Welcome to the weekly Pittsburgh Pirates Rumor Mill, where we update you on all of the latest Pirates trades, signings, rumors, injury news, promotions, demotions, and the like from the past week.
Last week, we were wondering whether the Pittsburgh Pirates were going to be buyers or sellers at the deadline. Last Friday, the team was 38-41 and was seemingly reeling. Now, the Pirates are two games over .500 and within striking distance of the second Wild Card spot. With Tyler Glasnow called up, and various injured Pirates getting closer to returning, the Pirates could improve from here on out, and the playoffs don’t look so outlandish anymore.
There are certainly targets out there for the Pirates to acquire, and some that the team has been linked to. But before we get into that, let’s start with a brief update on the various injured Pirates.
Injury Update
In some initially scary news, the Pirates placed Jameson Taillon on the 15-day DL with right shoulder fatigue. But as the dust has settled, it now seems likely that this DL stint is just to give Taillon some time off around the All-Star break. It makes sense considering his injury history, and his return to action could be the first game after the break when he’s eligible, or at some point in the first two series after the break.
In some more serious news, Chris Stewart was also recently placed on the 15-day DL with left knee discomfort, and his injury is a little iffy at the moment. On the one hand, surgery could end his season. On the other, he could try to play through the injury, as noted by Bill Brink:
Tomczyk: MRI on Chris Stewart's knee showed "wear and tear," could require surgery but he hopes to rehab and play through it.
— Bill Brink (@Bill_Brink2) July 6, 2016
If Stewart can’t return this year, the door opens for Elias Diaz, who has officially begun rehab assignments in the minors:
Elias Diaz went 1-for-2, 2 BB, 2 R, threw out a runner in his 2nd game of rehab with Bradenton. Caught 5 innings #Pirates
— John Dreker (@JohnDreker) July 7, 2016
Francisco Cervelli also remains out, but he has begun simulated games, as has Ryan Vogelsong:
Ryan Vogelsong will throw a sim game here tomorrow, and Francisco Cervelli will catch.
— Adam Berry (@adamdberry) July 4, 2016
Cervelli could return once games resume after the All-Star break, and Vogelson’s eventual return can’t hurt the bullpen. It never hurts to have too many arms to choose from. Gerrit Cole is also beginning rehab:
Gerrit Cole (triceps strain) and Ryan Vogelsong (facial fractures) will throw bullpens Thursday, Pirates trainer Todd Tomczyk said.
— Bill Brink (@Bill_Brink2) July 6, 2016
If the Pirates get Cervelli, Cole, and Taillon back right after the All-Star break, this team could start surging forward even more-so than they are now.
Because of these injuries, the Pirates also made a variety of minor moves:
Minor Moves
Rob Scahill and Jacob Stallings were designated for assignment., while Curtis Partch was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis after clearing waivers. Stallings has also cleared wavers and is Indy.
Steven Brault and Tyler Glasnow were also called up to make their major league debuts this week. Glasnow could remain up with the big league club post-All-Star break, while Brault could make a few more starts depending on when Cole and Taillon return from the DL. And Kyle Lobstein was optioned to Indianapolis to make room for Glasnow.
With the Chris Stewart news, and Elias Diaz still out, the Pirates needed another catcher, and claimed Eric Fryer off waivers from St. Louis.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a bevy of options at the trade deadline. They have a crowded rotation and quality bench pieces that they could sell, but they could also be interested in adding to the bullpen. Let’s break down a few possibilities.
Could Rich Hill be an option for the Pirates?
A team can never have enough pitching, and if Francisco Liriano, Jon Niese, and Jeff Locke don’t rebound, the Pirates may need another starter. Rich Hill of the A’s is certainly an intriguing possibility. Hill had recently returned from the disabled list in a start against the Pirates last Saturday, and was scouted by multiple teams, including the Pirates. In 12 starts this year, Hill has a 2.31 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP, and he’s a free agent at the end of the season. However, with multiple teams scouting him, and with his contract ending at the end of the year, I expect many teams to be in the running for him. He could price himself out of the Pirates range.
Pirates shopping Niese
Despite the Pirates likely being buyers at the deadline, the team could still have a glut of pitchers in the rotation sooner rather than later. Francisco Liriano and Jon Niese seem to be the odd men out whenever the time comes. We know that Liriano has drawn some interest from teams, and, as it turns out, the Pirates are shopping Niese as well, according to Rob Biertempfel. While Niese has struggled to the tune of a 4.87 ERA this season. However, he is a lefty, and his club options for each of the next two seasons could make him appealing. Doug Miller of ESPN suggests the Orioles as a possible fit for Niese. The O’s have shown interest in Liriano, desperately need to improve their starting pitching, and don’t have a lefty in their rotation. The two teams could match up in a trade come the end of July.
I see the Pirates pursuing a bullpen piece and maybe a starter at the deadline. I’m not sure they want to rely on multiple rookies in the rotation come playoff time. The team certainly has the pieces to make a trade happen.
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