The Pirates are acquiring righty Chase Shugart from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league right-hander Matt McShane, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Boston designated Shugart for assignment earlier in the week. The Pirates will need to make a 40-man roster move of their own to finalize the swap.
Shugart, 28, made his big league debut with the BoSox last season and allowed four runs in 8 2/3 innings out of the ’pen. He averaged 96.1 mph on his heater in that brief cup of coffee. He’s pitched in parts of three Triple-A seasons, struggling in the first two before finding more success there in 2024: 4.46 ERA, 25.6% strikeout rate, 10.2% walk rate, 44.4% grounder rate.
During his brief look in the majors, Shugart showed five pitches — a four-seamer, cutter, sinker, slider and changeup. He didn’t induce many whiffs in the majors but logged a solid 11.7% swinging-strike rate in Triple-A. Shugart has a pair of minor league options remaining, so he’ll provide the Bucs with some flexible bullpen depth.
McShane, 22, was the Pirates’ 13th-round draft pick just last summer. He’s yet to pitch in pro ball. McShane posted a 3.76 ERA in parts of three seasons as a reliever at St. Joseph’s University and also pitched in the Cape Cod League in each of the past two summers. The 6’4″, 220-pound righty has a strong pitcher’s frame but amounts to little more than a lottery ticket. Odds are that the Sox also liked him coming out of St. Joe’s and might’ve considered him with their own pick in the later stages of the 2024 draft. He’ll likely head to a Class-A affiliate to begin the 2025 season.
Pirates are spending all that money they saved the past 6 years
actually, their payroll projected for 2025 is $77 million dollars and if it doesn’t increase, the cheapest owner in baseball will have the lowest payroll too
Steve was joking
yeah, Einstein, I know
Sounds like the Marlins will be taking that honor but Bobby won’t be much higher.
Maybe he will get hit by a flying snow ball tomorrow at pirates fest
will there be a rock inside the snowball?
How did you not get that was a joke?
How did you not get
my sarcasm’?
$77M isn’t a projection. It’s the actual total committed by the Pirates. They will spend anywhere from $85M-$100M total by Opening Day. That could be on an extension and/or an addition to the 26-man.
Actually Pirates finally trading prospects. Only problem is that they are not getting proven players in return. Between this trade and Horwitz trade that’s now 3 SP prospects and a proven MLB pitcher for a 27 year old 1B with minimal experience and a 28 year old reliever who was DFA earlier this week.
BC either has a terrible amateur scouting department or a terrible MLB scouting department. Or perhaps both
Dream always says the same thing every pre season, that they will spend up to $100 million and every pre season, he’s been wrong
I will believe it when it happens
I say they could. Nutting though spends accordingly to last years attendance. Instead of realizing if I have an exciting off season I will sell more tickets. Pirates pretty much have to win before he goes to 100. But yeah when they have a playoff caliber team and to remain one will take 100 million he will spend 100 million.
And to be fair things happen that limit the spending. Like they need a 1b right? So if Cleveland said we ain’t trading Horowitz who makes minimum wage then they would had to sign someone who makes real $ or trade for a Naylor Lowe who makes real $. Last years Atlanta just gave them Gonzales vs having to spend real $. They will never spend if they don’t have to.
These kind of moves are always wild card in nature. You never know where the forgotten trade finds a gem. Who ever heard of Brock Holt when he arrived in Boston. Every team makes deals involving nobody most have heard of either one for one in basically a waiver deal like this one or as a throw in.
A guy who lasted to 13th round isn’t much of a prospect.
The other two were fantasies. Pirates likely would have never developed them into anything. And if they thought they could they wouldn’t have traded them for Horowitz. Ortiz just a guy. Easily replaced guy. Now Cleveland is superior at player development so who knows what they can do with them. But no big loss for Pittsburgh.
Horowitz is proven. You have 300 and some at bats of video and data. Years of minors data. Your GM and hitting coach ois from Horowitz team. You wait for him to get anymore proven they will just keep him to replace Vladdy.
Lots of great players were drafted in later rounds.
mlb.com/news/best-late-round-picks-in-draft-histor…
Completely irrelevant. Scouting and Analytics. There’s no hidden gems. Not when you have all the data right on your smart phone along with video to watch. You can still find talent in 13th round. Just not as often and easily. This guy could be great. But they guy they draft round 13 in 2025 just as likely to be. Same with 2026 2027 etc. Obviously not all 13th round talent is the same. A 50k vs 800k signing bonus is drastically different.
Like a relative of mine who years ago wa drafted in the ninth round by the Pirates but chose to go to college instead. You know what? He still is a nobody …
In the past in order to be good at baseball you needed a loving dad who knew baseball to teach you. Maybe got lucky and had a great highschool coach. Lots of kids had lots of development potential left in them. Now you can just go on YouTube. Training facilities everywhere. Amazing technology.
You can still get talent late. Just nothing like it was in the old days.
You never know what a prospect could turn into. For example, Luis Guerrero was drafted in the 17th round.
College smart choice. Especially back in day. Even today if you aren’t getting at least a million go to school.
@All in. Agree 100 percent. It’s just the kid the Pirates draft in round 11 12 13 14 15 16 next year is just as likely to hit. They just drafted him. They haven’t developed him yet. Every team passed on him how many times. If he becomes something special is pure luck. Even if Boston seen he was special they would have drafted him round 10 11 12 to make sure they got him.
I’m just saying before money ball. Before analytics departments. Before YouTube. It was much much much ….. easier to hit on late round picks. Why they have fewer minor league teams (besides $) and drafts are only 20 rounds. The amount of undeveloped talent is much much much …. smaller.
Can still be done though. Especially if you bribe a raw highschool kid to signing instead of going to college.
MLB teams need to know it’s important to understand if a pitcher uses a Roger Beshens Football Slider when looking at their statistics. If a team cannot make accurate predictions they will struggle to be successful.
There is no information to compete with learning the Roger Beshens Football Slider.
This marks the 29th player that Cherington has scooped up from the Red Sox or Blue Jays since taking over the Pirates.
To me, that shows he’s not very good at scouting and developing if he can’t think outside the box from his past teams.
@holecamels if that is the case, why have scouts?
Outside of pitching development, Ben hasn’t exactly set the baseball world on fire with his position players scouting or development.
Or drafting position players for that matter
or outside the Sox
Know teams knows players better than the team they are on. So it definitely helps.
And it’s doesn’t factor in for many. IKF wasn’t there when Ben was. Ben didn’t draft Yorke.
He claimed Alford sure. But also claimed Tom Fowler Gamel. Pretty much if a outfielder hit the waiver wire he was claiming them.
Trades like this always confuse me. Like, oh, you have a 28-year-old rookie reliever that wasn’t good enough to justify a bullpen spot on a .500 team? Yeah, we’ll take him, have our 13th-round pick from a few months ago who we haven’t even given the chance to play.
Unless I’m missing something, this feels like a trade that we’ll look back on in a decade the same way we look at the Tatis Jr./Shields trade now.
As a red sox fan that’s what I’m hoping
Pirates got this guy for free. 13th round draft pick is nothing. Odds of him hitting are just as good as next years 13th 14tj 15th 16th 12th 11th round pick. Oh and you have to develop him. Takes a roster spot. And likely never becomes as good as this Red Sox mlb ready player.
Just got mlb ready depth and I actually like Shugart and he could win a spot in pen. But at worse it’s depth for absolutely nothing.
Guy who might be useful in 6 years for a guy who cracked the majors last year
I don’t love this trade, but Ben is creating a real competition for bullpen spots
Know – You are correct. Shugart improved his average fastball speed to an average of 96 mph in 2024, which is what got him the callup to Boston. He could certainly be a productive bullpen add for the Pirates or just an up and down type because he has options (does not need to clear waivers). The player the Red Sox received is a total unknown as he has never thrown a single pitch in professional baseball.
The trade works for both teams. The Pirates get bullpen depth that might turn into a solid piece in the bullpen, and the Red Sox clear a 40-man roster spot and got something in return.
It’s not like the Tatis Jr./Shields trade is an often occurence. Sure, it happens, but for every Tatis/Shields trade, there are hundreds of trades like this that are forgotten about in a week and neither player ever makes an impact on either team.
It’s not all that confusing. Ben sees a guy with a record and more scouting vs a guy who has shown nothing yet.
Doesn’t make it a good idea just not a overly perplexing one. I probably wouldn’t do it with my limited knowledge of the situation. Could just be to free up low-a roster space while getting more pen arms with the hopes some stick. (?)
Ben has a full pen to fill
But has limited budget to add a bat.
So gotta make these kind of moves to save up for a better bat.
Know – Agreed. Shugart would be on a MLB minimum contract.
Hahahaha Goku
Oh
You’re serious
Yea I hate trading prospects for veterans that have just been designated for assignment. Nothing to see here. Depth for a prospect that will probably end up being depth.
there’s never anything to see with this team which is a problem
They need a right fielder and not from dumpster diving either
MLB1225
They still need a right fielder and for every dumpster diving trade Ben makes that won’t have any impact on this season, it becomes more clear that he won’t be either signing one or trading for one
Doesn’t matter. He’ll throw some meaningless analytics out there and come this time next year, this scrap Cherington has added this winter will be trivia questions
#JackIsBack2025
RIGHTFIELDER please !! Make it a good player……Grichuk, Verdugo, Jesus Sanchez. At least a little positivity going forward ! Spend a little money
RF should be Yorke against RHP. Cook (Or Henry or Cutch ) against LHP.
Screw the washed up vets. Try a prosect
None of those vets are coming here. That’s the joke of it all. They might as well say they’re interested in Alonso, too
Not sure about yorke out there but through spring and aomth or so into the season I would have Davis in the OF as much as possible. He needs ABs as he really has nothing really left to prove at the MiLB level
OF days for Davis are over. He either sorts the mass of information in his head or he ends up in AAA. Yorke is a legit option with his speed, eye and potential. A corner OFer with experience would be nice as the kids continue to develop between AAA/MLB.
Just what kids are developing at AAA?
There are none on the horizon, a true testament to the train wreck of a player development department
Yorke makes sense but one wonders how long are they going to try to see something out of Suwinski and Davis
Endy will most likely be assigned to AAA as he continues to develop and build back after surgery. The Pirates love to play the options game. Palacios is out of options, Suwinski, Yorke and Cook are not. Depending on who/if they sign a Free Agent OF will help determine who is the #4/#5 OF on the 26-man. Any number of pitchers are still developing and will require time in AAA while also getting a taste in the majors. Peguero is still developing. I hope to see him get a long leash opportunity at the MLB level. Things aren’t moving as fast as many fans would like, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.
DUQDuke82
Just what kids are developing at AAA?
=========================
Bubba Chandler.
He was talking about outfielders, Joe
The pitching prospects on the farm are well known. But can anyone down there hit?
I like Peguero but I’m not sure he’s an every day SS
Cook, Yorke? Worth a look, sure
Palacios is bench. And Jack? Eh.
No, Rome wasn’t built in a day but this particular rebuild did not go as smoothly as what you’d seen in TB, Baltimore, Cleveland.
The guys who’ve been called up simply aren’t MLB caliber.
Peguero hasn’t been given the same opportunity as Gonzales, Triolo and Bae. He’s learning to play SS. Let’s see what he can do. Utilize the 4th option he was awarded. Those 3 teams didn’t tear everything down to the studs like Cherington was required to do when he took over. Even so, Baltimore is reluctant to trade top prospects. Suwinski isn’t broken goods as long as Hague is in control.
Peguero is a SS. Wasn’t until last year. He made a large leap defensively. It was always in him, just Pirates development
.. Fortunate they developed him at all. Better late than never.
Bat though made zero improvement eventually. Until that happens he is nothing.
@North I don’t think we’re seeing the same Yorke. if we are comparing Yorke to Davis, Davis has much higher offensive potential. His time is running out to prove he can translate it to the MLB though. I don’t care what position he plays, he needs ABs. OF, catcher, first.. were ever OF just seems like the best as of this post.
I can’t believe they are still jerking Davis. It feels a bit like Adell. Pick a position and play him there full-time. He’s not great, but he’s hit at every level.
He’s had opportunities to show something here but has failed
Defensively, he’s shown nothing special behind the plate or in RF. And at the plate, he constantly looks surprised by what he’s thrown, and to where
Young guy who likely was a victim of mind games here—-promises by an organization run like a Three Stooges endeavor
Joe- You forget that it is the Pirates.Davis should be put in AAA to play RF and be brought up after a month.
He could also DH.
He is a mediocre catcher at best and that is the toughest position to play.
He also does not have Haines as the batting coach anymore.
Give him and Suwinski a chance and platoon Jack and they may actually blossom.
Cutch knees shoulder whatever else is magically getting better with age to play outfield? Probably more feasible than them teaching Henry to.
#JackIsBack2025
Henry may never be good out there but he has never been given the experience so we do not know.
That arm plays extremely well there.
It’s believed, McCutchen still isn’t official. No corresponding move required for Shugart.
Cutch officially signed with the Bucs on December 23 of last year
It was reported, but never made official by the Pirates. Confirmed when Shugart was made official today with no corresponding move. 40-man is full. McCutchen will require a corresponding move once official.
So when I saw him being interviewed on local TV after the signing, saying he was glad to be back home for another year—and when the Pirates made the announcement via instagram—-it was all an illusion.
I didn’t say, he’s still a free agent. He doesn’t yet count against the 40-man because the trade has not be made officially official by the Pirates and MLB. Likely waiting for PiratesFest.
Ok. Understood. Apologies
You’re wrong. McCutchen is already listed on the Pirates 40-man roster.
That’s the perplexing part. He shouldn’t be there. The signing isn’t official.
Northshore might be right. I count 41 on 40 man. Or I counted wrong.
Doesn’t matter as they have plenty of expendable players.
Based on what? The signing was reported as official EVERYWHERE. I suspect they will DFA someone on Saturday to make room for Shugart.
It’s the trade that isn’t official yet. Note the story says Pirates “to acquire”, NOT Pirates “have acquired”. The trade will be official once they DFA someone on Saturday.
The Pirates made the Shugart acquisition official this afternoon. MLB Trade Rumors just hasn’t updated the article. Cutch remain unofficial.
Today they released their 2019 draft pick, Andres Alvarez, an infielder and who was AAA player of the month last July.
Yet this transaction wasn’t officially announced either.
But it’s on the team website
Teams don’t announce those moves.
Pirates and Red Sox love trading with each other
I’m waiting on Jared Jones or Bubba Chandler, and I am willing to pay.
According to the transaction report on the Pirates website, they have signed a slew of players to minor league contracts since January 1 and most weren’t reported on this website
Hanley Ramirez is one of those players
Those are International players signed since the window opened on Jan 15th, 2025
Been a lame offseason even by pirates standards. How about capitalizing on the excitement surrounding skenes Jones Keller and the next group? Reynolds are Cruz are really good ballplayers. Just try a little.
not every player signed since Jan 1 was an International signing
And Cutch was on 93.7 the Fan this evening
He said that he signed on December 23
You don’t know everything
You know nothing
They should be trading with the RS. We have a lot of good young hitting and Pitt has a lot of good young pitching.
It’s remarkable that they started this rebuild a few years ago but were unable to conduct a true, accurate read on their position players
Just where does the blame lie?
Did scouts misidentify player abilities, or did the development staff fail miserably?
The Pirates have been outstanding in identifying pitching prospects and bringing them along. But what does it say about their rebuild that all they have to put around these young arms is largely scrap?
Yeah, Joe. What choice do they have but to do such trades, when the owner refuses to spend on free agents?
I’ll throw three things out there.
1-Even they needed hitting, Skenes was the no-doubt #1.. Great player, but not a great fit.
2-The drafted Davis #1/1, even though Mayer was the consensus #1. But they probably saved $2M with the signing that they spent on Chandler. It turned out fairly well, so far, but it is again favoring pitching,. As a RS fan, I’d reverse that situation and send them Mayer for Chandler + Davis, so Pitt did okay.
3-This is just imho, but it pains me to see Pitt being so cheap. They can have one of the best rotations in baseball, and have at least a couple of guys that can hit.
Part of the tanking process is to spend nothing for 3 years, but then to move all-in once the tanking process bears fruit.
Beyond finances being the modus operandi for everything here, it’s hard to fathom the thinking from a baseball perspective moving forward
While I’d agree with your conclusions, the simple point an average fan would point to is that the NL and NL Central is generally watered down. It wouldn’t take much to make the playoffs
With a starting staff of Skenes, Keller, Jones, Falter and perhaps Bubba, you’d have thought they would look to either add a couple of middling FA bats, or trade from their depth which is young arms and still, middle infielders
They’ve done neither
It’s been a mind boggling off season
Their high draft picks have been automatic picks. All Cheringtons 1st picks were we had to draft this guy other than Gonzales.
There was half a dozen 1b available. I didn’t care what one they got. It just happened to be the cheapest. Maybe only one they could get. But they got one. That’s all that matters.
The only outfielder that was a fit cost 2m so nothing cheap. They were just stupid. Now Winker signed so maybe that was a mistake. What he cost 7 and then 1.5 in incentives. He knows NY. They are a winner. So what you are going to pay him 10 or 11 to force him to come to Pittsburgh? Pay Conforto 21 22 million to force him here? Refusing to massively overpay people who don’t want to be here isn’t cheap. Teo obviously wanted to go back to LA. Santander would be fantastic power bat. Simply can’t give up the draft pick to sign him though. That draft pick will equal a instant top 10 prospect. Cherington can’t develop anyone who isn’t a elite prospect. Pirates can’t sign any QO players.
I’m sure they prefer not spending $ but there is few free agents available to them. Keller Hayes are getting 70 million or whatever. Reynolds over 100m. Gave Chapman 10.5m Perez 8m. Heck they gave Rich Hill 8 million. If someone is willing to take their $ they will spend it.
I know enough to say goodbye NorthShore643
It’s one thing to offer your opinions, it’s another thing entirely when you become arrogant
This guy isn’t worth an MLB contract. Neither is he or deGues worthy of a 40-man roster spot. Wth
is BC doing?
They have lots of guess who don’t need to be on a 40 man. And many won’t be. It’s called depth. Keep the ones you want and try to get the rest down to AAA.
The greatest thing that will happen to Shugart is he will learn how to use the Roger Beshens Football Slider.
Sharing the truth isn’t being arrogant. It’s educating the masses. I stand by everything I’ve posted. McCutchen is not official and therefore isn’t counted against the 40-man. The Pirates love to make things unnecessary more complex than they need to be. I follow this team very closely. You can’t just go to one website 100% of the time for your information.
Note the difference?:
12/23/24 RF Andrew McCutchen assigned to Pittsburgh Pirates.
01/10/25 Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent LHP Caleb Ferguson.
Not yet being reported here, Right handed pitcher Ryan has been signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training today
Another dumpster diving move by the cheapest franchise in baseball
He pitched in 29 games last season for the Pirates and was credited with an ERA of over 5
Just what they need