TODAY: Woodford elected free agency, but MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf reports (X link) that Woodford has re-signed with the Pirates on a new minor league contract.
AUGUST 29: Pirates righty Jake Woodford cleared outright waivers, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. He has the ability to elect free agency because he has been outrighted before in his career.
Woodford pitched in six games for Pittsburgh before they designated him for assignment on Monday. The 27-year-old righty started four of those appearances and posted a 6.95 ERA across 22 innings. Woodford had allowed 10 runs over two starts with the White Sox earlier in the year and carries an 8.01 ERA over 30 1/3 frames.
A former supplemental first-round pick of the Cardinals, Woodford pitched parts of four seasons with St. Louis. He combined for 184 2/3 innings of 4.29 ERA ball. That’s decent run prevention but came with a well below-average 15.1% strikeout percentage. Woodford’s lack of missed bats has caught up to him, as he has followed up a 6.23 ERA last year with this season’s disappointing numbers.
Woodford has gotten better results in the upper minors. He has started 17 games in Triple-A this year, working to a 4.02 ERA through 85 innings. He carries a matching 4.02 mark over parts of six seasons at that level.
His HR against Clayton Chokeshaw is one of the greatest moments in MLB history.
The way he got hammered here during his starts…I almost felt sorry for him
Cruz wrecked his best start with play at SS that got him moved to CF.
Woodford had some success as a middle inning relief pitcher while with the Cardinals. He has a history of pitching one to two innings in a game while keeping the team in the game. He has never shown promise as a starting pitcher though. He might surface in the majors again if an organization that has a track record of molding pitchers such as the Rays or Brewers gets ahold of him, and then he can be the #12 or #13 pitcher on the staff.
Appreciate the few solid outings he gave us when he first got called up, but he was always a placeholder for someone else.
After having given up 41 runs over three games, blown a 7 run lead in another game, and having recently lost 10 games in a row and this is the lone baseball news from the Pirates is an absolute joke
Derek Shelton and his coaching staff should be filing for unemployment and that should have been the baseball news story for this team
Shelton, Haines, Oscar Marin don’t make the personnel decisions. The manager & coaches MUST play the hand that they are dealt. I’m certainly not being an apologist for this coaching staff; better decisions on the field could have absolutely been made this season.
Someone must take the blame for this past series when they were outplayed and outscored 41- 24.
Or the 10 games losing streak
Monday’s loss of 18-6 marked the first time since 1912 that a team scored that many runs, coollected 21 hits and stole 8 bases and Wednesday’s loss was the first time in 1193 games overall that a team blew a 7 run lead going into the 7th inning in 7 years
It’s an utter disgrace and embarrassment that the entire Pirate management from the GM down the coaching staff are still employed
I’d give GMBC one final chance on the proviso that Donny Kelly gets the manager’s job and Marin is retained as pitching coach.
The thing we all agree on that outside fans just don’t see because they don’t watch the games is that Shelton and Haines MUST go as soon as is possible.
The guy with ZERO pedigree, who has NEVER won and who directly interfaces with the players ALL DAY, EVERY DAY should be the first person out the door. He was and 5 years later remains out of his depth. Goodbye Shelton.
everyone boasted ( broadcasters) about how well he pitched at Indy, but again it’s proven that minor league hitters aren’t the same caliber as major league hitters and minor league pitchers aren’t the same caliber as major league pitchers
Which could easily explain why Henry Davis has historically done well at Indy, but struggles in Pittsburgh
Otherwise, it’s apparent that no one will be held accountable for the absolute embarrassment of the Cubs series and that they continue to be satisfied with the status quo.
Mark Maddon wrote a factually accurate article in today’s edition of the Trib that describes the situation that perplexes this franchise in particular
He hit the nail directly on the head
Mark Madden and factually accurate is an oxymoron!
But yeah…let’s have a change for the good of the players and fans.
I don’t often agree with anything he writes, but he is spot on in this article
Poor player development and a cheapskate owner
He’s not spot on at all. The Rays and Guardians compete every season with payrolls lower or the same as the Pirates in tougher divisions and his main beef is Nutting being a tightwad.
He is on point, however, regarding player development and the MLB manager being inadequate with five piss poor losing seasons.
the Rays and the Guardians have a better player development system which means they can use younger players they have developed and able to sign veterans to fill in the gaps
The Pirates can’t do either because without good young players, they are spreading out whatever money is available for veterans
Totally agree – and you’ve confirmed that it’s more of a coaching problem than money.
Both BC and Nutting are responsible, but ultimately the Bucs need to find more of the likes of Oscar Marin throughout the system.
I know many here support Oscar Marin but I have never been sold on him as a good pitching coach. I suppose they could do worse, but the team’s era, homers given up, hits per 9 innings and walks per 9 innings increased this year and if it’s because of lack of talent, aren’t good coaches supposed to get the best out of the pitchers?
Good player development subtracts the need to sign good free agent players, so money ot lack of it to spend proves my case t
Well the hits are clearly down to Cruz at SS and the awful OF defense while the general decline is mainly down to the bullpen led by Bednar who I suggested should be traded over the winter much to the disdain of Pirates fans – you in particular.
He’s a Pittsburgh guy…. OMG we love him and nobody would show up if he was traded.
You obviously misinterpreted what I said about Bednar regarding why he shouldn’t be traded last winter but it doesn’t surprise me
I said that he was a fan favorite, the local guy who did good and that he helps put fans in the stands which is what matters most to Nutting
Why do you think they keep signing Cutch?
Bednar should have been traded. You don’t rebuild around relievers. A team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a decade doesn’t need a closer. No one other than his family is going to a game because of a reliever.
Clean house. Cherington and Oscar need to go. Both are average but Pittsburgh needs better than average.
If it’s just a new manager the rebuild will fail. Cherington may well produce a winning record, even get a wild card or win a division perhaps in a weak year. It’s hard not to be 500 with their rotation and pitching in minors. Bullpen should get healthier, more experience and better. Nutting should push payroll to 100m. Cherington could trade for a bat or two. But the constant flow of talent won’t be there. Will just be a window instead of sustainable winning. And won’t be as much winning as it should. He failed at development. His philosophy stinks. If he fired Haines laat year I would have given him another year. Heck though Haines is still here now. Shelton should be fired. Shouldn’t be managing tonight. You bought at deadline. That tells Bob Nutting you thought this team could win. They haven’t even stayed close. Major collapse. Shelton is still employed. That tells Nutting Shelton must be good but Cherington didn’t provide him enough talent. Fire Cherington now! Fire Shelton now. Make Kelly manager. And if the first thing he does isn’t firing Haines fire Kelly too as soon as he has a losing record. Keep giving people chances. The first guy who is capable of figuring out to fire Haines gets the 1 month audition. Might be Haines is the only one left and gets to be manager.
Cherington is the problem. He loves these guys. Agrees with how they coach and manage. Gotta cut the head off.
Fans will be content with just Shelton. Keep paying their cable streaming bill. 2 million will show up to pnc next year. Enjoy your 500 team. Hope to overachieve some year and have a quick playoff exit.
He bought at the deadline and doesn’t use those players on a regular basis which is mind boggling
De La Cruz was finally getting hits, driving in runs and now he hasn’t started in two consecutive games
Lol at Haines being last man standing gets to be manager.
Interesting observation about a team that has not won in a decade does not need a closer.
This team actually had a winning season and in near contention for a wild card when both the closer and set up man absolutely fell apart.
Seems to me that even decent teams need a closer who is reliable.
I think that August absolutely refutes your corollary.
There is nothing more disheartening than to blow a seven run lead with three innings to go.
But closers are not very important players on a winning team?
Tell that to Mark Melancon.
“But closers are not very important players on a winning team?” Only a absolute idiot would say that. In fact winning teams need 3 or 4 guys with closer setup stuff.
And that is why I give BC credit.He thought,and certainly hoped,that they would have a winning team this year 5 of the rebuild.
Nutting had told him last year that they needed to start winning,
That is also a main reason why they signed Chapman.
Hindsight is always 20-20.
Look,I have problems with BC too,and many are the same as you have,but not all of them.
He sees the writing on the wall much more closely than you and I do.
Cherington today announced that the director of international scouting won’t return for next season as if it’s not the player development that lacks any direction
The blame game has begun, too bad it’s going in the wrong direction
Paul- A more favorable announcement by Cherington would be that he is resigning.
Cutch was activated from the IL today and Heller was placed on the list with shoulder disability
For a 37 year old player, and having missed 14 games, he still leads the team in walks, is second in OBP and 3rd in slugging, yet Big Daddy thinks he should retire after this season
Yeah, he doesn’t play the field but he’s still better than most of the players at the plate not named Cruz or Reynolds
I really have to question the motive behind tonight’s lineup
De la Cruz is again not playing, instead it’s weak hitting McKinney in right field
IKF who has been in a slump and played horribly at shortstop is again batting lead off and playing shortstop and Cutch is batting clean up
Maybe Cruz is banged up. Maybe getting look at Billy. Cruz will be back. Season over. He doesn’t need to show anything.
Who’s other options to play ss? IKF is better than anything they got.
Year 6 is about to start and it’s a team full of just guys. Doesn’t matter who plays. Cherington needs to go.
De la Cruz came in during the late innings when they were already down 3 runs and McKinney went 0-3 with 2 strikeouts
great lineup, Ben!
Billy will be gone tomorrow when Cook and/or Yorke is put on the roster.
nothing would surprise me if what you said doesn’t happen Mendoza
that said, Taylor should be given his unconditional release, Williams sent back to Indy and McKinney also sent back to Indy
They have too many players who can’t contribute to this team’s offense
As long as Cherington is the GM, they will have the same approach to hitting which is why he loves Haines so much, Player development sucks because of Cherington
Nuttimg needs to clean house from top to bottom
#FireCherington #Now
Bednar will no longer be closing.
Seasons over. Should have been done weeks ago. Fire these clowns Nutting. There’s no downside to it. Only possible upside. Managing. Coaching. Development. None of it can get any worse. This franchise is at rock bottom.
That’s an overreaction. There’s pitching depth in the minors and talent at the MLB level, but yes, development and coaching of hitters/defenders is probably at the lowest point in 50+ years.
yes there’s pitching depth in the minors and that’s just part of the problem, they are still in the minors
There’s never been any urgency from the GM position to make changes at the major league level and that includes on offense
I am not suggesting that Chandler is permanently promoted but bring him up for his debut in a spot start and let’s see what he can do
Or bring up Yorke or Cook and just let Taylor go
There’s just no sense of urgency to a team that for the 5th consecutive season under current management will finish below .500
Terrier- But pitching development is at the highest point in 50+ years.
I would say keep pitching personnel and fire hitting personnel.
Me too.
It’s August 30, dozens of teams are releasing players and calling up prospects except for the cheapskate Pirates
Taylor should have been unconditionally released by now, Williams back to Indy, because neither brings any offensive value to this team and Cook and Yorke should be promoted
But Cherington is obviously satisfied with the status quo
I will venture to say that they will probably lose this current game
Only move I want to see is Cherington fired. Until then I don’t give a it what they do.
I want this team to lose every single game. Force Nutting to do something. Nutting is the real problem but he isn’t going anywhere. I won’t be surprised if he keeps Cherington. I will be calling for his job until he is fired or changes his plan.
So much for someone that posts here thinking Cutch can’t run or isn’t productive at the plate.
Granted he was on the 10 game IL but in the last 7 games he’s played in, he’s hit 4 homers
I really don’t want them to win anymore games this season either only because that’s going to probably be the only way Nutting cleans management off of the payroll but, there’s several players I still want to see do well
Reynolds
Cruz
Cutch
Jones
Keller
Skenes and
When he returns from the IL
Joey Bart
It’s unfair that I want them to lose knowing that the three pitchers with the most upside could be the beneficiaries of team losses yet Shelton, Haines and Cherington don’t deserve to return in their respective positions for 2025