Notes: Wait 'Til Next Year; Final Player Shuffles; Pirates & Minor League Snips; MLB News, RIP Tim & Brooks

The last mile...

Notes:

• Pittsburgh's final week of the '23 season began with a three-game set at Philly. In the opener, Mitch Keller went six frames and edged AL Burnett for the most franchise K's in a single season by a RHP with 210 (AJ had 209 in 2013), but the Phils still went on to claim a playoff spot with a 10-inning, 3-2, victory. In the second game, Johan Oviedo blew a 5-0 lead and the Bucs dropped a 7-6 decision. The pitching finally chipped in and the Pirates took the third match, 3-2. Miami came to town for the final set, and they were bustin' for a playoff spot. The Bucs did what they do against good teams - they blew a late three-run lead to lose the kickoff, 4-3. In Game #2, they stranded a dozen runners (2-for-14 w/RISP) and lost, 7-3, as the Fish clinched a playoff spot. For the last game of the year, Fan Appreciation Day, they sat Ke'Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Endy Rodriguez. So, of course, they won the campaign's last hurrah, 3-0, scoring three times in the bottom of the eighth.

The Bucs leave the field for the last time in '23 - photo Pgh. Pirates

• The Bucs recalled RHP Cody Bolton from Indy for his seventh stint with the club this season to bolster the pen for the last series of the year.  To make room for him on the roster, RHP Luis Ortiz was optioned down to the minors after he made his last start of the campaign.
• The Pirates recalled red-hot 2B Nick Gonzales back to the big club from Indy for the last week of the season. Second should be an interesting position in '24, with Liover Peguera and Jared Triolo in the starting mix (we're guessing Ji-Hwan Bae is destined for the OF, but he could a dark horse, too). SS Alika Williams was optioned to Indy to clear a roster spot.
• Dave Bednar finished the year with 39 saves in 43 opportunities
• The Pirates finished the season with a 76-86 record, a 14 game improvement from last season. The countdown begins: 179 days to go until Opening Day 2024.
• Mitch Keller was in line to pitch the Bucs home finale, but Shelty said his year was done after working a career-high 32 starts & 194-1/3 IP. He ended the campaign with a line of 13-9/4.21 and earned his first All-Star selection. Roansy Contreras was also done for the year, with an offseason of mechanical tweaks ahead of him.
• On his Sunday radio show, Ben Cherington said that Henry Davis will start spring training as a catcher.
• The Pittsburgh BBWAA chapter named Ke’Bryan Hayes as the Roberto Clemente Award winner (team MVP) with Bryan Reynolds as runner-up, Mitch Keller repeated as the Steve Blass Award pick (team’s best pitcher), nudging past David Bednar, and Andrew McCutchen took the Chuck Tanner Award (most cooperative with media), ahead of Josh Palacios.   

Key Voted MVP - 2023 photo/Pirates

• Hey, guess what's back? The Pirates announced the return of PiratesFest to the Lawrence Convention Center on Saturday, January 6th, 2024. It's been on the shelf since 2019.
• The smoke hasn't cleared yet but Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors already has a 2024 Pirates Outlook and examines contracts, position battles, pitching & budget for their impact on '24.
• Yardbarker's Justin Mears presented his roster of the Best 24 Players In Pirates History. His selections weren't based on a deep dive but by WAR.
• Bradenton 2B Termarr Johnson was the Pirates Minor League Player of the Year per Baseball America.  BA also selected who had the best tools in Class AA and selected Altoona's Matt Gorski as having the best OF arm and Curve skipper Callix Crabbe as the best manager prospect. Both stories are behind a paywall.
• Indy OF Ryan Vilade was named the International League Player of the Week. He batted .538 with a homer, nine RBI and six runs scored.
• The Milwaukee Brewers clinched the NL Central Division title on Tuesday.
• Cincy DFA'ed old Bucco SS Kevin Newman. The IF is batting .253 but was lost in the shuffle of young Red infielders who are pushing for prime time.
• 40-year-old Miguel Cabrera's career ended on Sunday, his final game before retirement. Miggy, a 12-time All-Star, is one of three players (Henry Aaron & Albert Pujols are the others) to bang out 3,000 hits, 500 homers and 600 doubles. He'll remain in Detroit as front-office special assistant. 
• RHP Adam Wainwright, 42, announced his retirement. Waino spent 18 years as a St. Louis Cardinal and recently won his 200th game.
• Rest easy, Tim Wakefield and Brooks Robinson, who both passed on this week.