OnlyBucs

The roster today didn't do so well. Errors, etc., and Baltimore home runs galore. That was a split-squad Baltimore team as well. So much for the three game win streak.

Nick Gonzales was sent down yesterday. His last week or so has been solid but, after his missed time last year, it's the right thing to do. If he can perform well, in Altoona and/or Indy, and no one fills the second base job adequately in Pittsburgh, we might see him here by August. This is a big opportunity for him.

"We have optioned the following players to our Triple-A Roster:



RHP Luis Ortiz

RHP Yohan Ramirez



We have also re-assigned the following players to Minor League Camp:



INF Andres Alvarez

C Carter Bins

RHP Cody Bolton

RHP Carmen Mlodzinski

OF Chavez Young

LHP Daniel Zamora" - Pirates



https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1638278787333869583



https://www.milb.com/news/the-road-to-t ... -rodriguez

7F3C253E2D38293F7F4C0 wrote: "We have optioned the following players to our Triple-A Roster:



RHP Luis Ortiz

RHP Yohan Ramirez



We have also re-assigned the following players to Minor League Camp:



INF Andres Alvarez

C Carter Bins

RHP Cody Bolton

RHP Carmen Mlodzinski

OF Chavez Young

LHP Daniel Zamora" - Pirates



https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1638278787333869583



https://www.milb.com/news/the-road-to-t ... -rodriguez


Thanks for the update, 3 Bucs. The Zamora cut means that the fill-in lefty for Jarlin Garcia is down to Rob Zastryzny vs. Angel Perdomo.



I think that Travis Swaggerty has earned a look at starting in CF over Jack Suwinski. Not saying you couldn't keep Suwinski as a backup but I think he needs to learn the position at AAA. He also needs to cut down on his K's. The organization has been waiting for Swaggerty to break out for a few years now. I think his time has come. Bat him leadoff.

163C37073026262A450 wrote: "We have optioned the following players to our Triple-A Roster:



RHP Luis Ortiz

RHP Yohan Ramirez



We have also re-assigned the following players to Minor League Camp:



INF Andres Alvarez

C Carter Bins

RHP Cody Bolton

RHP Carmen Mlodzinski

OF Chavez Young

LHP Daniel Zamora" - Pirates



https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1638278787333869583



https://www.milb.com/news/the-road-to-t ... -rodriguez


Thanks for the update, 3 Bucs. The Zamora cut means that the fill-in lefty for Jarlin Garcia is down to Rob Zastryzny vs. Angel Perdomo.



I think that Travis Swaggerty has earned a look at starting in CF over Jack Suwinski. Not saying you couldn't keep Suwinski as a backup but I think he needs to learn the position at AAA. He also needs to cut down on his K's. The organization has been waiting for Swaggerty to break out for a few years now. I think his time has come. Bat him leadoff.




I know this is from a distance that is mostly box score tracking, but it seems like Swaggerty has shown he is a complete player with solid defense and a great approach at the plate. I don't think Suwinski's game is quite there.



They had a OF competition and Swaggerty definitely showed he was the winner. You have to take him north. There are other decisions that are going to shake up the 40-man a bit. This last week is actually quite interesting.

1C3D282119203B283D2C490 wrote: "We have optioned the following players to our Triple-A Roster:



RHP Luis Ortiz

RHP Yohan Ramirez



We have also re-assigned the following players to Minor League Camp:



INF Andres Alvarez

C Carter Bins

RHP Cody Bolton

RHP Carmen Mlodzinski

OF Chavez Young

LHP Daniel Zamora" - Pirates



https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1638278787333869583



https://www.milb.com/news/the-road-to-t ... -rodriguez


Thanks for the update, 3 Bucs. The Zamora cut means that the fill-in lefty for Jarlin Garcia is down to Rob Zastryzny vs. Angel Perdomo.



I think that Travis Swaggerty has earned a look at starting in CF over Jack Suwinski. Not saying you couldn't keep Suwinski as a backup but I think he needs to learn the position at AAA. He also needs to cut down on his K's. The organization has been waiting for Swaggerty to break out for a few years now. I think his time has come. Bat him leadoff.




I know this is from a distance that is mostly box score tracking, but it seems like Swaggerty has shown he is a complete player with solid defense and a great approach at the plate. I don't think Suwinski's game is quite there.



They had a OF competition and Swaggerty definitely showed he was the winner. You have to take him north. There are other decisions that are going to shake up the 40-man a bit. This last week is actually quite interesting.




The Post Gazette has a great article on Choi. We can release him for about 1.125 mil, due to a loophole that affects players who go to arbitration. I hope they do it, and make room for a younger player. No offense to Choi - I'm sure someone will pick him up. I even wonder if he's tradable.



But we have a lot of young players who we could cycle through Choi's spot on the 26-man. Guys like Smith Njigba and Ji Wan Bae come to mind. And let's face it, if Endy Rodriguez forces his way to Pittsburgh with a hot start, we're going to need a place to give him at bats. I guess Jason Mackey and I are of one mind.

I have never understood the decision to add Choi through a trade, particularly for a club that counts both nickles and pennies when it comes to constructing a roster. While I am not enamored with the signing of Santana, I prefer him to Choi and he should get the majority of LH reps at first. Choi seems like a redundancy to me, particularly when he is no great shakes with the stick. I would hope that they could trade Choi (mostly for salary relief), but if they can cut ties with him before the start of the season for slightly more than $1 mil, I would hope that they go that route.



Last year's club was really young. It also appeared that too many of the players of the roster were valued for their ability to play multiple positions, or were being asked to play multiple positions to see if they could stick as a utility player. Often, versatility seemed to be more valued than talent.



This year's club represents a sharp departure when it comes to versatility (not sure it is all that more talented), particularly with the signing of so many veterans. Cutch is a DH or RF, Santana is a DH or 1st baseman, Choi is a DH or 1st baseman, Hedges (and Plawecki or Heineman) is a catcher, Hayes is a 3rd baseman (although he did play SS for a few innings last year) and it now appears to be a sin to consider playing Cruz anywhere other than SS. The OF'ers (Reynolds, Suwinski, Swaggerty, Smith-Njiba) are all true outfielders, although Joe can play 1st. The only versatile players on the potential opening day roster appear to be Bae (2nd, SS, 3rd, and OF) and Castro (3rd, SS, and 2nd). I am not trying to make a case for adding another VanMeter (Mathias, Owens, et al), but I do not view too many 1st base/DH players as an asset.



While I recognize that the decision to add Choi occurred before the unexpected signing of Cutch, now that Cutch is on the team, the team's roster needs have changed. So, move or release Choi, and add Swaggerty to see if he has grown and is a keeper AND give him real playing time. And, while I really like Suwinski, if he needs some time at AAA to better master the strike zone, BC should be comfortable sending him down and adding Smith-Njigba to the opening day roster.

"We have optioned INF Tucupita Marcano and OF Travis Swaggerty to Triple-A Indianapolis.



There are now 38 active players remaining in big league camp." - Pirates



https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1639359677124300800

10534A514257465010230 wrote: "We have optioned INF Tucupita Marcano and OF Travis Swaggerty to Triple-A Indianapolis.



There are now 38 active players remaining in big league camp." - Pirates



https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1639359677124300800
Maybe Swaggerty hit so well in ST (.379, 3 HRs) that the Pirates started worrying about Super 2 status with him.