Notes: NL/ALCS; Pirates Major & Minor Snips; Ex-Bucco News

Playoffs gettin' to the nitty gritty...

Notes:

• And then there were four: The NLCS will be battled by the Phillies and this year's Cinderella, the Arizona D-Backs. The ALCS contestants are Texas and Houston in a Lone Star rumble. To get there, Philadelphia topped Miami and Atlanta while the Diamondbacks beat the Brewers and the Dodgers. Texas topped Tampa Bay and Baltimore while Houston, with a bye, defeated Minnesota.
• IF Chris Owings has elected to enter free agency. He got into 10 games for the infield-clogged Pirates last year with a .160 BA in 25 at-bats.
• MLB Pipeline named 3B Jack Brannigan, 22, (Bradenton, Greensboro; .275, 19 HR, 54 RBI) and LHP Anthony Solometo, 20, (Greensboro-Altoona: 4-7/3.26, 118 K in 110 IP) as the Pirates’ minor league Hitting/Pitching Prospects of the Year. 

Jack Brannigan - 2022 Signing Day image/Pirates

• OF Canaan Smith-Njigba, 23, was picked as the International League Player of the Month after hitting .417 w/24 RBI. His season slash at Indy was .280/15 HR/ 74 RBI. He had an 15-game audition with the big team this year, but hit just .125 w/16 K in 37 PA.
• Pittsburgh's Tampa Bay connections: RHP Shane Baz is due to return from TF surgery this year while RHP Tyler Glasnow's contract extension kicks into high gear for '24, with Ty due to earn a guaranteed $25M.
• Atlanta's RHP Charlie Morton, 39, was on the IL for Atlanta during the NLDS and is reportedly undecided as to whether to return for another season.
• 2B Adam Frazier is set to become a free agent; in his past two seasons, he's hit .238 with Seattle and .240 with Baltimore. 
• Oft-injured prospect OF Travis Swaggerty was released by the White Sox. The Pirates let him go in July when the CWS claimed him, but Swags was never healthy enough to suit up for them.
• IF Yu Chang, who was a Pirate for 18 games in 2022, declared for free agency after batting .162 for Boston this past season.
• RHP Connor Overton, who spent September, 2021, with the Bucs, was outrighted by the Reds after two years. He was mostly depth there, getting nine outings (1-1/4.91) with the big club.