El Maracucho es MVP
The National League snapped their nine-game All Star losing streak in a 3-2 victory over the American League at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, and of all people to capture the Most Valuable Player trophy via a game-winning two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning, it was Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Díaz.
Díaz is most likely remembered by Pirates fans for his inconsistent time in Pittsburgh, during which he peaked with 10 home runs and a career high .286 batting average over 82 games in 2018.
He may also be remembered for his mother, Ana Soto, and her harrowing story of being kidnapped in Venezuela just as he was to report to Bradenton for Spring Training that very same year.
Díaz was clearly emotional when talking with FOX’s Kevin Burkhardt following the MVP award presentation.
A brief reminder that in the litany of questionable moves made by former Bucs’ GM Neal Huntington in his final four seasons on the job, non-tendering Díaz a year before he would have hit arbitration could be looked at as one of the worse ones. Especially given the Pirates’ catching travails over the last three seasons – including the Austin Hedges experience this summer – as they’ve waited for Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez to reach the Majors, a veteran catcher could’ve been useful.
Especially one hitting at a 20 home run per 162-game pace, which Díaz has done at a cost of just $15.7 million over the past four seasons. And with an All Star Game MVP trophy to mount on his wall.
Or better yet, to give to his mother.
Skenes Timeline
There’s been so much discussion since the Pirates selected flame throwing starter Paul Skenes out of LSU with the first overall selection of the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday night about just how long we’ll have to wait to see him on the mound at PNC Park.
I’m here to tell you, I don’t think we’re going to like the timeline.
It’s not a particularly long limb to go out on to suggest Skenes should be fast-tracked to the bigs.
Personally, I’d have him here by September, following some ramp-up and conditioning at Pirate City, and a few starts between Altoona and Indianapolis.
Skenes knows it, it too, but was fairly diplomatic about it during his introductory media call.
“In a vacuum, my stuff, people are telling me it plays in the big leagues,” said the first overall pick. “Based on how I do, and how I work, it’s also someone else’s decision to pull me up. But, I think I’m close.”
The Pirates though, especially now that they’re out of it this season, will turn their focus to 2024 and beyond. And I’d imagine with the number of college players they selected in the rest of the draft this week, their eye is on a contention window opening sooner rather than later. After all, 13 of their 21 selections were college pitchers, including a run of nine in a row between Rounds 4 and 12.
So don’t expect Skenes here now, and certainly not early enough next year to start the clock on his service time in a window that could push him closer to Super Two arbitration status. Again, if they want to lengthen their window of contention, than they’re better off having Skenes available for an extra “cost-controllable” season.
Do I like it? No. No cost, now or in five or six years from now, should effect how long Skenes is in a Pirates’ uniform. He is a generational talent the Pirates should pay to keep around as long as he’s productive and healthy.
But you and I both know how things are done around here.
And because of that, I wouldn’t expect us to see Skenes much before mid-June of next year.
A Potential Karlsson Deal?
It sounds as if the San Jose Sharks continue to inch closer and ever closer to dealing three-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson, and the list of potential destinations is down to Carolina or Pittsburgh.
Originally an opponent of this deal – not because I don’t think Karlsson can’t provide the blueline offense the Penguins so desperately need outside of Kris Letang – because I thought there were so many other priorities to focus on, I think I’ve come around on it, for one reason and one reason only: The salary cap.
“Wait,” you’re saying. “Karlsson comes at an $11.5 million hit for the next four seasons. Until he’s 37!”
Yeah, but if you can offload the Jeff Petry and Mikael Granlund contracts via this trade, the multiple future first round picks you’d have to deal, as well as the young defensive prospect in either Pierre-Olivier Joseph or Owen Pickering (two guys who are now boxed out of the Top 4 by a pair of defensemen still in their 20s, in Marcus Pettersson and Ryan Graves) all become worth it.
You’re removed two albatross contracts – which you may have had to spend daft picks to do anyway – added just $250,000 in cap hit, and turned your Top 4 from Letang, Graves, Pettersson, & Petry into Letang, Karlsson, Graves, and Pettersson for little more than some future lottery tickets and a young defenseman.
As long as it involves dealing Petry and Granlund, the Karlsson deal is an absolute no-brainer.
Just get ready for the parade of odd-man breaks back in Tristan Jarry’s direction to go from a trickle to an outright flash flood.