The bulk of the trade talk surrounding the Pirates this year involved the rumors of Felipe Vazquez being discussed with the Dodgers. By the time the deadline rolled around, the Dodgers addressed their need for a lefty reliever with a replacement level guy, opting to hold on to their top prospects, rather than spend big to get one of the best relievers in the game.
Honestly, can you blame them?
Major League Baseball is designed for teams like the Dodgers to win with little effort. Their local TV deal pays them more per year than any team’s payroll, including their own. At the time of the deadline, they had a 15 game lead in their division, along with a 6.5 game lead for home field advantage in the NL.
The Dodgers haven’t locked anything up officially, but they’re basically guaranteed a division title, and have a strong chance of getting home field advantage. They didn’t need to make a trade to ensure all of this. They were already so far ahead of everyone else that other teams needed to make a trade just to have a shot at catching up to them.
The Dodgers are the extreme, but this same story is happening in almost every other division in baseball. The Braves were 6.5 games up in the NL East on July 31st. The Astros were 8.0 games up in the AL West. The Yankees were 7.5 games up in the AL East.
Only two divisions had a close race. The AL Central saw the Twins leading the Indians by three games. However, the third place team in the division was 19 games back, and Cleveland had a 2.5 game lead on the first Wild Card spot.
The NL Central was a tie on July 31st, with the Cubs and Cardinals in the lead, and the Brewers one game back. The Reds were 6.5 games back, and the Pirates were 10.5 games back.
If you’re counting at home, that’s nine true contenders for the six division titles, with all of the close races coming in two divisions.
That doesn’t mean that the other division winners were able to sit back like the Dodgers and do very little. The Astros made a splash by getting Zack Greinke. Of course, they were also one game up on the Yankees for home field advantage, and two games up on the Twins. The Braves boosted their bullpen. The Yankees and Twins were both quiet.
MLB has become a three tiered league. There are the super teams, which right now consist of the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, Astros, and likely the Braves going forward. These are teams who either have big pockets, a lot of home grown talent from a successful rebuild, or both.
The next two tiers are the teams competing for a Wild Card spot, competing for one of the few division races that are close, and the teams who are still holding out hope because technically they’re in it, even if they don’t really have a strong chance to contend. The last group are the teams currently blowing it all up, not even trying to contend as they go through a rebuild.
There are some teams who will always be in that second contending tier, and some who could move up to the super team tier at certain times. But about two-thirds of the league will be stuck jumping back and forth between the second and third tier, depending on their current window of contention, and whether they’re working on a rebuild at the moment.
This could make things more difficult at the trade deadline going forward. You’ve got a few teams who really don’t need to make a trade, since they’re so far ahead of the competition. You’ve got more buyers and teams in a holding pattern than you do sellers, which means the cost is high for the middle tier. The teams who don’t really have a realistic chance at contending probably aren’t paying those prices, which leaves very few teams who are buying, and actually willing to pay the price to buy talent.
The solution would seem to be getting into that top tier where you don’t have to worry about buying at the deadline. But that tier is reserved for teams with deep pockets and a good plan. For a team like the Pirates, the only solution would be to end up in the top half of the second tier, although that might require them to drop down to the selling tier from time to time in order to launch them back to the contending tier.
PLAYOFF PUSH
Indianapolis has 28 games left. They trail by eight games in the division and 6.5 games in the wild card.
Altoona has 27 games left. They trail by 13 in the division.
Bradenton has 29 games left. They trail by 6.5 games in the division.
Greensboro has 27 games left. They trail by four in the division and 1.5 for the second best record, which could possibly get them a playoff spot.
Morgantown has 27 games left. They trail by 3.5 games in the division and 2.5 games in the wild card spot.
Bristol has 23 games left. They trail by 4.5 in the division and they’re 2.5 out of the second playoff spot.
GCL Pirates have 24 games left. They trail by nine in the division.
DSL Pirates1 have been eliminated from the playoffs.
DSL Pirates2 have clinched a playoff spot
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Today’s Starter and Notes: The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 9-7 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night. The Pirates will activate Steven Brault (and Richard Rodriguez) for today’s game. Brault last pitched in the majors on July 5th, giving up one run over four innings to the Brewers. He suffered a left shoulder strain in that last start. His previous start, which was one run over 4.2 innings, was also against the Brewers. Brault made a rehab start with Indianapolis five days ago in which he allowed two runs over four innings. The Brewers are countering with veteran right-hander Chase Anderson, who has a 3.73 ERA in 94 innings, with 90 strikeouts and a 1.20 WHIP. He faced the Pirates back on July 7th and allowed two runs over four innings. He also faced them in late May (two runs over five innings) and early June (two runs over six innings), so you can expect him to allow two runs tonight.
The minor league schedule includes Indianapolis sending out James Marvel, who will get his first start since being named as our Pitcher of the Month for July. He has a 2.12 ERA in five starts with Indianapolis, picking up 30 strikeouts in 29.2 innings. The GCL Pirates have a doubleheader today. First round pick Quinn Priester will get one of the starts. He has a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings, with a 1.15 WHIP and 24 strikeouts. Altoona starter Pedro Vasquez has allowed two earned runs in each of his last three outings, though he threw six innings in his last start and six total innings in the two prior starts combined. Greensboro will send out Colin Selby, who followed a 2.36 ERA in five July starts, with five shutout innings and nine strikeouts on August 1st.
Bradenton needs to finish yesterday’s suspended game, which is a 2-1 lead with one out in the bottom of the eighth (extra innings since it was part of a doubleheader). When that’s completed, they will play one nine inning game with no starter listed, though it appears that Conner Loeprich could make the start. Morgantown is sending out fifth round pick Grant Ford, who has allowed one run over his last 13 innings. He has struck out 15 batters in his last eight innings. Bristol’s Adrian Florencio makes his eighth start. He’s coming off of three runs over five innings in his last start, which was the third time that he has faced Greeneville already this season.
MLB: Pittsburgh (48-64) vs Brewers (58-56) 7:05 PM
Probable starter: Steven Brault (4.15 ERA, 53:32 SO/BB, 60.2 IP)
AAA: Indianapolis (56-56) @ Norfolk (44-68) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: James Marvel (2.12 ERA, 30:10 SO/BB, 29.2 IP)
AA: Altoona (56-57) vs Richmond (41-70) 6:30 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Pedro Vasquez (2.83 ERA, 74:19 SO/BB, 92.1 IP)
High-A: Bradenton (60-49) @ Charlotte (66-44) 5:30 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: TBD
Low-A: Greensboro (67-45) @ Greenville (49-64) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Colin Selby (2.85 ERA, 80:24 SO/BB, 79.0 IP)
Short-Season A: Morgantown (25-23) @ Mahoning Valley (22-28) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Grant Ford (3.05 ERA, 24:11 SO/BB, 20.2 IP)
Rookie: Bristol (20-24) @ Danville (19-27) 6:30 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Adrian Florencio (5.01 ERA, 27:12 SO/BB, 32.1 IP)
GCL: Pirates (12-20) vs Twins (17-14) 10:00 AM DH (season preview)
DSL: Pirates1 (26-29) vs Indians (21-31) 10:30 AM (season preview)
DSL: Pirates2 (44-11) vs Giants (23-31) 10:30 AM (season preview)
HIGHLIGHTS
From Indianapolis on Sunday, Will Craig sets a career high with 21 homers. This one went 403 feet
Meet our slugger, @WCraigers22. ✊#RollTribe pic.twitter.com/In8TR4s1ow
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) August 4, 2019
Kevin Kramer makes a nice throw from left field to get a runner trying to advance on a fly ball
Meet @Kevin_Kramer7, our left fielder.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
8/5: Pirates sign Omar Alonzo and Juan Fuentes.
8/5: Yoyner Fajardo promoted to Bristol. Fernando Villegas promoted to Morgantown.
8/5: Clay Holmes assigned to Altoona on rehab.
8/4: Blake Weiman placed on Indianapolis injured list.
8/4: Pirates release Jung Ho Kang
8/3: Pirates claim Yacksel Rios.
8/3: Richard Rodriguez placed on paternity list. Pirates recall Parker Markel.
8/2: Pirates Designate Jung-Ho Kang for assignment. Recall Pablo Reyes. Activate Erik Gonzalez from injured list.
8/2: Nick Mears activated from Bradenton injured list. Ryan Valdes placed on Bradenton injured list.
8/1: Blake Weiman activated from Indianapolis injured list.
8/1: Austin Coley placed on Altoona injured list.
7/31: Pirates trade Corey Dickerson to Phillies for a player to be named later and international bonus slot money.
7/30: Oneil Cruz promoted to Altoona. Jerrick Suiter activated from injured list. Bralin Jackson placed on injured list. Gift Ngoepe released.
7/30: Pirates recall Geoff Hartlieb and Yefry Ramirez. Montana DuRapau and Alex McRae optioned to Indianapolis.
7/30: Elvis Escobar assigned to Morgantown on rehab.
7/30: Daniel Amaral activated from Bradenton injured list.
7/29: Jordan Lyles traded to Milwaukee Brewers for Cody Ponce. Montana DuRapau recalled from Indianapolis.
7/28: Darnell Sweeney assigned to Altoona. Alfredo Reyes assigned to Greensboro.
7/27: Pirates claim Parker Markel off waivers from Seattle Mariners.
7/27: Kyle Mottice placed on Greensboro injured list. Michael Gretler activated from injured list.
7/27: Angel German activated from suspended list.
7/27: Daniel Amaral sent to GCL Pirates on rehab.
7/27: Tyler Lyons returns to Indianapolis from paternity list.
7/26: Pirates sign Lewys Guzman, Jose Vasquez, Pedro Figuereo, Juan Santos
7/26: Osvaldo Bido promoted to Bradenton. Noe Toribio promoted to Greensboro. Trey McGough promoted to Morgantown. Lizardy Dicent assigned to Bristol on rehab.
THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY
Seven former Pittsburgh Pirates players born on this date, two of them played for World Series winners and one was related to a Hall of Famer. Starting with the most recent first.
Stan Belinda, relief pitcher from 1989 until 1993. No comment
Steve Nicosia, catcher for the 1979 World Series champs. Played with the team from 1978 until 1983, which was when he asked to be traded because he wasn’t getting playing time behind Tony Pena.
Clem Labine, pitcher for the 1960 World Series champs. Labine lasted until 1961 with the team. He had a 1.48 ERA in 30.1 late season innings for the 1960 Pirates.
Bud Hafey, outfielder for the 1935-36 Pirates. His brother Tom played two years in the majors and his cousin Chick Hafey was a Hall of Fame outfielder for the Reds and Cardinals. Bud played 97 games for the Pirates over his two seasons.
Bud Sharpe, 1910 first baseman. After winning the World Series in 1909, the Pirates moved on from first baseman Bill Abstein and had an open competition between Sharpe and John Flynn. They kept both on Opening Day, but Flynn soon took over full-time and Sharpe was traded away at the end of April.
Brownie Foreman, lefty pitcher during the 1895-96 seasons. He had a 3.22 ERA during his first season with the Pirates, which was one of the best years for offense in baseball history, so that ERA was actually much better than it looks. He didn’t last long with Pirates the following year due to poor performance.
Jim McDonald, 1884 utility fielder. Back in 1884, teams didn’t carry many extra players, sometimes only a backup catcher, one position player and a couple of pitchers. McDonald played five positions that year and hit .159 in 38 games.
