Pittsburgh Pirates: Time to Cut Ties With the Veterans

Designate Yoshi Tsutsugo for assignment, re-call Jack Suwinski

As Noah wrote about last week, first baseman/designated hitter Yoshi Tsutsugo is currently putting together one of the worst offensive season in Pirate history. While he has seen his playing time diminish extensively in recent weeks, he is still on the active roster and that needs to change.

Entering play on Tuesday, Tsutsugo was hitting for a .171/.249/.229 slash line, a 39 wRC+ and a 37 OPS+. He owns a -1.3 fWAR, -1.7 bWAR and has been flat out awful throughout the 2022 season.

There is zero reason for Tsutsugo to still be on the active roster. None. Zilch. Nada. In fact, at this point, it’s a slap in the face of Pirate players and fans that Tsutsugo continues to occupy a spot on the 26-man roster.

Tsutsugo should have been gone already, and now he really needs to be designated for assignment immediately. The player who should replace Tsutsugo on the active roster is outfielder Jack Suwinski.

While Suwinski was stuck in a major slump before being optioned to Triple-A last month, he had also hit 14 home runs which led all National League rookies. He had proven he belongs in the majors. Entering play on Tuesday he had hit for a .268/.348/.634 slash line to go with a 10.9% walk rate and a 152 wRC+ in 46 plate appearances at Triple-A. Suwinski needs to replace Tsutsugo on the active roster, and, between right field and designated hitter, play every day.

Designate Josh VanMeter for assignment, re-call Tucupita Marcano

Tsutsugo has been the worst player for the Pirates this season, but the second worst has been utility man Josh VanMeter. He has hit for a woeful .184/.267/.296 slash line and 61 wRC+ this season.

VanMeter has struggled defensively at second base, third base and first base. Both his average exit velocity and hard hit rate are below league average. No matter how you paint it VanMeter has been terrible and he should be designated for assignment.

Before he was optioned back to the minor leagues last month, utility man Tucupita Marcano was hitting for a .229/.280/.357 slash line to go with a wRC+ of 80 and an OPS+ of 79 in the majors. However, he was walking at a 7% clip and his average exit velocity of 86 MPH was higher than league average. He also played strong defense for the Pirates.

Since returning to the minors Marcano has hit for a .362/.433/.500 slash line to go with an 11.9% walk rate, just a 14.9% strikeout rate and a 152 wRC+ in 67 PAs with Triple-A Indy. He has more than earned his re-call to the majors, and the Pittsburgh Pirates need to be find ways to get him at-bats in the majors.

Designate Greg Allen for assignment, re-call Travis Swaggerty

Switch-hitting outfielder Greg Allen is another veteran who is contributing nothing to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Allen has just 25 PAs since coming off the 60-day injured list. In these 25 PAs he has hit for a .115/.115/.154 slash line, to go with a -32 wRC+, -21 OPS+, and a 38.5% strikeout rate.

Could one argue that Allen deserves a more extended look before the Pittsburgh Pirates move on from him? Absolutely. That said, Allen is a 29-year-old career journeyman with a a 72 wRC+ and OPS+ in 691 career PAs.

Allen does not have a future with the Pirates. Due to this, he should not be on the roster and getting ABs for the Bucs. Due to this, he needs to be designated for assignment with former first-round pick Travis Swaggerty replacing him on the roster.

Earlier this season the left-handed hitting Swaggerty had nine plate appearances with the Pirates. He was not given much of a fair shake, though, with six of those nine coming against lefties. He was also quickly jettisoned back to Triple-A after struggling.

In 291 PAs at Triple-A this season Swaggerty has walked at a 10% clip, while hitting for a .267/.338/.439 slash line to go with a 107 wRC+. Swaggerty needs to be re-called and take over as the team’s every day left fielder for the rest of the season.

The Pirates need to see what they have in Swaggerty. Does he still have the potential to be an above average every day MLB player as was envisioned when he was drafted? The only way to find out is to play him regularly.

Option Bryse Wilson to the minors, re-call Roansy Contreras

So, this one is a little bit different. Bryse Wilson may not be what most would consider to be a veteran due to him having just 177.2 MLB innings under his belt. That said, he has been pitching in the majors since 2018 and it’s time for the Pittsburgh Pirates to move on.

Wilson has pitched in 14 MLB games this season, 11 of which were starts, logging 61.0 innings pitched. He has posted a 6.20 ERA, 5.16 FIP, just a 15.1% strikeout rate and he has allowed home runs at a 1.62 HR/9 clip. To be blunt, Wilson has been terrible.

This one is also a bit different as the player who should replace Wilson, Roansy Contreras, does not have as much to prove in the majors as some of the other players discussed. While Contreras is far from a finished product, he has also already started to establish a MLB track record and has shown why many have pegged him as a future top of the rotation arm.

Contreras has made 12 MLB appearances this season with nine being starts. He’s posted a 3.78 ERA, 10.1% walk rate, 23.0% strikeout rate and a 1.00 HR/9 rate in 50.0 innings pitched. Most of the damage done against Contreras came in one disastrous start against the Milwaukee Brewers in which he allowed 7 earned runs.

Contreras has limited innings at his disposal this season. Those innings should be wasted in the minor leagues. Instead, they should come with him in Pittsburgh’s starting rotation while Wilson is sent back to the minors.

Wilson is not a MLB pitcher, especially as a starting pitcher. He should not make another start for the Pirates this season. Contreras is one of the better pitching prospects in all of baseball and however many innings he has left in his arm this season should be pitched in the majors.