The Pittsburgh Pirates take on the Detroit Tigers at 7:05 PM EST tonight, with Johan Oviedo on the mound.
One year ago today, Oviedo was acquired by the Pirates with Malcom Nunez, in exchange for Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton.
This year’s trade deadline passes at 6 PM EST. The Pirates have veterans to deal, and a team that has recently seen an influx of young prospects called up from the minors. They’ve already traded Carlos Santana for rookie league infielder Jhonny Severino, and Severino has already homered as a member of the Pirates.
Oviedo has posted a 4.60 ERA as a starter this year, which is slightly below league-average. He’s looking like a guy who could fill out a contending rotation, or who could excel as a shutdown reliever. For now, the Pirates don’t have the starting depth to push him to the bullpen, and that doesn’t project to change on deadline day.
Rich Hill, Austin Hedges, and Colin Holderman have all been mentioned in trade rumors, via this MLBTR rundown. The Pirates added Holderman last year for Daniel Vogelbach.
Today’s deadline offers the team the chance to get better in the long-term. Last year’s deadline led to this year’s setup man and a starting pitcher. What will today’s moves bring the 2024 club?
MINOR MOVES
The Pirates signed non-drafted free agent Luke Scherrer. The prep catcher had a commitment to Cal Poly. I’m not sure about the rules with the new CBA, but I believe undrafted players have previously been eligible to sign until they step foot on college campus as a student. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Pirates dipped into some of their remaining bonus pool money to make this deal.
**Yesterday, the Pirates released right-hander Carlos Lomeli from Bradenton. Lomeli was the 17th round pick in 2021, drafted out of Saint Mary’s College of California. In two years in Single-A, he combined for 5.03 ERA in 91.1 innings.
DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN
Mike Jarvis is tied for the system lead in stolen bases. He’s got 25 steals in 26 attempts this year. Recently promoted to Altoona, Jarvis showed off his abilities on the defensive side on Sunday. The 2021 6th round shortstop made a nice stop in the fourth to end the inning and prevent a run from scoring.
What a stop by @_mikejarvis to end the inning! pic.twitter.com/ga8AwRZ2hu
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 30, 2023
While on the theme of defense, catcher Dylan Shockley ended the week on the injured list. Prior to that, he was throwing out runners all over the bases. Shockley is one of the best defensive catchers in the system.
Teams just HAVE to stop running on @DylanShockley29! His 15th runner caught stealing this season ends the inning! pic.twitter.com/x8fP1dqx5g
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 27, 2023
There may not be aliens, but @DylanShockley29 surely isn't human… https://t.co/1AHrIq0YDc pic.twitter.com/0iF5q7JQ1V
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 28, 2023
AROUND THE SYSTEM
There wasn’t much minor league action on Monday, so the Prospect Watch looks at the Players of the Week, led by Jared Jones.
Prospect Watch: Improved Control Makes Jared Jones the Player of the Week
INDIANAPOLIS
The MLB trade deadline is on Tuesday at 6:00 PM EST. There could be some roster spots cleared at the big league level, leading to some call-ups from Triple-A. One guy making his case for another shot at the big leagues is Miguel Andujar. In the last week, he hit .417/.500/.792 with three homers. He’s got an OPS over 1.000 in the last month.
ALTOONA
Tsung-Che Cheng carries an eight game hitting streak into this week, as Altoona returns home for two weeks to face Richmond and Erie.
GREENSBORO
It’s always difficult to get a read on stats in Greensboro, due to the layout of the outfield allowing for more offense. Last week, the Grasshoppers scored 45 runs in six games. This week, they take on Asheville at home. I always watch for how the pitchers perform in this bandbox. Bubba Chandler has given up one run in 15.2 innings over his last three starts.
BRADENTON
The Marauders are beginning to see the pro debuts of the 2023 draft picks. Last week saw the debut of second rounder Mitch Jebb, who picked up eight hits in three games.
ROOKIE LEVELS
The rookie leaguers were the only players in action on Monday. Check out all of the results in the Prospect Watch.
