2:18 PM: The Pirates have officially announced Skenes' contract option and more. Hayes' IL designation is labeled as low back inflammation.
12:53 PM: Pirates manager Ben Cherington announced to Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (links of X) and other journalists that right hand Roansy Contreras selected for assignment. This move opens up a space for their list Paul Skenes, as the star prospect is scheduled to make his Major League debut in today's game against the Cubs. Cherington also featured that third player It's Bryan Hayes he was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a bad linebacker, and a linebacker Alika Williams was called up from Triple-A to replace Hayes on the active roster.
It wasn't long ago that Contreras was a notable prospect in his own right, looking at the bottom of the top 100 lists from Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, and MLB Pipeline ahead of the 2022 season. Acquired from the Yankees as part of a four-player return to the Jameson Taillon traded in the 2020-21 offseason, Contreras raised his stock in his first season in Pittsburgh's farm system, culminating in reaching the major leagues one game before the end of the 2021 campaign. The righty then posted a 3.79 ERA in 95 innings (18 of 21 starts) in 2022, and looked like a promising building block for the Pirates' 2023 rotation.
Unfortunately, things then went south for Contreras during a difficult season. He posted a 6.59 ERA over 68 1/3 MLB innings, and first lost his rotation job by being demoted to the bullpen, then optioned back to Triple-A entirely and never pitched in the majors again after the 5 July. the move to Triple-A didn't get Contreras on track, as he had a 4.96 ERA over 32 2/3 frames in Indianapolis. Contreras also spent time making a full return to the Pirates' Complex League team, trying to fix issues that led to a drop in his strikeout rate, an increase in his walk rate, and less velocity. he throws his fastball.
Coming out of the Pittsburgh bullpen this season, Contreras' bottom line numbers improved to a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings, and his strikeout rate increased from 18.2% in 2023 to 21.6% this year . It still hasn't been an eye-catching result, and the Pirates have seen enough to feel comfortable losing Contreras to the waiver wire. Even though the righty is out of the minor leagues and therefore had to be DFA'ed to be sent to Triple-A, it still seems like a surprise to see the Bucs move on from the 24-year-old. who showed such ability as recently as 2022. Chances are Contreras will be taken for free unless the Pirates can get some sort of trade from an interested team before Contreras' DFA expires.
Skenes' first taste of the bigs will come without the comfort of a better defensive third baseman behind him. Hayes hasn't played since May 7 and is just 2 for 26 over his past seven games, lowering his slash line to .240/.322/.318 over 149 plate appearances this season. Hayes has scored just one run after hitting 15 homers in 2023, and his .078 Isolated power average is less than half of his .182 ISO from last year.
Although Hayes has increased his walk rate and reduced his strikeouts, it's fair to wonder if his back problem is the cause of these offensive struggles. Hayes only had a wRC+ of 101 in 2023, but getting even a mid-league offense from an elite outfielder makes Hayes a very valuable player. Speaking of glovework, Hayes' -9.1 UZR/150 this season is perhaps a big red flag that he isn't good physically, even if the other defensive metrics (+2 Outs Over Average, +3 Defensive Runs Saved) are still strong. Hayes' defense opinion.
Jared Triolo the only Pirate to get any time at third without Hayes this season, so Triolo was moved from his usual second spot to the hot corner while Hayes was sidelined. This will do Williams again Nick Gonzales top second base options, leaving the Bucs thin in the infield. Lover Peguero and Ji Hwan Bae they're on the 40-man roster and could easily be called up to Triple-A if the need arises, or the Pirates could look to find in-house help on the open market or with a minor assignment.
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