Comings, goings and transitions...
- Contract tender day results: IF Erik Gonzalez was signed to a one-year/$1.225 million contract (he made $725K last season), so he apparently remains firmly in the starting SS mix. Gonzo played SS/3B last year, batted .227 and was in his second year of arb. They also agreed to 2021 contracts with RHP Michael Feliz ($1M; it was $1.1M in 2020) and RHP Jameson Taillon ($2.25M, same as last year). Other arb-eligibles RHP Trevor Williams and 1B/OFJose Osuna had already been released. The remainder of Bucco arb players (10) will go through the drill. They are 1B Josh Bell, LHP Steven Brault, RHP Kyle Crick, 2B Adam Frazier, RHP Chad Kuhl, 1B/3B Colin Moran, RHP Joe Musgrove, RHP Richard Rodriguez, C Jake Stallings, and RHP Chris Stratton.
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| Clay Holmes - 2019 photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates |
- The team did not tender a contract to RHP Clay Holmes (he's arb eligible in 2022); there's still some question as to how serious his elbow injury is. The Pirates, as they had hoped, re-signed him to a minor league deal with an invite to camp.
- 1B Will Craig cleared waivers and was outrighted to Indy.
- Tommy Sandt, 69, passed away. He spent 21 years with the Pirates organization, managing in the Pirates upper levels and then coaching with Jim Leyland, who he followed to Florida and Colorado, before returning to Pittsburgh. Kevin Gorman of the Trib has his story.
- RHP Nick Tropeano, who was released by the Bucs earlier in the year and claimed by the Mets, was just non-tendered by NY.
- The Rockies avoided arbitration with ex-Bucco C Elias Diaz by signing him to a one-year/1.2M contract w/$300,000 in incentives available, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.
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| Eli - 2016 Topps Heritage Rookie Stars |
- C Luke Maile has signed with the Brewers pending his physical, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. He was supposed to be the Bucs backup last year but spent the season on the IR instead and was released after the campaign.
- Chris Young, ex-MLB pitcher who started his pro career as a Pirates draft pick in 2000 before being traded to the Expos in 2002, was named GM of the Texas Rangers.
- The winter meetings start today (it's virtual this year); Noah Wright of Rumbunter has the Pirates probable game plan.
3 comments:
I just don't get the love they have for Erik Gonzalez. He has a good glove, sure, but not a great glove, and he obviously can't hit anywhere close to what Kevin Newman has shown. I do like Gonzalez just fine as a utility guy. Again it just seems to me that the new regime has it in for Newman and I just don't understand it. Maybe they will put him at second, but they ought to just trade him if they are going to jerk him around like this.
I guess every New Boss that comes in does things that the Old Boss wouldn't have liked, and I well remember some personnel decisions that Clint Hurdle made that I could not understand to save my life. OTOH when you're in the captain's chair you get to have Your Guys where you want them, and I know every GM has their own idea of what they are and are not looking for in a given player. But jeez it just seems to me that this organization gets rid of A LOT of guys who are at least useful, or could be, if given the chance. I don't follow other teams closely enough to know if this is part and parcel of how business gets done in MLB, but it just rubs me the wrong way in Pittsburgh most of all, because the Pirates have to be right about most of their personnel decisions in order to succeed.
Yep, I don't see him as a starter, Will. This I will say, though - I'm not basing judgment on anyone, even Gonzo, based on 2020, mostly because of sample size but also because of the off season uncertainty and Shelty playing guys all over the field. Hopefully we'll get a better personnel read this year.
As for the last post, I think Sanders was solid but certainly no HoF'er. The Pirates were aggravating in that era by signing decent FAs like Reggie and then letting them walk or flipping them; they never got any value out of the better guys. If an OF'er was unappreciated around here, I'd go with Brian Giles. S-Rod was dealt a bad hand, but he's still pretty much a platoon guy, tho he did carry value with his power and versatility; he was fine against LHP and never hurt u in the field.
Re: Sanders, I dunno, man. He only had 1600 career hits and more than 300 were homers. If I'm not mistaken, that's by far the fewest career hits for any player who broke the 300-300 threshold. I'm not seriously arguing for him in Cooperstown, but I AM saying he was a much better player than most realize.
Brian Giles was certainly really good throughout his time in Pittsburgh, no question about that. One of the best players we have had since the 1990-92 teams.
If Gonzalez ends up the starter at shortstop, something has gone way wrong. Again I don't mind him at all as a utilityman. But he is not a starting major league SS. We'll find out, though. Maybe he will prove me wrong.
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