Every week we will be recapping the transactions in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor league system, looking at the trends and adding some context to some of the bigger moves.
There weren’t a lot of moves this week, but the ones that did take place were impactful. Henry Davis went down with an injury, the Pirates shuffled their second base options in the majors, and Taiwanese pitcher Po-Yu Chen got promoted to full-season ball.
Below are all of the transactions from the week of 8/21-8/27.
Promotions
Indianapolis
2B Michael Chavis promoted to Pittsburgh. (8/23) The Pirates are giving Chavis a look after trading for him in a minor move at the deadline. Chavis is off to a good start at the plate, going 8-for-21 with a homer and two doubles. Chavis was promoted as two other second base options — Hoy Park and Rodolfo Castro — were sent down. This could be his best opportunity to win a job with the Pirates, and lock down that second base position.
Altoona
None
Greensboro
None
Bradenton
RHP Po-Yu Chen assigned to Bradenton from the FCL. (8/25) Chen is one of the more intriguing lower level prospects, and it will be fun watching him finish the year in Low-A. The Pirates signed the 19-year-old Chen for $1.25 million at the end of 2020. He’s off to a nice start in his pro debut, with an 0.69 ERA in 26 innings, along with 29 strikeouts and no walks.
Demotions
Indianapolis
2B Hoy Park optioned from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis. (8/23) Park got a decent opportunity with the Pirates after being acquired in a trade for Clay Holmes at the trade deadline. He got defensive time at both middle infield spots, and all three outfield spots, getting the bulk of his playing time at shortstop. Park hit for a .567 OPS in 65 plate appearances. He was sent down as Michael Chavis was brought up, although Park looks more like a potential super utility player off the bench, rather than someone challenging for a long-term starter job.
Altoona
2B Rodolfo Castro optioned from Pittsburgh to Altoona. (8/24) Castro saw 93 plate appearances in the majors this year, with decent results from a guy who spent the 2019 season in A-ball. He had a .653 OPS, fueled by a lot of power for a middle infielder, to the tune of a .198 ISO. He’s going to need more than power to challenge for the long-term second base job. Michael Chavis is getting a shot at the position now, while Castro returns to Altoona for some additional work.
Greensboro
None
Bradenton
None
IL Assignments
Indianapolis
LHP Blake Weiman activated from the 7-day IL. (8/26) At one point, Weiman looked like he could be an option for the Pirates in the big leagues as a lefty reliever who could potentially pitch big innings. His 2021 season has not gone well. H has a 5.57 ERA in 32.1 innings, with a 23:9 K/BB ratio. Weiman was out since August 6th.
Altoona
None
Greensboro
RHP Will Kobos placed on the 7-day IL. (8/24) Kobos is having a strong season in the Greensboro bullpen. He has a 2.16 ERA in 41.2 innings, with a 68:23 K/BB ratio. The strikeouts are impressive, although the control needs to improve for similar success in the upper levels.
C Henry Davis placed on the 7-day IL. (8/23) Pirates fans got a brief look at the 2021 first overall pick, and Davis didn’t disappoint. He had a 1.059 OPS in Greensboro, hitting two homers in 19 at-bats. He also went 3-for-7 with a homer in the FCL. Davis went down this week with a right oblique strain, and due to the timing of the injury, he’s likely to miss the remainder of the season.
Bradenton
None
Added to the System
Indianapolis
None
Altoona
None
Greensboro
None
Bradenton
None
Released
None
Photo: Henry Davis; Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Pirates
