3 roster moves that would immediately improve the Pirates’ offense

Pirates should DFA Alexander Canario, recall Billy Cook

Alexander Canario was acquired at the very start of the season after the New York Mets designated him for assignment. Formerly a top prospect and the headliner in the deal that originally sent Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants, Canario batted .243/.336/.514 with a 116 wRC+ across 243 plate appearances for the Chicago Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate. He also smacked 18 home runs and drew walks at an 11.3% pace.

However, while there were certainly positives to his season, there were also some major negatives. He struck out 30.4% of the time with a whiff rate of 37.5%. Since the Pirates acquired Canario, swinging and missing has still been a huge issue. He may only have four strikeouts in his first 22 plate appearances, but carries a whiff rate of 37.1%. Overall, he only has two hits, one of which was a home run, along with a trio of walks.

Needless to say, he should be replaced with Billy Cook on the active roster. Last season, Cook was also a trade deadline acquisition, but from the Baltimore Orioles. He turned in some quality numbers between the O’s and Bucs’ minor league teams last year, combining for a .849 OPS, .377 wOBA, and 124 wRC+. He hit particularly well when the summer started, with an OPS approaching .900 at .898 and a wOBA just under .400 at .392 from the start of June until he was promoted to the Major Leagues.

Cook’s late-season promotion did not go over very well. It was only 16 games and 49 plate appearances, but the outfielder/first baseman only had 11 hits and struck out 19 times. Cook swung and missed 39.8% of the time and swung at pitches outside the zone at a 36.9% rate. But while Cook struggled for the most part, it wasn’t an entirely poor showing. He still had three home runs with a 92.6 MPH exit velocity and 13.3% barrel percentage. However, his power isn’t his only above-average attribute on the diamond. 

Cook is exceptionally fast. He was in the 93rd percentile of sprint speed last season at 29.3 feet/second. He also looked like a spectacular defender in his late-season call-up, and the defensive metrics support that assessment. Cook played less than 100 innings between the three outfield positions. He had +6 defensive runs saved, +6 fielding runs, and +2 outs above average. Only nine players in baseball history have had +6 fielding runs in less than 20 games played.

The only advantages Canario has over Cook are his switch-hitting capability and his selectivity at the plate, whereas Cook only hits right-handed and didn’t draw a single walk in his brief Major League encounter last season. The Pirates need help at first base, and Cook is an excellent outfield defender. If they’re going to give Canario playing time semi-regularly, then it should be going to Cook right now.