Saturday, February 20, 2021

News & Notes: Toddfather, Anderson Sign; Buc Bullpenners On the Move; Camp Starts; MiLB Coaching Jobs

 Sunshine State at last...

  • Pittsburgh signed LHP Tyler Anderson to a MLB deal worth $2.5M. The lefty back ender was 4-3/4.37 for the Giants last year after starting his career in Colorado.  To make room on the 40-man roster, Rule 5 selection RHP Jose Soriano, still recovering from TJ surgery, was put on the 60-day IL.
Tyler Anderson - still via Pirates
  • Veteran 3B Todd Frazier, 35, agreed with the Bucs on an NRI deal said to be worth $1.5M if he passes the physical and makes the cut. The 10-year man has had some solid years with the bat and is looking to rebound from a subpar 2020 to compete for a backup corner spot currently slotted to Phil Evans.
  • Pitchers reported to camp on Wednesday; the rest of the squad is due in on Sunday. The Pirates spring training exhibition schedule has been revised by MLB, who adopted a pod structure to lessen Covid exposure for the players.
  • RHP Keone Kela has signed with the Padres, pending his physical, as it's still uncertain if his forearm tightness issue has resolved itself.
  • RHP Jared Hughes, 35, announced his retirement. He spent six of his 10 MLB seasons (2011-16) as a Bucco with a Pittsburgh line of 15-13-3/2.82. Jared was an extreme ground ball bridge guy, with his trademark sprint from the pen to the hill and goofy persona making him a local fan fav.
  • The Phillies and LHP Tony Watson agreed to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training per reports. Tony is 40-25/2.80 ERA in 627 appearances over 10 seasons with the Pirates, Giants and Dodgers. He spent the first six-and-some-change seasons with the Bucs before being dealt to the Dodgers in 2017. 
  • 33-year-old LHP Justin Wilson has returned to the Yankees. He spent his first three years (2012-14, 9-5/2.99) as a Buc before being sent to the Yankees for Fran Cervelli.
  • Ollie Perez, 39, is still hangin' in there. The lefty re-signed with the Indians via an NRI deal. Perez has 18 years in the show and was a Pirates starter from 2003-06. His career was rejuvenated when the Mets converted him to the bullpen in 2010.
  • The Marlins DFA'ed OF Harold Ramirez. The 26-year-old was a Pirates property until he was sent to Toronto in 2016 as part of the Frankie Liriano contract dump. He hit .264 in two seasons with the Fish.
  • Pittsburgh announced its minor league coaching assignments:
  • Former Altoona Curve manager and Indiana PA native Michael Ryan has been named skipper of the High-A South Bend Cubs, as noted by Corey Giger of NSN. He was a surprise firing in 2019, and there wasn't a functional minor league system to absorb him last year.
  • Brady Smith from the Heinz History Center wrote up the glory days of the Grays and Crawfords, who have an exhibition at the Center now.
  • Ever wonder about the MiLB lifestyle? The Pitt News followed three recent mid-range Panther draftees on-and-off season.

2 comments:

  1. Although it will not go down in history with the same infamy as the trade with Tampa Bay, the Keone Kela deal may also end up extremely lopsided. Where would the Pirates be if they had never made those two deals? Hindsight is always 20/20, but....holy cow, they got robbed.

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  2. True, Will, but I think that has more to do with injury than poor evaluation, so that, to me, involved more bad luck than bad decision-making.

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