Colin Beazley's Pirates chat: 07.28.26
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Colin Beazley
12:00
Good morning and happy Tuesday. Plenty to talk about today. At this time next week, I'll be chatting with you guys from Milwaukee. Will we be impressed by their deadline moves? Disappointed? We will see.
Jim
12:01
I am sure I am not the only one asking but do we have or when do we expect word on #55? Be such a shame if a historic pace for a rookie was derailed by a bad pitch.
Gene
12:01
Any news on Valdez and also when is Cruz expected back?
Martian
12:01
Is Valdez's hand ok, or are we cursed? based off his react- im guessing cursed.
Colin Beazley
12:05
Figure I'll try to address the big story of the day, Esmerlyn Valdez's injury, up top. I don't have any updates, unfortunately. I'm not particularly optimistic judging by his reaction. I've been asking around, but have a number of not returned texts or responses saying "I haven't heard anything official." Hopefully that changes during this chat.

Clubhouse opens at 2:20 p.m., so we'll know more around then. Might be a taxi squad move first while they wait for additional scans or results. We'll also hear from Don Kelly a little after 3 p.m.. Hopefully, can find out more for you guys before then.
12:06
As for Oneil Cruz, Ben Cherington said he was progressing well on his radio show Sunday. Believe he's eligible to return from the 60-day IL on August 8. Hasn't begun a rehab assignment yet -- once he does, then we can plot when he'll make his return.
Dan
12:07
I see that Shawn Ross was “designated for assignment”. A bummer given his HR the other day, but totally understandable with Endy back. Will he still be with us in Indy?
Colin Beazley
12:09
Heck of a story for Shawn Ross. Was awesome to see him make the most of his big league call.

Ross will have to pass through waivers, but as someone with not much (read: two days) of MLB service, he cannot decline an option to Indianapolis. He's batting below .200 in the minors, so I'm not expecting another team to give him a 40-man spot.
JollyRoger8
12:10
Ozuna has been a bust and has looked horrible this last week against Left Handed pitchers. Any chance that they finally DFA him or  include him in a trade and finally
It’s time to DFA Ozuna. He has been a bust and was terrible this last week against LH pitching. Pirates will be facing a very good LH DBacks pitcher Wednesday. They need to call up the Password  now for this important game. He has been on fire for Indy
Connor
12:10
Does Marcel Ozuna finish the season on the pirates?
Bill
12:11
Do they move Ozuna, add "The Alphabet," or pick up another RH bat?
Colin Beazley
12:15
Time for our weekly Marcell Ozuna questions. Marcell Ozuna looked like he was finally showing something, but he's mired in a slump again. Quite simply, the Pirates haven't gotten anything out of him on the field this year.

At the same time, the Pirate offense has been fine even with his struggles. The big issue has been left-handed pitching -- the exact thing Ozuna was brought in to hit.

I don't think it's particularly likely that they're able to trade Ozuna, though I'm sure the Pirates would love to get his contract off the books. But if they simply want to DFA him, why wouldn't they have done that already? I've never thought a DFA was particularly likely, both because of his clubhouse role, the fact that the money is already spent, and the very, very small chance that he gets hot and suddenly addresses the Pirates' lone offensive weakness.
12:16
I agree that I'd like to see Password return. I think he's the likeliest replacement for Valdez if Valdez does miss time — and even if Valdez doesn't miss time, I'd like to see how a Reynolds/Password/Valdez outfield does against a lefty.
cmose
12:17
If I'm the Pirates Management I would without question trade for Mason Miller. I give up one the current relief pitchers on staff along with two prospect hunter Braco and jhoxston Garcia. Your thoughts?
Martian
12:17
Is Mason Miller a real option? seems like we'd have to give up more than we historically would be willing. Who do you feel is realistic targets for this bullpen?
Colin Beazley
12:21
Mason Miller time! For the first question, a Barco/Password/reliever package doesn't get anywhere near to getting Miller. You'd need major, major prospect capital to get him.

I don't think it's particularly likely the Pirates get Miller, though I have had multiple Pirates people tell me how much they'd like to have him. Side note: can you image how electric his first walkout at PNC Park would be?

But I don't think the Padres will trade him, and if they do, I think they'll try to ship off the Bogaerts contract too. The Pirates would have the prospect capital to make something work, but the Padres are still in contention. I also don't think the Pirates, as a small-market/small-salary team, want to dedicate a major chunk of their payroll to a closer, even one as good as Mason Miller.
12:23
Realistic targets: planning a deeper look in a Thursday article, but I think Luke Weaver is the top reliever I could see the Pirates really going after. Would look at Zeferjahn or Yates from the Angels, Kittredge from the Orioles, Bachar or Petersen from the Marlins.

I'll stop here so I don't spoil my own article!
TooTall21
12:23
Colin, BC continues to sit on his hands - 55 games remain! - rather than do something to solidify this patchwork bullpen. (Marinaccio is just another “patch”, IMHO).  I haven’t seen a recent update on Evan Sisk. Do you know if he’s expected back soon?  Will he need a rehab stint?
Colin Beazley
12:25
Hi TooTall. Clock's ticking on the bullpen, but so many teams need bullpen help that any selling teams will want to wait as long as possible to drive up the price. I'm expecting a lot of deadline action on Monday afternoon.

As for Sisk, he threw a second bullpen on Sunday. Next steps would be live hitters, then a rehab assignment.
demosthenes98
12:25
What was the point of the Ron Marinaccio trade? Was there a point to it?
Colin Beazley
12:27
Pirates thought he was a better option than Dennis Santana and can be a reliable right-hander. If Marinaccio can get back to the 3-4 ERA arm he was between 2022 and 2025, that helps the bullpen. If not, they didn't give up anything of value to get him.
demosthenes98
12:27
Do you have any idea why Derek Curiel signed for so much less than slot value? If you're going to play for Bob Nutting, shouldn't you take as much of his money as you can?
Colin Beazley
12:29
The MLB draft is different than every other major draft in that teams have a certain pool of money to negotiate from. Most expected Curiel to go around picks 10-15 in the draft, with a slot value around $6m. Instead, the Pirates liked him and worked out a deal to pick him early and pay him what he would have gotten anyways around picks 10-15 (the $6.2 million). Doing so lets them get a player they like, and spend the leftover $2m on other players they liked later in the draft.
ray
12:29
trade P Skenes! - he doesnt have it anymore
Nit seeing dedication ir work ethic from P Skenes
JD Denver
12:29
Is it me or does Skenes have a real laizze faire attitude about the results of his starts. He had no pressure his first 2 years on a last place team with no offense. Now we need a leader who can win 8 games in the next 50 days. Quit throwing 6 pitches. It isn’t working.
I say we have 4 quality position players for SS and 3B. Can Ozuna and make Nick the DH.
12:30
Like to see more fire out of Skenes. He had no pressure on a last place team. Throw 3 pitches for strikes and get rid of the 6 pitch arsenal. We have 4 quality position players to play SS and 3B. Can Ozuna and let Nick bat DH.
Ben
12:30
hey Colin - what’s your theory on what’s going on with Skenes? He just doesn’t look like the same guy as last two years and the start of this season?
Colin Beazley
12:33
Lot of Paul Skenes talk today. No, the Pirates are not trading Paul Skenes. Yes, he badly wants to win. Work ethic and dedication aren't a question.

I think Skenes has intentional changed his arm slot and dialed back his velocity in order to stay healthy for a long season and into October. Skenes at 95% is better than Skenes hurt, and the fastball has maintained almost all of its effectiveness. I asked him about that after his last start, which you can read here. The bigger issue, in my opinion, is his offspeed pitches simply have not been as good this year.

I expect him to figure it out, he's too good and too smart not to. Doesn't help the Pirates much now, but I expect we'll look at this season as a blip when we look back on this in 2028.
demosthenes98
12:34
I greatly enjoyed your colleague Matt Press's article about spending a day as one of the Pirates' racing pierogi. For the PG's next such article, he (or maybe you) should spend a day as a Pirates scout. Could he (or you) really do any worse than the people on Bob Nutting's payroll have been doing?
Colin Beazley
12:35
I also greatly enjoyed my colleague Matt Press's article about spending a day as one of the Pirates' racing pierogi. You should read it if you haven't already.

The Pirates amateur scouts have done well in recent years, for what it's worth. This draft class is well-regarded and there's been plenty of wins lately.
demosthenes98
12:35
By your next chat, the MLB trade deadline will have come and gone. As far as you know, what percentage of MLB players have no-trade clauses that do not permit them to be traded to Bob Nutting or would otherwise refuse to play for him?
Colin Beazley
12:38
The Athletic had an article on no-trade clauses today, citing 47 players with full no-trade clauses and at least 20 with some partial protection. This doesn't count players with 10-and-5 rights.

No idea what percentage, but it would be impossible to determine that specific reason why the Pirates would be on a list. As that article cites, there's a lot of reasons why a team can be on a no-trade list: dislike of the city, dislike of taxes, giving yourself leverage, etc etc etc
Greg
12:38
Hi Colin. Unless the Bucs somehow put it all together and make a strong playoff run, the team should move on from Don Kelly. He appears to be a really nice guy, well liked by the players, and is to be commended for rallying the team from the malaise that existed when he succeeded Derek Shelton. That being said, his inexperience has become evident this season...he's mismanaged an underperforming pitching staff that has often sabotaged a revitalized offense and an over-reliance on analytics has led to some questionable strategies, both have which have led to losses in games they might/should have otherwise won. As a fellow Point Park alum, I'd love to see him succeed, but it's becoming clearer another voice may be needed to take this team to the next level.
Colin Beazley
12:42
Man, a fellow Pioneer has turned on him!

Kelly hasn't been perfect, something he admits. He's also dealing with the wrong kind of explosive bullpen. I've disagreed with plenty of his decisions, but I'm sure at least some of those choices were informed by things that we as media or fans never find out about.
Greg in Greenville
12:42
Hey Colin great work, the only thing keeping the Buc's out of the playoffs right now is all the blown saves. Do you think they will actually go get a proven, dependable reliever?
Ben
12:42
hey Colin - who are likely relief pitcher targets, how many do the pirates need, and what would you give up?
Bucco Bob
12:42
Hi Colin, Thanks for doing the chat. Who would you be willing to trade for a good RP with control beyond this year? Not a closer, just a good one like say Morejon of SD. A young guy like Harrington or Barco or Termar J, or a major leaguer?
Randy
12:43
What are some relievers they may be targeting going into this week? And do you think they’ll have a new closer on August 4th?
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