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Pirates Recall Max Moroff, Option Steven Brault

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have recalled infielder Max Moroff and optioned Steven Brault to Indianapolis. Moroff is only hitting .229, but he leads the International League with 65 walks, and he has 27 extra-base hits, which gives him a .728 OPS. Defensively, he is capable of starting at shortstop, third base and second base.

Brian Peloza did a feature on Moroff last week, in which Indianapolis manager Dean Treanor believed Moroff was ready for the majors if the Pirates should need him. His patience at the plate has led to a high walk total, but it has also led to a low batting average and high strikeouts. Moroff will sometimes take too many pitches, to the point it hurts him. It’s something he didn’t do as often last year when he put up a .783 OPS last year in Altoona. He has stretches this season where he was able to draw walks and still be aggressive in the strike zone, but it hasn’t happened enough. He provides solid defense around the infield, and has above average speed and the ability to hit for extra bases.

Brault just made his second Major League start on Friday against the Brewers and allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks over seven innings. He gave up one run over four innings in his debut 24 days earlier.

John Dreker
John Dreker
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball. When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.

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