On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced three roster moves after announcing that two players would begin rehab assignments. Let’s look at the impact these moves will have on the Pirates in the near and distant future.
Pirates Roster Moves and Rehab Assignments Portend More Shuffling
Starting pitcher Jared Jones and outfielder Joshua Palacios joined the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians in Nashville on Thursday. The Indians haven’t announced Thursday’s starter against the Sounds as of this writing, but Jones is expected to make the start. Meanwhile, relief pitcher Colin Holderman has been placed on the injured list with a right wrist sprain. Pitcher Ben Heller has been called up from Indy to take his place. To make room for Heller on the 40-man roster, outfielder Edward Olivares, who had been in Indianapolis, has been designated for assignment.
We have selected the contract of RHP Ben Heller from Triple-A Indianapolis, and placed RHP Colin Holderman on the 15-day injured list.
OF Edward Olivares has been designated for assignment to make room for Heller on the 40-man roster.
In addition, OF Joshua Palacios and RHP…
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 8, 2024
Holderman to the IL
If Holderman has been dealing with the wrist issue for a while, it might explain his recent performance. By June 22, he had 13 holds, a 0.68 ERA, and 2.87 FIP and was arguably the Pirates’ best reliever. Since then, however, he’s 0-5 with two holds, three blown saves, a 7.63 ERA, and a 7.15 FIP. Opponents hit .365/.440/.683 with five homers against Holderman during that stretch.
The IL stint should allow the right-handed Holderman to step back and put his recent failures behind him. Meanwhile, the question becomes who takes Holderman’s place in the late-inning, high-leverage situations. David Bednar, of course, remains the closer despite not being his usual crack self this season. Aroldis Chapman will likely see more work in the eighth inning. However, as Pirates starters (or any major league starters) rarely make it past the sixth inning, a third high-leverage alternative is needed. Hard-throwing rookie right-hander Kyle Nicolas seems to be a logical candidate. Since June 23, he’s 2-1 with three holds. More importantly, he has a 0.89 ERA and 3.17 FIP during that stretch, while holding opponents to a .203/.294/.230 slash line.
Even so, manager Derek Shelton seems to prefer rookie righty Hunter Stratton over Nicolas in pressure situations. Stratton has a 3.68 ERA, 1.173 WHIP, and 3.25 FIP. He’s been unscored upon in five appearances since coming off the IL on July 30. Recently acquired lefty Jalen Beeks could be a candidate for late-inning work, too. His pitching has exceeded expectations so far. Shelton has to like his take-the-ball attitude. Look for Stratton and Beeks to fill the late-inning vacancy, depending on matchups. Pirates fans will welcome any change to a bullpen that has 24 blown saves in 2024.
Jones on Rehab Assignment
Jones beginning his rehab assignment may be the most significant of these roster moves for the Pirates. Although most of the Pirates’ pitching problems have come from a leaky bullpen, the eventual return of Jones to the active roster will be a boost for the Bucs. Before going on the IL, the fearless rookie was 5-6 with a 3.56 ERA and 1.110 WHIP. He’s pitched better than his numbers indicate, but like his teammate Paul Skenes, he’s been victimized by a weak offense and an ineffective bullpen.
Currently, the Pirates’ rotation consists of Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter, Marco Gonzales, and Luis Ortiz. Skenes and Keller are locks to remain in the rotation when Jones returns. It seems like Falter should be banished to the bullpen to make room for Jones. He blamed tiredness on a rough four-inning outing in Cincinnati on June 24. However, Shelton continued to employ him in the rotation, and Falter was inserted there again on July 30 when he returned from an IL stint.
Ortiz was a godsend when he joined the rotation on June 26. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been as good lately. At Arizona on July 26, he gave up three runs in five innings. Against that same team at home on August 2, the Diamondbacks set a major-league record when their first four batters accumulated 15 total bases, including back-to-back-to-back home runs. Ortiz began Thursday’s start by surrendering two two-run homers. His recent outings, combined with how effective he’s been out of the bullpen, could force him out of the rotation when Jones returns.
Heller was with the Pirates in June, when he gave up 12 runs in two innings in mop-up roles. Barring an injury, he’ll likely be on the Pirates active roster only until Jones moves up from Indy.
Palacios on Rehab Assignment
The return of the left-handed hitting Palacios can’t come soon enough for the Pirates. His boundless energy and enthusiasm give the club a boost. Palacios has always seemed to be in the middle of a rally. Pirates observers looking at his .230/.319/.344 slash line have to do a double-take. Even his -0.4 WPA is unfathomable.
Which outfielder goes when Palacios returns? Center fielder Michael A. Taylor is hitting just .196. Taylor, who was signed for $4 million in the spring, has been with the Pirates all season long. This writer has predicted his demise many times this season, but his spot seems secure. Somehow, Shelton has shown an affinity for certain guys who can’t hit. Last year, it was Austin Hedges, and in 2021, it was Ka’ai Tom. This year, it’s Taylor and Yasmani Grandal.
In any event, Ji Hwan Bae is making this decision easy for the Pirates. The speedy Bae is hitting just .191/.264/.213. The on-base skills he’s flashed in the minors still haven’t translated to the big time and he can’t bunt. Sending Bae back to Indy will be an easy call when Palacios is activated.
Palacios has mostly played right field as a Pirate. He’s unlikely to replace recent trade acquisition Bryan De La Cruz there, although he may spell him once in a while. Nevertheless, given some brief looks in center field this season (15 innings in four games), Palacios looks like he can handle it. The bet here is that he will be out there on a platoon basis with Taylor. However they do it, the Pirates need Palacios to be an important part of the team. Having just lost five of six games in an important homestand, they could use a shot in the arm from baseball’s equivalent of the Energizer Bunny.
Olivares Designated for Assignment
Of all the roster moves, it’s a surprise to see Pittsburgh send Olivares off to DFA land. After picking him up in a trade with the Kansas City Royals last December, the Pirates had hopes that he could contribute to their offense. In his first 11 games, he was hitting .308/.357/.564 with three home runs, while playing right field better than advertised. After that, however, things took a downward spiral, as he hit .200/.273/.267 from April 16 until he was sent to Triple-A on July 9.
With the addition of De La Cruz, the returns of Palacios and Bae from the IL, and Connor Joe in the mix, Olivares dropped far down the right-field food chain. If reinforcements for the outfield are needed from Triple-A, the Pirates can turn to Jack Suwinski, former major leaguer Billy McKinney, or even recently acquired Billy Cook. Meanwhile, Olivares is now exposed to a waiver claim. If he clears waivers, he can elect free agency or accept an assignment to Indy.
Give general manager Ben Cherington some credit here. One may have legitimate complaints about his Pirates tenure, but he doesn’t make roster moves to save face. He’ll move on from a player he’s acquired if things don’t work out as planned.
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