Two Future Roster Moves
Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:54 pm
At this point, the Pirates cannot lose Stallings. Cervelli may come back from the IL and rehab, but for how long?
I know that Cervelli is popular and that he is still owed a bunch of money, but I would prefer that the team either offer him in a trade; let's say the Bucs absorb all but $750,000 to $1 mil of his remaining salary and expect little in return, or they simply release him. Cervelli has no future in Pittsburgh and has shown little to nothing this year. While Diaz has significant shortcomings, at present, he is the heir apparent at the position, and Stallings should be the reserve.
With respect to Gonzalez vs. Kang, I would recall Gonzalez and make it clear to him that he is the reserve infielder. He should be able to get 2 starts/week between replacing Frazier and Newman once in a while. While Kang has more versatility, Osuna has provided some value on the bench and should stay. Kang was a low-cost gamble, but his hitting just hasn't returned. He may yet be a productive major league player, but he appears to need more time playing at AAA and in the winter leagues to try and get a more consistent stroke down.
So --- what would I do? Either trade or release Cervelli and keep Stallings, and either trade (unlikely) or release Kang, call up Gonzalez and keep Osuna in the majors.
What do I expect the Pirates to do? 1) Recall Cervelli, give him some immediate starts, and find a phantom injury for Stallings for a while until Cervelli's next injury. 2) Keep Kang, recall Gonzalez and (depending on the status of Polanco's injury), either option Mason (if Polanco is still hurt) or Osuna (if Polanco has returned) to AAA.
Baseball can be a cruel sport for veteran players who cannot perform as well as they once did because of injuries and the compounding effect of being older. However, while Cervelli was out, Diaz and Stallings have demonstrated that they are the better options. The Bucs should simply acknowledge the cruelty of the game and go with the better current options. Same is true with Kang. Kang was a beast before the injury he sustained from the slide, and then his personal problems exacerbated his difficulties.
I know that Cervelli is popular and that he is still owed a bunch of money, but I would prefer that the team either offer him in a trade; let's say the Bucs absorb all but $750,000 to $1 mil of his remaining salary and expect little in return, or they simply release him. Cervelli has no future in Pittsburgh and has shown little to nothing this year. While Diaz has significant shortcomings, at present, he is the heir apparent at the position, and Stallings should be the reserve.
With respect to Gonzalez vs. Kang, I would recall Gonzalez and make it clear to him that he is the reserve infielder. He should be able to get 2 starts/week between replacing Frazier and Newman once in a while. While Kang has more versatility, Osuna has provided some value on the bench and should stay. Kang was a low-cost gamble, but his hitting just hasn't returned. He may yet be a productive major league player, but he appears to need more time playing at AAA and in the winter leagues to try and get a more consistent stroke down.
So --- what would I do? Either trade or release Cervelli and keep Stallings, and either trade (unlikely) or release Kang, call up Gonzalez and keep Osuna in the majors.
What do I expect the Pirates to do? 1) Recall Cervelli, give him some immediate starts, and find a phantom injury for Stallings for a while until Cervelli's next injury. 2) Keep Kang, recall Gonzalez and (depending on the status of Polanco's injury), either option Mason (if Polanco is still hurt) or Osuna (if Polanco has returned) to AAA.
Baseball can be a cruel sport for veteran players who cannot perform as well as they once did because of injuries and the compounding effect of being older. However, while Cervelli was out, Diaz and Stallings have demonstrated that they are the better options. The Bucs should simply acknowledge the cruelty of the game and go with the better current options. Same is true with Kang. Kang was a beast before the injury he sustained from the slide, and then his personal problems exacerbated his difficulties.