After making four cuts to the Spring Training roster prior to Tuesday’s afternoon game, the Pittsburgh Pirates made three more roster cuts following the game. Catcher Henry Davis and outfielders Matt Gorski and Lolo Sanchez were all reassigned to minor league camp. The active Spring Training roster is now down to 59 players.
Just like the earlier cuts from today, there were no players in this group who were competing for Opening Day jobs. Gorski could open up the season at Indianapolis, after finishing the season there in 2022. However, he had limited time with Altoona last year, and may have just been promoted because the Indianapolis schedule went deeper into the season. He was slated to go to the Arizona Fall League, but got hurt in his first game with Indianapolis.
It’s possible that all three players open up the year with Altoona. Davis would be able to catch full-time at Altoona, while Endy Rodriguez gets the full-time work at Indianapolis. If all goes well, both would move up a level mid-season.
Sanchez re-signed with the Pirates as a minor league free agent this off-season. His placement will likely be decided by what the Pirates do with their big league outfield, and how that trickles down to the Indianapolis outfield situation.
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.
Wishing good health to all of the young ones, they all need at bats!
I really hope Gorski’s Spring Training isn’t a sign of his 2023 season. He did not look good in the batter box.
But I agree with Gorski in Altoona. Gorski/Frazier/Scott would be a really fun OF. With F.Macias, LoLo and Will Matthiessen also there.
Imo, AAA will be:
Mitchell/Smith-Njigba
Swaggerty
Vilade
Chavez Young
Josh Palacios
With T.Marcano and Andujar also there.
I am not concerned yet. He has only had 6 AB so far.
So, uh, what’s goin on with that bat?
Pretty sure arenado started using something similar last offseason which helped increase his bat speed and ended up working alright for him!
Yeah, I think it’s the Baseball Performance Lab that he and Goldschmidt go to. “Hockey Puck” bats are the nickname. I want to say The Athletic did a piece on PBL a month or so ago. I think they make bats right on site. Austin Riley is the latest big name to dive in.
Thanks man!
I noticed a lot of bats styled like that in camp. My up close look and theory is that it almost provides a counter weight below the hands, to help offset the weight on the other end. I’ve been meaning to ask someone about those. It’s on my list. Emjay mentioned the axe handles. There have been a lot of creative advancements the last few years in different styles at that end of the bat.
I inherited a putter like that, counterweight right under the grip. Sinking putts like mad . . on carpet.
I haven’t played real golf in over five years.
From the guys I play with, golf and weed seem to go together quite well, Tim. I prefer to stay hydrated with oat sodas, myself.
For someone who lives on a farm I can get down with some axe handles. Who needs pine tar when you have an axe handle. Unless you are using your axe on pines.
Very cool, first I’ve noticed anyone using them. Counterweight makes sense.
My thought is you could probably use a heavier bat this way.
f=m*a n’at
Mohr engineerin’at!
You mean the oversized Knob? “knob to the ball” emphasis? Possibly similar to the “axe” bat I’ve seen in use with younger age groups that supposedly improves bat speed?
Yeah, the knob!
The axe bat was/is curved through the bottom-hand grip, maybe this has some component that can’t be seen with Hank’s hands in the way.
Davis or Gorski? And you’re the resident expert.
Ha! In this case I mean his literal wooden baseball bat.
I’ve never seen that extension on the knob.
Lol! I thought you were meaning what was going on with his bat as in hitting….upon further review now I see what you mean. It is very different and I had never seen that extension either.
For Davis, only 11 PA and was HBP twice and walked twice. 6 official AB so not much to base anything on right now. Same with Gorski only 6 AB as well.