NPB Players To Watch: June
It’s time for an update on NPB players who may be making their way to MLB in the near future. Here are the eight players that we are keeping track of at MLBTR. More details about their play styles and background are in the first article.
Players likely available in the 2023 offseason (most rumored or have publicly announced desire to play in MLB)
1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Orix Buffaloes
In the May update, I wrote that Yamamoto had yet to have his signature outing of the 2023 season, and since then he’s posted three consecutive gems. Yamamoto tossed eight innings in all three starts, allowing just one run and holding hitters to .092, while fanning 29.8% of them.
The 24-year-old right-hander now has a 1.59 ERA on the season, striking out 28.3% of hitters while walking just 4.6% and holding hitters to .188 in 62 ⅓ innings.
Yamamoto faces stiff competition from Sasaki for most strikeouts, but a third consecutive Pacific League Triple Crown (ERA, Wins, Ks) is definitely within reach.
2. Shota Imanaga, Yokohama DeNA Baystars
The 29-year-old left-hander is back to looking like the Yokohama Baystars ace after a rough May. In his last four starts, Imanaga has a 2.32 ERA, striking out 23.3% of hitters and walking 4.3%.
On the season, Imanaga has a 2.78 ERA, 26.7 K%, 3.3 BB%, and keeping hitters to a .225 batting average in 55 innings. The lefty struggles with the long ball at times (giving up eight in May), but regularly pitches deep into games, only failing to throw seven innings twice.
Imanaga positioned himself for an MLB move in 2023 by signing with a new agency last December. Given his strong track record in both NPB and international competitions, multiple teams should be showing interest in Imanaga this offseason.
3. Kona Takahashi, Saitama Seibu Lions
After a blistering start to the season, Takahashi has hit somewhat of a rough patch, with a 3.46 ERA in his last four starts. The 26-year-old right-hander is still tied for the Pacific League lead in ERA among qualified pitchers with a 2.11 mark.
On the season, the Lions’ ace is striking out 21% of hitters and holding them to .215, while walking 7.3% in 81 total innings.
According to Nikkan Gendai, an MLB scout said that Takahashi’s improvement has been a pleasant surprise. “He did not know how to pace himself before, so he’d be tired by around 80 pitches. Since last season, he’s balanced out his delivery and pace. With his frame at 6’2-6’3 and 231 lbs and the combination of an upper 90s fastball and splitter, barring any setbacks, multiple MLB teams should show interest in the offseason.”
4. Yuki Matsui, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The 27-year-old left-handed closer is as reliable as ever, with a 0.77 ERA, 38.8 K%, and 14 saves in 24 appearances in 2023.
An overseas free agent this offseason, Matsui has not clearly stated his intentions for a move to MLB this offseason outside of vague comments made earlier in his career.
Interestingly, he has made some changes this season that may be signaling a potential move.
He has mostly relied on his four-seam, splitter, and slider in his career, but this season he has cut down his slider usage and heavily increased the usage of his splitter. Given that the ability to throw splitters is highly valued in MLB, this could very well be him showcasing MLB front offices that his stuff will translate to the big leagues.
There is certainly a need across the league for left-handed relievers with strikeout ability, and Matsui may be an interesting option.
5. Naoyuki Uwasawa, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
The 29-year-old right-hander has bounced back from a nightmarish start to the season and is back to looking like an ace for the Fighters. In his last four starts since the previous NPB update, Uwasawa has a 1.74 ERA in 31 innings, striking out 20.8% of hitters and holding them to a .158 batting average, while walking 6.7%.
Stuff-wise, Uwasawa lags behind the other players on the list and profiles similar to former Fighters teammate and former Rangers starting pitcher Kohei Arihara. He faces an uphill battle to earn an MLB contract, but he seems intent on taking on the challenge anyway. Maintaining his current form and finishing the season below a 2.50 ERA would definitely improve his chances.
Younger stars to keep an eye on
1. Roki Sasaki, Chiba Lotte Marines
Sasaki has come down to earth a little bit after a 1.00 ERA in April and 1.64 ERA in May. In his last four starts, Sasaki has a 3.24 ERA and two losses. The ‘Monster of Reiwa’ still has a 1.89 ERA on the season, striking out hitters at an unfathomable 40.4% rate and holding them to .146 while walking just 5.6%.
While Sasaki has unquestionable stuff and strikeout ability, building up the stamina to handle a full season workload is the next step in his development. Marines manager Masato Yoshii said that he might skip Sasaki’s next start, saying that he looked tired. Sasaki usually throws on six days of rest this season. Unless he makes a surprise request to be posted, Sasaki has a couple of season to improve that area of his game.
2. Munetaka Murakami, Tokyo Yakult Swallows
The reigning Triple Crown winner looks more like himself in June, slashing .291/.418/.455 in 67 plate appearances. On the season, Murakami has a .233/.317/.419 line with a .789 OPS and 11 homers, a disappointing follow-up to his historic 2022 season.
Murakami is striking out on a horrendous 32% of at-bats, and his NPB-worst 89 total strikeouts is 22 more than the next closest at 67 strikeouts. He still has a strong walk rate at 16.5%, but is simply not making good contact.
Murakami is especially struggling to hit velocity, hitting just .083 against fastballs thrown harder than 150 km/h (93.75 mph). and is also struggling to hit righties, hitting just .180.
3. Kazuma Okamoto, Yomiuri Giants
A newcomer on this list, Okamoto has been one of the best hitters in NPB who is enjoying a career season. Some of you may remember him for his solo homer that extended Team Japan’s lead over Team USA in the WBC Final.
The 6’1, 220lb slugger is a career .275 hitter with 182 homers, hitting at least 30 homers in every season since becoming a full-time starter in 2018. Okamoto was the youngest player in NPB to post a .300, 30HR, 100 RBI season. He led the Central League in homers and RBIs in back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021,
The soon-to-be 27-year-old corner infielder is hitting .322/.414/.597 with 17 homers, 42 RBIs and an OPS of 1.010 in 2o23. He would be in prime position for the Triple Crown in any other season if it wasn’t for Toshiro Miyazaki and his .372 batting average.
In comparison to Murakami, Okamoto hits for less average and walks less. Okamoto has hit over .300 just once in his career, and has a 10.5% career BB% compared to Murakami’s 16.5%. Okamoto plays average defense at third base and has taken first base and left field reps this year.
Okamoto has hinted at some interest in a potential MLB move, but there is nothing concrete yet. He isn’t set to be a free agent for four years, his age-31 season. The Giants are traditionally against the posting system, so it remains to be seen whether or not he will request a move before that.
Honorable Mentions
The following players have either expressed their desire to play in the big leagues, been rumored by Japanese media, or have drawn interest from MLB scouts but have factors (age, team stance on posting system) preventing a potential move. I’ve also added top performers who may be of interest.
Shosei Togo, right-handed starting pitcher, Yomiuri Giants; Keiji Takahashi, left-handed starting pitcher, Tokyo Yakult Swallows; Taisei Ohta, right-handed reliever, Yomiuri Giants; Hiroto Takahashi, right-handed starting pitcher, Chunichi Dragons; Kaima Taira, right-handed starting pitcher, Saitama Seibu Lions; Atsuki Yuasa, right-handed reliever, Hanshin Tigers; Shinnosuke Ogasawara, left-handed starting pitcher, Chunichi Dragons; Shunpeita Yamashita, Orix Buffaloes; Tatsuya Imai, Seibu Lions; Takahisa Hayakawa, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles; Atsuki Taneichi, Chiba Lotte Marines
Guardians Designate Daniel Norris For Assignment
The Guardians have designated left-hander Daniel Norris for assignment, according to their transactions tracker at MLB.com. His roster spot will go to pitching prospect Gavin Williams, whose promotion was reported yesterday.
Norris, 30, was selected to the club’s roster just four days ago. He made one scoreless appearance of two innings but has now quickly lost his roster spot to make way for Williams. Prior to having his contract selected, he was pitching in Triple-A after signing a minor league deal with the Guards in March. He was serving as a swingman at that level, logging 37 2/3 innings over 14 appearances, nine of those being starts. He had a 6.93 ERA in that time, striking out 17.6% of opponents while walking 13.2%.
The lefty once seemed like a capable big league starter, finding himself on top 100 prospect lists while with the Blue Jays. He was traded to the Tigers as part of the 2015 deal that sent David Price to Toronto and he posted an ERA of 3.38 for the Tigers the next year. But injuries and underperformance gradually pushed him to the bullpen in subsequent seasons.
He’s shown flashes of promise at times but various clubs have tried to unlock it without much success. He’s bounced to the Brewers, Cubs, back to the Tigers, then the Reds and Guardians in recent seasons. But those opportunities have resulted in a 5.58 ERA dating back to the start of the 2021 season. He struck out 24.5% of batters in that time but walked 12.3%.
The Guards will now have a week to trade Norris or pass him through waivers. He has way more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency in the event that he clears waivers, so it’s possible he’ll be back on the open market in the coming days.
AL Central Notes: Buxton, Crochet, Tigers
Twins outfielder Byron Buxton has dealt with many injuries throughout his career, which has led the Twins to use him exclusively as a designated hitter so far this season. However, it seems that was not simply a choice they made about protecting him from future injuries. “From the beginning of the year, he has not been physically able to play in the outfield,” manager Rocco Baldelli tells Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. “If he was, he would be out there. If we even thought that it was possible that he could play in the outfield right now, he would be out there.”
Buxton underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in September of last year and seemingly recuperated enough to play but not enough that the Twins want him out on the grass. “Nothing has really gone up or down on that scale since the beginning of the year,” Baldelli said. “It hasn’t gotten closer. It hasn’t gotten further away. It’s basically in a similar spot. He is basically in a similar spot as he was in the beginning.”
Of course, the Twins could have opted to have Buxton start the season on the injured list and then activated him once he was 100% healthy, but it seems they preferred to have his bat in the lineup even without any defensive contributions and with diminished capabilities overall. Buxton’s sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second this year is roughly in line with last year’s 29.1 figure, though he has been steadily declining since hitting 30.9 in his rookie season. That seems to line up with the assessment that his knee hasn’t gotten fully healthy.
It might also be impacting him at the plate, as he’s hitting .209/.313/.428 on the year. That translates to a 106 wRC+, indicating he’s still been above average but below his own typical output. He hit .258/.316/.558 from 2019 to 2022 for a 136 wRC+. His .259 batting average on balls in play might point to some bad luck but his hard hit rate and average exit velocity are also down from last year. He’s also been struggling more of late, slashing just .149/.273/.266 since May 5. All hitters go through slumps, of course, but whether or not the knee is hampering him will be an interesting situation for the Twins to monitor as the season progresses.
Some more notes from the AL Central…
- The White Sox put left-hander Garrett Crochet on the injured list yesterday, retroactive to June 17, due to left shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Jimmy Lambert was reinstated from his own IL stint in a corresponding move. Crochet was drafted in 2020 and was quickly launched into the majors just a few months later. He’s since been able to post quality results out of the bullpen with a 2.69 ERA thus far, though injuries have also been an issue. He went on the IL in 2021 due to a back strain and then had his 2022 wiped out by Tommy John surgery. He returned this year but is now back on the IL after 10 outings. There hasn’t been anything to suggest this current injury is especially concerning but it’s yet another roadblock to him building up his workload. He has expressed a desire to return to starting pitching someday but has only been able to log 70 1/3 major league innings in his career thus far.
- The Tigers have faced a number of challenges in their rotation this year, which each of Eduardo Rodriguez, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, Spencer Turnbull, Alex Faedo and Beau Brieske currently on the injured list. Given all of those absences, it’s hardly surprising that the club’s starters have a collective 4.91 ERA that places them 25th out of the 30 clubs in the league. Things could be on the verge of improving, however, with most of that group nearing returns. Chris McCosky of The Detroit News takes a look at the different hurlers and their rehabs, with Skubal and Manning seemingly the closest since they are already on rehab assignments at the Triple-A level. The Tigers are just 32-41 coming into today’s action but are only 3.5 games off the lead in the weak division. Getting some young starters back in the mix would surely help them stay afloat in that wide open competition. Manning had a 3.43 ERA last year but has been limited to just two outings so far this year due to a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Skubal had a 3.52 ERA last year but has been out of action since undergoing flexor tendon surgery in August.
A’s Claim Angel Felipe
The Athletics have claimed right-hander Angel Felipe off waivers from the Padres, per a team announcement. Felipe has been optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. The A’s transferred righty Zach Jackson from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Felipe, 25, joins the rebuilding Athletics as a power-armed righty reliever with questionable command. Baseball America ranked him 29th among Padres prospects just a few weeks ago, touting a four-seamer and two-seamer that could both reach triple digits, as well as a potentially plus slider and potentially above-average changeup. Felipe is still relatively new to pitching, having played shortstop in his teenage days before moving to the mound upon signing as an amateur with the Rays.
This had been Felipe’s second season with the Padres, with whom he signed a minor league deal in the 2021-22 offseason. He’s yet to make his MLB debut and has spent the entire season in Triple-A El Paso, where he’s posted an ugly 6.20 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. Poor command has contributed to those ugly run-prevention numbers, evidenced by a 14.9% walk rate, a pair of hit batters and seven wild pitches in his brief time on the mound this year. However, Felipe has also fanned 32.2% of his opponents and has a history of gaudy ground-ball rates — even if this year’s 46.7% clip is “only” a few percentage points above league-average.
The Athletics have virtually no stability in their big league bullpen at the moment, and given the bleak outlook on their current rebuild, it’s only logical that they’d roll the dice on a big arm even with command issues. Flamethrowers who struggle to locate the ball aren’t exactly uncommon in today’s game, but the A’s can afford a longer leash than most clubs given that they’re not close to competing. Felipe has an option year remaining beyond the current season, so Oakland doesn’t need to make any kind of decision on the right-hander’s future in the short term.
Twins, Mark Kolozsvary Agree To Minor League Deal
The Twins have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Mark Kolozsvary, as first reported by Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North Radio (Twitter link). He’ll head to Triple-A St. Paul to serve as catching depth. He rejected an outright assignment with the Orioles in favor of free agency late last week.
Kolozsvary, 27, made his big league debut with the Reds last summer and won a Silver Medal with the United States Olympic team a year prior. He went 4-for-20 with a homer and a pair of doubles in last year’s brief MLB cup of coffee but was removed from Cincinnati’s 40-man roster following the season. The Orioles claimed him off waivers and eventually succeeded in outrighting the catcher themselves. Baltimore selected Kolozsvary back to the big league roster eight days ago, but he appeared in just one game and didn’t make a plate appearance before being designated for assignment.
In parts of six minor league seasons, Kolozsvary is a .211/.320/.339 hitter, including a tepid .172/.250/.299 slash in 96 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A in the Orioles’ system this year. He’s thwarted 31% of stolen base attempts against him in the minors, and his framing has improved throughout his career, per Baseball Prospectus’ framing runs metric. Baseball America ranked Kolozsvary 26th among Reds prospects a year ago, labeling him as a good defender, framer and blocker whose offensive skill set still needed refinement.
The Twins don’t have an immediate need for catching help on the big league roster, where Christian Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers have handled the entirety of the workload. Kolozsvary will join veteran Tony Wolters and 23-year-old Jair Camargo as catching options on the Saints’ roster in St. Paul for the time being.
Jon Singleton Elects Free Agency
Brewers first baseman Jon Singleton went unclaimed on waivers following his recent DFA and elected free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A, tweets Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He’s now free to sign with any team.
Singleton, 31, returned to the Majors for the first time since 2015 this season but struggled in 11 games and 32 plate appearances for the Brewers. During that time, he slashed just .103/.183/.138 –a far cry from the more robust .258/.384/.483 line he delivered in 216 Triple-A plate appearances prior to his call to the big leagues.
Once one of baseball’s top-ranked prospects, Singleton was out of the game entirely from 2018-20 before resurfacing with a strong showing in the Mexican League back in 2021. He parlayed the .321/.503/.693 batting line (in a comically hitter-friendly setting) into a minor league deal with the Brewers, with whom he spent the entire 2022 season and the 2023 season until today’s decision.
Since returning to affiliated ball, Singleton has displayed plenty of power and a prodigious walk rate in Triple-A Nashville, batting a combined .230/.378/.448 with 34 home runs, 30 doubles and three triples in that time. Along the way, he’s walked at a gaudy 19.3% clip and punched out in 25.3% of his plate appearances — though he’s actually cut down on the strikeouts substantially this season (27.7% rate in 2022 compared to 19% in 2023). He obviously hasn’t put things together in the big leagues at any point in his brief MLB career, but Singleton’s power and plate discipline profile in his recent work at the Triple-A level could still intrigue a club hoping to add some left-handed pop to its depth chart.
Nationals Select Derek Hill, Place Victor Robles On Injured List
The Nationals have selected the contract of outfielder Derek Hill from Triple-A Rochester, per a team announcement. In a corresponding 26-man roster move, center fielder Victor Robles was placed on the 10-day IL due to lower back spasms. Washington already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move was not necessary in that regard. MASNsports.com’s Bobby Blanco noted prior to the announcement that Hill was in the Nationals’ clubhouse.
Hill 27, was the No. 23 overall pick by the Tigers back in the 2014 draft but has yet to deliver on that draft status and several years ranking among Detroit’s top farmhands. He spent parts of three big league seasons with the Tigers, appearing in 95 games and taking 254 plate appearances from 2020-22. The resulting .240/.291/.339 slash line was underwhelming and ultimately led to a DFA for Hill just prior to last summer’s trade deadline. The Mariners claimed him a few days later but outrighted him off the 40-man roster in October. Hill elected minor league free agency and caught on with the Nats.
It’s been a brilliant start to the season for Hill up in Rochester, where he’s turned in a .324/.381/.533 batting line with eight homers, 10 doubles, a pair of triples and 10 steals (in 11 tries). His 7.8% walk rate is a bit below average, but his 21.6% strikeout rate is also slightly lower than that of an average big league hitter. It’s Hill’s third season with time spent at the Triple-A level, and he now carries a .283/.344/.470 batting line at that level in an even 600 plate appearances. Hill is out of minor league options, so the Nats can’t send him back down unless they first designate him for assignment and pass him through outright waivers.
Robles, 26, will head to the injured list in the midst of his best showing since a 21-game cup of coffee with the Nats back in 2018. The longtime top prospect is hitting .299/.385/.364 in 126 plate appearances this season, with the uptick in production largely attributable to a career-low 14.3% strikeout rate. Robles’ 8.7% walk rate is also the second-highest mark he’s posted since his 2017 MLB debut and a far sight better than the career 5.9% mark he carried into the current season.
The Nationals haven’t yet provided a timetable for Robles’ return, but Hill figures to see plenty of time in center field while Robles is out. Hill is in the lineup hitting eighth and playing center this afternoon. Lane Thomas and Alex Call are the only other outfielders to log any innings in center this season, but Call is currently in Triple-A Rochester and Thomas has just 11 innings there.
Check Out Hoops Rumors For NBA Draft Coverage
The 2023 NBA draft is tomorrow night at 7:00 pm CT, and Hoops Rumors has all the latest news and rumors! Last offseason saw the majority of the league’s 30 teams involved in trades for coveted draft picks, and the expectation is that Thursday could be even more action-packed. We’ve already seen two deals leading up to the draft, including a blockbuster involving a couple multi-time All-Stars, but that was just the tip of the iceberg, because the rumor mill is buzzing about several other possibilities.
There’s no mystery with the first overall pick, as the Spurs will take French big man Victor Wembanyama, who has been widely hailed as the top prospect since LeBron James was the No. 1 pick 20 years ago. However, there’s a significant amount of uncertainty for the remainder of the first round, including the other projected top-three picks — Charlotte is reportedly still weighing whether to select Alabama’s Brandon Miller or G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson at No. 2.
The Hornets, Trail Blazers (No. 3), Rockets (No. 4) and Pistons (No. 5) are all reportedly open to moving their draft picks in the right deal, which is rare. All of the teams just below them — the Magic (Nos. 6 and 11), Pacers (Nos. 7, 26, 29), Wizards (No. 8), Jazz (Nos. 9, 16, 28) and Mavericks (No. 10) — have been linked to trade rumors as well. We’ll soon find out if any of those selections will be headed elsewhere.
Over at Hoops Rumors, we’ll be keeping tabs on all the latest NBA news and rumors ahead of the draft, in addition to tracking each of this year’s 58 draft picks. With the draft nearly upon us and free agency only nine days away, this is the most eventful time of year for the NBA rumor mill, so be sure to visit Hoops Rumors and follow @HoopsRumors on Twitter for all the latest updates!
Alex Verdugo Open To Extension With Red Sox
Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo is currently slated to become a free agent after the 2024 season but is open to staying in Boston longer. “I’m all ears,” he tells Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. “I do love Boston. I’ve been saying it for many years. I’ve really been able to come into my own in this organization. I like it a lot.”
However, Verdugo says that he and the club haven’t had any talks about a contract that would prevent him from hitting the open market. There’s still time for such talks to take place though and the outfielder doesn’t seem especially concerned. “However they and we want to handle it, that’s how it happens,” he says. “All in good time. It will happen when it happens.”
The 27-year-0ld is having his best season to date in 2023. His 8.9% walk rate is around league average, but his 12.1% strikeout rate is excellent, placing him in the top 10 among qualified hitters in the league. He only has five home runs on the year, but his contact approach has led to a .301/.374/.462 batting line. His 128 wRC+ indicates he’s been 28% better than the league-average hitter and represents the highest such tally of his career.
Verdugo is having a solid campaign on defense as well, having tallied nine Defensive Runs Saved, two Outs Above Average and a grade of 8.2 from Ultimate Zone Rating. Those figures all put him on pace to set personal bests in those categories by season’s end if he keeps it up. FanGraphs grades him as having produced 2.4 wins above replacement on the season, which is already better than his high of 2.1 from back in 2019 with the Dodgers. Baseball Reference gave him 3.0 WAR for that 2019 campaign but he’s already at 2.8 this year with more than half the season remaining.
If Verdugo can keep up that level of play for the rest of this year and the 2024 season, he’ll be setting himself up for a nice payday. He will turn 28 next May and will be set to become a free agent prior to his age-29 season, allowing him to market several of his prime years to potential suitors.
The Red Sox could prevent him from reaching the open market with an extension but apparently haven’t shown much interest in doing so, at least not yet. If they do have interest, it’s possible that they will sit down with Verdugo and his representatives this offseason, since contract talks during this stage of the season are rare. At that point, he will have more than five years of service time and be within a year of free agency.
Looking at some recent extensions for players in that service time bracket, there are some players obviously on a tier above Verdugo. MVP-caliber players like Francisco Lindor and Verdugo’s teammate Rafael Devers got $341MM and $313.5MM, respectively. Slightly below those guys, there’s players like Byron Buxton and Ketel Marte, who have shown MVP upside on occasion but have struggled to stay healthy for lengthy stretches. They each signed deals with lesser guarantees but heavy incentives that would allow them to earn more money if they stayed healthy, with Buxton getting $100MM and Marte $76MM.
Verdugo is a solid contributor but hasn’t quite reached the elite levels of those players. A better comparison is probably Ian Happ, who just signed a three-year, $61MM extension with the Cubs. Decent but not elite corner outfielders tend to be capped near that level even when they reach the open market. This past winter, we saw Andrew Benintendi get a $75MM guarantee over five years from the White Sox while Mitch Haniger got $43.5MM over three, as injury concerns for the latter undoubtedly tamped that down a bit.
The Red Sox have generally shied away from extensions, even with their star players, which is how Verdugo came to Boston in the first place. When the Sox were clearly not going to extend Mookie Betts, they flipped him and David Price to the Dodgers for a package of players headlined by Verdugo. More recently, Xander Bogaerts and the club couldn’t agree to a second extension and he wound up with the Padres. They bucked that trend with Devers this winter and made him their face-of-the-franchise player.
It’s fairly understandable that the Sox don’t have too much urgency to lock up Verdugo, in that they already have a long-term commitment to one corner outfielder. This offseason, they signed Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90MM guarantee that also involved paying a $15.375MM release fee to the Orix Buffaloes, his NPB team. Teams generally lean towards making their signature commitments in the middle of the diamond, with catchers, shortstops and center fielders often outpacing similar hitters in the corners. The Sox have one such deal with Trevor Story but are also significantly embedded with Devers and Yoshida. Perhaps they would prefer to save their chips to address other areas of their roster such as their pitching staff or catching corps.
Of course, these situations are always fluid. With Happ and the Cubs, the team already had significant commitments to players like Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki and nothing came together by Opening Day this year. It didn’t feel like it would get done, but the two sides finally put pen to paper on April 12, when he was just a few months away from free agency. Though it doesn’t seem like there’s much progress between the Sox and Verdugo right now, these things can come together quickly, especially when the player is open to staying.
Pirates Ownership Supportive Of Buyers’ Mentality At Trade Deadline
The Pirates’ success for much of the season has been one of the surprise storylines of the 2023 campaign. Pittsburgh burst out of the gates with a torrid April, capping off that month by winning 11 of 12 games. They’ve since endured losing streaks of seven and eight games (currently active) but also enjoyed a six-game winning streak in what’s been a roller-coaster performance. All told, the Bucs sit at 34-38, with their recent slide and a corresponding 10-game winning streak from the Reds dropping Pittsburgh to four games back in a feeble NL Central division.
That sub-.500 record might sink them in other divisions. They’re right in the mix in the Central, though, and Pirates president Travis Williams made clear in an interview with Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that with the trade deadline approaching, general manager Ben Cherington will have the support of ownership to pursue upgrades that improve the team both in 2023 and beyond.
Pirates fans, in particular, will want to check out the full interview for Williams’ comments on the deadline, the 2023 MLB draft, potential contract extensions and more. By and large, however, Williams stressed that he and owner Bob Nutting will “give [Cherington] the opportunity or the freedom to do what he needs to do” in order to bring about a 2023 postseason berth if the opportunity exists. While the team president went on to say it’d be “silly” to forecast the context of the trade market and the moves his team might make with the Aug. 1 deadline so far down the road, he doubled down that the goal is now to “be a winning team, not only this year but for the long term.”
It’s worth again noting that the Pirates are in the midst of an eight-game freefall in the standings. While they’re currently still easily within arm’s reach of the division, Williams, Nutting and Cherington may well view things differently if the team can’t stop the bleeding and finds itself looking up at a more sizable deficit a month from now. It’s unlikely the Pirates would strike up deals for any rental players if they were eight-plus games out of the postseason chase, for instance. That said, the progress made this year and Williams’ mention of winning beyond the current season would likely still leave the door cracked for the Bucs to add some MLB talent that’s controllable through 2024 and beyond, regardless of the current season’s standings.
As far as potential areas of improvement, the Pirates have any number of avenues to explore. Pittsburgh ranks anywhere from the bottom-third of MLB teams to the middle of the pack club in terms of runs scored (300, 23rd in MLB), home runs, (67, 25th in MLB), rotation ERA (4.34, 16th in MLB) and bullpen ERA (4.41, 24th in MLB). Injuries have taken some of the shine of the team and strained the team’s depth. Shortstop Oneil Cruz underwent ankle surgery on April 10 and isn’t expected back until later this summer. Right-handers JT Brubaker and Vince Velasquez have both undergone season-ending elbow surgery. Relievers Wil Crowe, Jarlin Garcia, Jose Hernandez and Colin Holderman are all on the injured list.
The Bucs appear more set in some areas than others. Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski have locked themselves into outfield spots with strong performances, and Andrew McCutchen is having a resurgent year between designated hitter and right field. The recent promotion of top prospect Henry Davis gives the Pirates three catching options and also puts Davis in position to solidify right field for the time being. Ke’Bryan Hayes isn’t hitting as well as hoped at third base, but his elite defense will keep him in the lineup regularly. Infielders Ji Hwan Bae, Tucupita Marcano and Carlos Santana have all struggled to varying extents with the bat, while utilityman Rodolfo Castro has hit fairly well but with shaky glovework.
In the rotation, Mitch Keller has enjoyed a long-awaited breakout — recent slump notwithstanding — while Johan Oviedo and veteran Rich Hill have provided nearly identical 4.30 and 4.31 ERAs, respectively, in a combined 29 starts. Top prospect Quinn Priester could get a look before too long, but the Pirates could certainly use some additional help on this front. In the bullpen, David Bednar has been his typically excellent self. Dauri Moreta and the currently injured Hernandez and Holderman have both filled key roles, too, but it’s been a top-heavy group that’s rotated more than a dozen relievers through the final few spots in the ‘pen.
There’s still just under six weeks until the actual trade deadline, and as the recent streaks in both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati illustrate, the standings can change in only a fraction of that time. Still, it’s encouraging for Pirates fans to hear leadership discussing a buyer’s mentality this late into the season. If the Bucs can right the ship and remain in contention, they’ll be looking to add at the trade deadline for the first time since 2018.