The Pirates traded Carlos Santana on their off-day, following a series where Santana hit three homers to lead the team to a series win over the Padres. I broke down the trade earlier today.
Pirates Trade Carlos Santana to Milwaukee For Shortstop Jhonny Severino
Santana was a big addition for the Pirates this past offseason, not just for his performance at first base, but for his veteran leadership in the clubhouse. As the Pirates won on Wednesday in San Diego, the young players rushed to the mound to join the dance with the veteran leader.
The next time this team dances, it will be without Santana. That might be on Friday night, with Mitch Keller taking the mound against the Phillies.
Over the next few days, the Pirates could part with more of their veteran leaders. The energy of the clubhouse is going to be owned by the young players who have been arriving over the last month.
The final two months of this season will give an early preview of the 2024 Pirates, and what that team will need.
DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN
The Pirates acquired 18-year-old infield prospect Jhonny Severino from the Milwaukee Brewers for Santana. FanGraphs provides a nice, extended look at Severino from behind the plate.
Severino’s numbers this year include a strikeout rate just below 20% and a walk rate just below 2%. He doesn’t look like he chases a lot of pitches, and he’s aggressive in the zone — with a quick bat and great bat-to-ball skills.
At the very least, he’s an interesting hitter to develop, already showing some in-game power potential. The Brewers added him at the start of 2022 for $1.23 million. This deal got the Pirates a seven-figure infielder with plus raw power potential, on a year and a half delay. They spent their bonus pool in 2022, so this was the only way they were getting Severino. He’ll be a guy to watch in the FCL the remainder of the year.
PROSPECT WATCH
Thursday’s action saw Anthony Solometo pitch Altoona to a win, along with several home runs in Greensboro, obviously. Check out all of the daily action in the Prospect Watch.
SONG OF THE DAY
