NOW … STEP NO. 2
The trade deadline has passed. Ben Cherington is well on his way to re-stocking the system. Now, it’s imperative that he begins to see what he has.
Trading Adam Frazier, Tyler Anderson and Richard Rodriguez was absolutely the right thing to do for the Pirates. Quibble over return all you want, but we won’t have an accurate picture of that for at least a year, likely more. It should also come with an honest admission.
Frazier before this season was a .273 career hitter who also had a .749 OPS. General manager Ben Cherington sold high when Frazier spiked to .324 and .836, betting those numbers will drop. Meanwhile, batting average has become baseball’s version of a land line – there but hardly used.
Speaking of silly concepts, step back and think why it would have made sense for Frazier to sign a long-term contract here. Having a career-best, breakout season. Fifteen months from free agency. Why forgo that and tether yourself to a rebuilding team?
Right, none. So you trade him and get the best you can. Meanwhile, Anderson was having an outstanding year on an expiring deal, while right or wrong, there were questions whether Rodriguez’s recent performance had been affected by sticky stuff.
Again, zero issue with what Cherington did. My concern now becomes what happens to the major league club, specifically as it relates to giving different guys opportunities.
Sending Rodriguez to the Braves should make Mars native David Bednar the closer. Not only because it will be a fun story, but Bednar and Chasen Shreve have been their best relievers in July. Bednar hasn’t given up an earned run this month and has been scored upon just once in his past 16 appearances.
Start with Bednar, let veterans like Shreve and Chris Stratton pitch to set themselves up for next season and surround them with anybody who has been productive in the big leagues or at Class AAA Indianapolis.
Filling Anderson’s spot should also provide intrigue.
Bryse Wilson, the pitcher the Pirates acquired from the Braves in the Rodriguez deal, should get as many starts as he can handle. Although the timing is funky, they also need to figure out what they have in Mitch Keller, who had a 3.21 ERA in the minors and struck out three times as many as he walked (39-13) but also gave up six earned runs in eight innings over his past two starts.
Their six-man rotation should include Chad Kuhl, JT Brubaker, Wil Crowe, Steven Brault, Keller and Wilson, then figure out what happens when Miguel Yajure gets back. Max Kranick or Cody Ponce could also deserve consideration.
Being past the trade deadline should also help the Pirates get creative with their position players. It’s been encouraging to see them give Rodolfo Castro a chance, although his homer binge made that decision easy.
But Tucupita Marcano and Michael Chavis, a pair of prospects acquired this past week, will be up soon if they produce in Indianapolis. If/when they do, only two or three positions should be off-limits and that absolutely does not include shortstop.
Kevin Newman has enjoyed a solid defensive season, but why is he playing every day? He’s appeared in all but nine of the Pirates’ 103 games yet has a .527 OPS. That’s the worst for any qualified Pirates position player since the start of the 1900s. Meanwhile, John Nogowski has hit .143 over his past eight games (seven starts).
So the minute Chavis, Marcano or Hoy Park appear ready, play them. Perhaps even Cole Tucker or Dee Strange-Gordon, simply to see what you have.
But the Pirates must be careful to avoid any sort of playing time patterns that have existed to this point, and that includes the outfield.
Gregory Polanco has actually been better of late, producing a .965 OPS in July. However, with a $12.5 million option for 2022, the Pirates will almost assuredly buy Polanco out for a much-more-palatable $3 million.
So, why waste playing time there? Anthony Alford has hit .342 with a 1.092 OPS the past two months, with 9 doubles, 8 home runs, 20 RBIs and 24 runs scored. He deserves a second chance.
“It’s critically important that the right guys are getting playing time, whether it’s in Indy or Pittsburgh,” Cherington said. “And critically important that we continue to focus and pour all of our energy now back into coaching and player development and helping guys get better.”
It’s one thing to say it. It’s another to do it.
Cherington deserves credit for picking a definitive direction and going all in on the future, filling the farm system with talent.
But now, with the deadline passed, the Pirates must make a congruent move as it relates to playing time, turning this into a true meritocracy or proving ground and ideally a mixture of both.