P2Daily: Blake Sabol Playing More In The Outfield With Indianapolis

The path that Blake Sabol took to Triple-A wasn’t likely what the Pirates had in mind going into the season. He started out in Altoona, pairing up with Carter Bins behind the plate. With the latter struggling to start the season, Sabol took over the primary catching duties.

While originally not thought as a catching prospect, Sabol took some steps in the right direction in the added time, and when Henry Davis was promoted to Altoona, it was Bins that moved up to Indianapolis to join an even bigger crowd at the position.

That allowed him to split time with Davis in Altoona. When the former first overall pick went on the injured list, it was again Sabol who took over the starting job.

Now in Triple-A with Indianapolis, Sabol rejoined a crowded catching position, but this time he hasn’t been forced into any playing time behind the plate. In 19 games with the Indians, Sabol has caught just five times, instead playing in left field for the most part.

Knowing that Davis and Endy Rodriguez were right behind him in Greensboro to start the season, having Sabol in Altoona was always going to lead him to primarily playing in the outfield — it just took a promotion to Indianapolis and the majority of the season to get there.

Along the way he added some invaluable experience behind the plate, and the focus on the outfield in Triple-A hasn’t hurt his production, as he’s slashed .303/.425/.606 with nine extra-base hits (five home runs) and 14 RBI in 19 games with Indianapolis.

Other Notes

— Jack Suwinski is in the midst of a 1-for-30 slump, and is right back having troubles with striking out — he has 15 in that same span. Whatever it was that allowed him to hit so well coming up the system since coming to the Pirates, he completely shifted once he got to the majors and hasn’t been able to get back on track. Even sending him back to Indianapolis, it was more of the same. He’d strike out a bunch and then he’d hit one really hard and the issues were ignored once again.

— I don’t talk about the big league club often, but after watching the last two games there seems plenty to say. A lot has already been said but some of it directly impacts the system. The Pirates have two 40-man roster spots open, and too many Rule 5 options for this winter to have Eric Stout pitching in the ninth inning of a game in late September.

Maybe the results aren’t better, in fact they could actually get worse but at least those eight run innings that they gave up go towards the future and not just the latest waiver wire pickup. Maybe they want to hang on to those spots till the off-season, that’s fine. There are still names that have no business pitching right now picking up way too many innings near the end of the season.