productive yesterday
I can’t speak to RumBunter’s journalistic integrity. And I don’t know if the writer’s own lack of mechanical knowledge where hitting is concerns colors the article. But again, it sounds like Haines is a disciple of linear hitting, that is, throwing your hands in a line to the pitch. When someone is talking about contact where 95mph+ pitches are concerned, it’s a standard strategy
But again, the tone here is borderline incompetence if it’s true and really, that’s a big “if”
I’m a bit unsure as to why Reynolds would stick with a program that’s dropped his batting average into the .230’s. He’s had a year of it now, and after being a guy in the batting race every year suddenly turned to this program and dropped into the .250’s. Now this. Is the guy stupid?
Suwinski has declined too, if that’s possible. And his power is gone. As a young player he has to be intelligent enough to know that proceeding down this path is a ticket to being DFA’d
Look, again, they ran Canada out of town with similar pieces. Yeah, he was out of his element, but only a fool believes he’s completely ignorant to what’s going on with his Steelers offense. The Pens ran off Rierden thanks to one of the worst power plays in the NHL
Sacrificial lambs.
I’m sure assistant coaches needed to go and I’m sure Haines does, as well. But there are some whoppers told sometimes to get the desired effect.
This one is just too hard to believe.
Not only does he stick with it but he is all in. Haines is his hitting coach in off season. Nothing to lose. He is already paid. Probably realized Haines ain’t going anywhere.
I understand hitting gurus can sometimes have the effect of being a pied piper for some guys. But when you’ve watched your batting average plummet over two seasons and your home run production spiral downward as well, and you continue to follow the guy….well, I have to wonder about a player’s intelligence.
In this case, Reynolds in particular
Hard to believe how far this guy has fallen.
Then there’s Suwinski.
What justification could be employed by these guys in keeping with “the program?”
But there’s a great deal of information about Haines’s techniques and philosophies that I’d have to question as being accurate
Something is amiss with the Pirates, however, and that’s system-wide. Look at the batting averages and you see relatively few guys beyond Bae, Lamb and Peguero doing well. McAdoo is suddenly showing signs of life
But that’s about it
Kind of amazing to watch Reynolds, Suwinski and Bednar decline to this degree
And the A+ signings of Tellez, Chapman, Taylor and Grandal rank quite possibly rank as the franchise’s worst ever
Bold of you to call them A+. Only one that has paid off so far is Grandal. Still far from the worst.
Those guys only have good ba because they are quad A players.
Let me put you on the spot, Dream. Name a worse free agency signing haul in an off season under Huntington or. Cherington.
I’ll wait. Even the VanMeter off season was better
I questioned each signing this off season. Unnecessary. A waste of money. They look even worse now.
Especially Chapman
Give Grandal some time. He doesn’t have much competition here in Bart but I’m sure he’ll show why he’s been a journeyman very soon
Diaz Overpay Barajas Bedard but at least they played unlike Chisenhall. Go back to Littlefield and include almost everyone he signed. Old washed up guys like Bell.
Yoshi cost more than Tellez and couldn’t even play 1b.
With inflation and market adjustment the 2.5 3.5 4 million deals are absolutely nothing compared to that amount a decade or score ago. All 1 year deals. Lirano signing was so bad he gave away 2 of his better prospects just to get out from paying that contract.
Why does Tellez have so many abs? Why doesn’t Joe have more?
It’s easy to say that these opinion pieces don’t have any value but when several put the offense blame on Haines there has to be some truth to it
Probably because they are paying Rowdy more than Joe
I have watched the batting stance of Reynolds this year and in previous years. He stands lower in the box now which might be contributing to his lack of power, Rowdy stands in the box with his bat on his shoulder and it seems to take longer to get his bat on the ball.
I don’t have any opinion on Jack except that he’s not the same player as he was last year and often times can’t catch up to fastballs and he’s supposed to be a dead fastball hitter
There was a point last season when it appeared Reynolds abandoned the crouch. His average rose. He seldom struck out. You could count on him to lift a fly ball with the bases loaded and one out in the 9th of a tie game.
But you’re right. He’s in the slight crouch again.
In Triolo’s second visit here last season, he was more upright. He made better contact. He showed some power
I have no idea why these guys are again all in with this hitting instruction. It worked for Pete Rose and Tony Gwynn. None of these guys are in the same hemisphere
As for Suwinski, his story reminds me of Contreras and Davis. I’m wondering what his mindset is at this point. In the case of all three, these are young players and these are not prolonged slumps. It’s become who they are
While I don’t listen to Mark Madden’s radio show because if you haven’t figured it out, he’s merely playing a role, especially when he engages with callers, his columns on TribLive are almost always spot on, regardless of the sport or team he’s discussing
If you have not read today’s posting regarding Skenes’ debut and the hysterics of that day and Shelton’s abilities, in general, you owe it to yourself.
I read Maddon’s columns every day and he makes a valid argument about Skenes’ debut but I still think nerves got the better of him on Saturday, his next start in Chicago on Friday, he should be more settled
Have you seen the look on Reynolds’ face lately since he’s been crouching down again? He doesn’t look happy and when he swings the bat barely making contact, he appears angry
It makes me wonder if he’s voiced his frustration at Haines or Shelton and what their reaction is.
Something something about water finding level
DKPittsburghsports.com
an article written by a Post Gazette sports columnist who explains in detail why the hitting woes of this team falls directly on Haines, Shelton and Cherington
I realize you don’t have much stock in opinion pieces but this is written by a credible columnist and worth reading
If you’re against using a stick to find water, AquaTrack 3000, a hand held device will detect where the water is located and at what depth below grade
It’s expensive, about $3200
Other than Cruz, the most consistent player on this team, Connor Joe is not in tonight’s lineup and Jack is batting cleanup
It’s my opinion that Shelton deliberately finds ways to lose games and does it by writing weak hitters into his lineup
I am amazed by his ignorance but not surprised
No idea how Joe sits
Maybe they feel Tellez will exact some revenge in his old ballpark.
I understand why they have to play Gonzales and Triolo at this point, while Bae and Peguero sit at Indy
Kinda surprised he didn’t go for the slam dunk and just play Bart, too
The bottom of this line-up, complete with Taylor….jeez
And I’d like to think of other options here but really, there are none
I looked at Rowdy’s batting stance when he played for the Brewers, his bat didn’t rest on his shoulder when the pitches were thrown
Does Haines or Shelton believe that he would generate a longer swing in this manner?
Why mess with something that works?
I watched him hit a homer against the Bucs in 2021 and his bat was raised behind his left shoulder and it was at an angle but not resting on his shoulder
And Reynolds should have been given the night off in favor of Joe or more Reynolds down in the order
By the way, Carlos Santana has hit a homer in three consecutive games and now has 7.
For 2 million dollars more he could have been a Pirate as he’s making $5.2 million vs $3 million for Rowdy
Almost fell off my chair today when Jeff Passan went on and on about Skenes, which was fine, but then commented that Jones is up there with him and “the Pittsburgh Pirates are the most exciting team in baseball”
These sub-Mendoza line averages would tell me otherwise, Jeffy. And that horrific game where the Cubs scored 6 runs via walks alone would tell me to reword my thought
I about fell out of my chair when Jack hit a homer but came back to earth when Rowdy hit a weak grounder and Triolo struck out looking
Do they have another 3rd baseman in the minors if Hayes is out longer than 10 days?
Reynolds went 5 for 5 tonight
Jack homered
Shelton had Nick bunt runners up in the 9th
Just proves these guys read MLBTR fan comments
Cough. Yeah, I’m kidding
And how bad must a player be going if Greg Brown and Kevin Young are talking about the Pirates bending over backwards to give Tellez opportunities? And then, in his “big moment,” he strikes out with runners at 2nd and 3rd
I noticed that Reynolds wasn’t crouching in tonight’s game, he was batting like he used to before the hands of Haines got into him
I am excited for him, this might be the start of something for for him
Rowdy might be trying too hard, or just be a terrible player. Probably the latter
Triolo is hovering around the Tellez line and is becoming an equally impotent force as Rowdy at the plate
I figure if I write poorly about Priester, he’ll throw a 3-hit shutout tonight. But really, he’s a guy who doesn’t belong in the starting rotation
Given the Pirates broadcasters’ critiques of Tellez and Lamb’s work at Indy, I’m going to go out on a limb and predict this is a do-or-die series for him
He shouldn’t be alone. Chapman should be on the same train out of town
I agree that we’re at a crossroads with the season and unless this team gets it together and soon, starting with this current series, players like Priester ( who doesn’t belong in the majors to begin with), Chapman, ( who should have never been signed), Tellez, ( same as Chapman) and even to some degree Triolo, there should be several serious changes that will need to be made with this roster
It’s getting close to the time for Cherington to admit that his offseason dealings were monumental failures