Lyles to Milwaukee for AA relief pitcher
CINCINNATI — In Trevor Williams’ mind, what happened Monday was inevitable.
Had the Pirates come out of the AllStar break a better way instead of losing 14 of 16 games, Williams would have been hopeful they might add key pieces, not subtracting them.
But Monday, a day after general manager Neal Huntington declared the Pirates would be sellers as MLB’s Wednesday trade deadline looms, he made his first move by trading Jordan Lyles to the Milwaukee Brewers for 25- year- old minor league reliever Cody Ponce.
In the visitors’ clubhouse at Great American Ball Park before the start of the three- game series against the Cincinnati Reds Monday night, Williams and others definitely took notice.
“At this point in the year and the direction that we’ve been going after the All- Star break, it’s inevitable,” Williams said. “Certain guys are going to be traded. It’s a part of the game. It’s part of the job.”
“It’s unfortunate whenever a teammate goes out the door, but [ Lyles is] going to have success wherever he goes. He’s a true professional. … He came in to our rotation and really jelled with everyone. He was willing to help us every step of the way.”
The Pirates signed Lyles to a one- year, $ 2.05 million contract Dec. 17, 2018, believing he could
maybe earn the final spot in their starting rotation. Lyles did that and a whole bunch more out of the gate, becoming one of their best early season stories.
The right- hander went 41 in his first eight starts while pitching to a 1.89 ERA with 52 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 47⅔ innings. For a stretch, Lyles might have been their most reliable pitcher. But over the past two months, that changed.
In his past nine starts, Lyles was 1- 6 with a 9.57 ERA. Two of his past three outings totaled just seven outs, while Lyles allowed 15 runs in those games.
The yin and yang of Lyles’ tenure in Pittsburgh was befuddling to pretty much everybody around the Pirates.
“He learned a lot,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He kept talking about making adjustments, then finding something that worked and stabilizing it. It was never for lack of preparation of work.”
Lyles actually was supposed to start the game Monday against the Reds, although Alex McRae slid into his place. The Pirates recalled Montana DuRapau to round out the roster.
Lyles found out while at the team hotel and never made it to the ballpark.
Ponce, a 6- foot- 6, 240pound right- hander, has been pitching for Class AA Biloxi. In 27 appearances, no starts, he has a 3.29 ERA with a pretty good strikeout to walk ratio: 44 to 12 in 38⅓ innings. Ponce has never pitched in the majors.
A few years ago, Ponce was a starter. Even last year, also with Class AA Biloxi, Ponce split time between the bullpen and starting. Hurdle seemed to indicate the Pirates are still working through how they will use Ponce.
“We like the pitcher, like the arm,” Hurdle said. “Another guy that our analysts and our scouts both liked. We’re not putting him into a cubbyhole right yet. He’s a guy who we felt was good value in return for Jordan Lyles.”
Lyles pitched for Milwaukee last year after he was traded to the Brewers from San Diego. He wound up making 11 appearances, no starts, and an ERA of 3.31.
It stands to reason that Milwaukee could choose to use Lyles as a bit of a tweener — someone they know they can stash in the bullpen until they might need him to start.
With the Pirates very much in sell- now mode, players are certainly expecting more than just Lyles to get moved. But it’s all part of the business, they said, and they’re not going to lose too much sleep over whatever happens.
“Every year, I’ve been part of seeing guys go, just being on a different side of it now,” outfielder Corey Dickerson said. “Still hard to compartmentalize until something does happen. I just try to focus on being the best me possible today.”
Williams said he was especially intrigued to see how having just one trade deadline instead of two changes things for the Pirates and other clubs. But he certainly expects more movement.
“I wouldn’t be surprised just given how poorly we’ve been playing coming out of the All- Star break,” Williams said. “The first year with the new trade deadline rules is going to be interesting. It could be nothing happening or it could be madness for the next 2- 3 days. I think we’ll find out soon.”
So, about the rotation
It doesn’t look like top prospect Mitch Keller will be filling Lyles’ spot in the rotation.
Hurdle threw cold water on that idea Monday before the game.
“I don’t believe that we’re going to entertain Mitch Keller coming back unless it’s going to be to get plugged in and stay in,” he said. “That’s not going to do him any good. He needs to pitch.”
Keller has been given three chances with the big club this season, and none of them have gone terribly well. The 23- year- old righthander has an 0- 1 record with a 10.50 ERA and a WHIP of 2.250.
While the MLB stats have left a lot to be desired, Keller has been tremendous with Class AAA Indianapolis, leading the International League in both ERA ( 3.41) and strikeouts ( 111). For whatever reason, Keller simply hasn’t been able to get things to translate to baseball’s highest level.
McRae made the spot start Monday, and the Pirates will follow with Joe Musgrove and Dario Agrazal.
After an off day Thursday, Williams is expected to start Friday against the New York Mets at PNC Park, and it would make sense to use Chris Archer Saturday.
Hurdle said Monday that Steven Brault — who threw a four- inning simulated game Saturday — would likely make a rehab start Thursday and potentially could rejoin the Pirates’ rotation five days later. That would actually work because the Pirates can use Musgrove and Agrazal Sunday and Monday and keep them on normal rest, allowing Brault to make a start Aug. 6 against Milwaukee.
“The next few days something else might flesh out, or once Brault makes the rehab start, we may know a little bit more,” Hurdle said. “We’ll continue to monitor our options and have those conversations. That’s where we are right now.”