The deadline to tender offers to arbitration eligible players is at midnight tonight. The Pittsburgh Pirates have eight players who are eligible for arbitration. Here is a rundown of what to expect by the end of the night, along with projected arbitration values, as projected by MLB Trade Rumors.
Joel Hanrahan – $4,000,000
Hanrahan is a lock to be tendered. He’s a huge value for his production out of the closer role, priced at almost $5 M less than what he might get on the open market.
Jeff Karstens – $2,800,000
You have to tender Karstens after the season he had in 2011. Maybe it wasn’t fully legit, and he’s probably due for a regression from his 3.38 ERA. His advanced metrics suggested he won’t see a huge decline, with a 4.00 xFIP. That would be worth $2.8 M.
Jose Veras – $2,500,000
Of all of the relievers the Pirates have, Veras is the guy I see them non-tendering. The only way I see him sticking around is through a deal before the deadline tomorrow. Otherwise it would be a waste to give $2.5 M to a reliever when guys like Jared Hughes are projected to start in AAA. If you want to make a case that Veras could stay, you could point to the fact that he has lasted on the roster this long, while arbitration eligibles like Ross Ohlendorf have been released.
Garrett Jones – $2,400,000
In my original arbitration estimates, I had Jones at $1.5 M, which was the biggest difference between my projections and the MLBTR projections. Either way I think the Pirates will bring him back. They have made a lot of comments about not being able to add a first baseman on the open market. I’d like to see them make a strong push for Carlos Pena, and they have the money to make it happen. If they do add a first baseman, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have Jones as an option off the bench. Worst case they deal him away.
Charlie Morton – $2,100,000
Morton is another lock to be tendered.
Chris Resop – $1,100,000
I could see Resop being non-tendered, but I wouldn’t agree with it. He had good numbers last year, with a staff leading 10.2 K/9 ratio, a 3.9 BB/9 ratio, and a 1.0 HR/9 ratio. He makes for a decent set up man, and would have value at $1.1 M. Ultimately I think they bring him back.
Evan Meek – $900,000
I have some concerns that the 2010 season might have been a fluke year for Meek, rather than his 2011 season being a down year. He’s got the upside of a major league closer, so you can’t dismiss him just yet, especially not when he’s this cheap.
Jason Grilli – $800,000
He’s a little bit older than the rest of the staff, but he had strong results in 2011. His control was a bit off, with a 4.1 BB/9 ratio, but he struck out 37 in 32.2 innings, and only gave up two homers. If I’m looking at just the K/9, BB/9, and HR/9 numbers from 2011, I’d have him third best out of the bullpen. I think he gets tendered.
The locks to be tendered are Hanrahan, Karstens, and Morton. Things could go either way for Jones, Resop, Meek, and Grilli, although I think all four get tendered. The only person I have projected as a non-tender candidate is Veras.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Veras and Meek to Anaheim For Kendry Morales. – How about that situation
The Pirate starters are questionable. They have to be on their game to give the Bucs any sort of chance. The Bucs really need a strong closer and 2 great 8 inning type pitchers to have a strong bullpen. Getting more than 6 innings out of any starter has to be considered a bonus. The Pirate starters are just not going to be in many games where they have more than a a one or two run lead.
Ideally we could sign Pena and deal Jones and Veras for whatever.
IMO, Morton, Hanrahan, and Karstens are locks to stay with this club, probably get offered Arbitration and signed before Arbitration hearing, It looks like Jones has been replaced with McClouth’s 1.7Mil, but Lee pushes them into a corner, if they can’t sign Lee and they let Jones go, they have no major league 1st basemen on the 25 man roster, if they take Jones to Arbitration they have to pay him, I am not saying some else can’t play 1st base, just saying they don’t have one on the 25 man at this time. Veras, Meek and Grilli are replaceable, however I would not be surprised is they don’t offer these three a contract.
Odd that Jones is the only non pitcher of the bunch. Veras, at that price is too expensive. Me, I think of those 8th innings melons sailing over the fence he threw.
Not much rumored via other clubs to be set loose. Anybody thinking anyone of interest?
Me, thinks the 8th inning setup situation is a major problem for the Pirates period!
I see no one on the 25 man that can handle the setup role and the Pirates, the media and most of their fan base don’t seem to understand the value of specialty pieces, like a left handed out machine to get top left handed hitters out in the late innings, or heaven for bid a true 8th inning setup guy.
The set up role just seems like the “closer-lite” spot in the bullpen. The closer role gets over-hyped, as if it’s so much harder to get three outs in the 9th than it is in the 8th. For the same reason, the 8th inning gets over-hyped, with the thinking that it’s so much harder to get three outs in the 8th than it is in the 7th.
A team that has to play small ball and will have to play small ball most of the time, keeping one run leads through the 8th and 9th inning is paramount IMO.
That’s true, but that doesn’t mean it’s incredibly difficult to find 8th and 9th inning options.
He threw a fence?
He threw a fence over some watermelons that were sailing on the ocean. Remember?
Grilli’s twitter presence alone should warrant a tender.