Today was the day for Major League teams to get down to 40 players on their 40-man roster. With five players on the 60-day injured list, the Pittsburgh Pirates needed to clear at least five spots. That became six spots when they acquired Ji-Man Choi from the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Pirates announced that pitchers Peter Solomon, Beau Sulser, , Blake Cederlind and Eric Stout, catcher Jason Delay and 1B/C Zack Collins were all removed from the roster and cleared waivers. They were all sent outright to Indianapolis. Collins and Stout both became free agents.
Delay spent the most time with the Pirates this year and he will probably have a chance to win a roster spot out of Spring Training, unless the catching situation drastically changes. He hit .213/.265/.271 in 57 games and played slightly above average defense. The offense dragged him down to -0.4 WAR for the season. He will be 28 years old before Opening Day.
Sulser was with the Pirates early in the year, then lost on waivers to the Baltimore Orioles mid-season, before returning as a waiver claim. He had a 3.63 ERA in 22.1 innings, with a 1.48 WHIP, 4.50 FIP and 19 strikeouts in 2022. He turned 28 back in May.
Cederlind hasn’t pitched at all in two years due to Tommy John surgery and setbacks during his rehab this year. He played briefly for the 2020 Pirates after showing massive improvements in the minors in 2019. If he can regain that form, he will have a chance to win a bullpen job during the 2023 season. He turns 27 years old in January.
Solomon was a waiver pickup in September, who pitched four games for Triple-A Indianapolis. He has 14 innings of big league experience at 26 years old, playing briefly for the 2021 Houston Astros.
Stout had a 5.79 ERA in 18.2 innings over 18 appearances with the Pirates after joining the team mid-season from the Chicago Cubs. He had a few stints with the Pirates and a few with Indianapolis. He will be 30 years old on Opening Day in 2023.
Collins was another mid-season pickup. He went 1-for-25 with three walks with the Pirates after putting up a .682 OPS in limited time with the Toronto Blue Jays. He turns 28 in February.
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.
How long do teams have to waiver claim?
I thought Cederlind might be option for a team. And a team can stash him on the DL if not ready. Having his injury history and not pitching in 2 years is tough though.
I did see Brendan McKay got assigned too. But he’s out all next year too and the same age as Cederlind.
The Pirates talk about wanting to protect the young prospects who may be exposed under Rule 5, but the current 40 is still bloated with questionable pitchers and players. Here’s a list of 12 that I would question –
Pitchers – Mears, Fernandez, Beasley, DeJong, Ramirez, Wilson, Yajure?
Catchers – Heineman. Delay has already cleared waivers.
IF – Park, Castillo.
OF – Vilade, Andujjar – do we need either or both?
Another note – All of the guys Ethan had listed as MiL FAs are in fact now FAs except Lolo Sanchez. So he may have resigned for 2023. Or MiLB.com may have another error.
I could be wrong here, but I think Cederlind will be a MiL FA unless the Pirates resign him.
What does it say that all six cleared waivers?
so who of this group can reject the outright and choose free agency, and who has to just eat it? I think there’s a clause like that, right?
It’s comforting to know that they didn’t think they had to keep Delay on the 40-man just to have a backup catcher.
Not a bad move. They still need to clear 8 or so spots for rule 5 guys. I looked at the 40 man And I think I could cut 10 more guys pretty easily. Haha
Not funny – it’s reality, and we need to cut deep to put our best prospects on the 40. But, this buffoon of a GM signs Vilade one day and gives away a pitching prospect for another short time plug and play like Ji-Man Choi. Is that 2 more short-term duds to add to the 40? Total nonsense!
1-25 for Collins, that’s hard to do.
My buddy and I got a good laugh when we watched him try to raise his batting
average to my weight (.115). Needless to say he didn’t make it
I could go 1 for 25 and I’m 76 years old.
I don’t think you could go 1 for 25 with your wife.
He an Godoy we’re offensive forces!! Can’t believe that they’re gone.
For sure. How’d he ever get the 1?
Closed his eyes and just stuck the bat out??
How did all these guys go unclaimed??!! Are the other 29 teams blind???!!!
What’s funny is someone like Zack Collins still had slight value when White Sox traded him to Blue Jays for Reese McGuire. But then just absolutely plummeted to the point of absolutely no value, and that’s when the Pirates grab him.
The Pirates are the “I can fix him” side of the relationship, and just can’t pass up a toxic relationship.
How bad is that. .A first round pick traded for a player that can’t make the Pirates.
Hey, what’s the name of the tamale place in McAllen? Going through there tomorrow.
Delia’s!!! Do it!!!
Not BNP but is it Delia’s. I remember the convo before and was dying to try some myself😁
Think so thx
There’s a lot of good ways to go. Spicy chicken and cheese. Jalapeño and cream cheese. Chicken in green sauce. Beef and the pork on their own are good too.
Red salsa is delicious. If you’re feeling frisky, can get the green. Sometimes it’s absolute fire, and others it’s a little more timid.
Too . . . many . . . choices . . . .
Lol
The pruning begins. Will be interesting to see who gets trimmed to move guys onto the roster pre rule 5
with so many choices, it’s hard to chose!
They could just use a chainsaw and prune everything at once 🙂