Week #1, Off Season Notes: Cora Goes, Winter League/AFL; MiLB Awards; MLB News

And now to start tinkering under the hood...

Notes:

• Joey Cora, the Pirates 3B/IF coach, was cut loose. No replacement has been named.
• The Pirates (101 losses) will pick fourth in this year's draft, behind Baltimore, Arizona (both with 110 losses; the O's have the tiebreaker, unless the new CBA changes the procedure) and the Rangers (102 losses). The three times that the Bucs have had the #4 pick, they chose: C Tony Sanchez (2009), LHP Daniel Moskos (2007) and RHP Brad Lincoln (2006).
• Pittsburgh announced its roster for the Arizona Fall League. They'll send 2B Nick Gonzales & Ji-Hwan Bae, OF Canaan Smith-Njigba, and Ps Roansy Contreras, Carmen Mlodzinski, Michael Burrows, and Miguel Yajure, along with Greensboro Hopper manager Kieran Mattison, to the Peoria Javelinas. Their season begins on 10/13.

Slam-bang finish to the season for Oneil Cruz - 2021 Pirates image

• Altoona's SS Oneil Cruz (.310/17/47, AA/AAA) and 1B Mason Martin (.241/25/81, AA/AAA) named to the AA Northeast All-Star team.
• From Greensboro: OF Matt Fraizer (.306/23/68, A+/AA) was named the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year for the Pirates organization. He was also selected as the Hi-A East League MVP while RHP Quinn Priester (7-4/3.04, 98 K in 97-2/3 IP) was named the Pitcher of the Year. 3B Jared Triolo (.304/15/78) and 2B Nick Gonzales (.302/18/54) were selected to the All-Star team.
• Bradenton Marauders: C Endy Rodriguez (.294/15/73) won the Lo-A Southwest League MVP and Adrian Florencio (6-4/2.46, 117 K in 95 IP) was named the Pitcher of the Year. Skipper Jonathan Johnston was named the Manager of the Year, the first Marauders bossman to take home that award.
• RHP Hunter Stratton (2-2-7/2.39, 70 K in 49 IP between Altoona/Indy) announced he'll pitch in the Dominican Winter League. Florida Rookie League OF Randy Romero is already playing winter ball for Monterrey of the Mexican League.
• OF Jason Martin, who saw some time as a Buc in 2019-20 and was with the Rangers this season, declared for free agency after hitting .208 in 154 ABs for Texas.
• The ghost runner on second to start extra innings won't be used in the postseason (it wasn't last year, either) nor will it return in 2022.