Esmerlyn Valdez move quietly reinforces reason Pirates can contend

After the Pittsburgh Pirates' bats went cold in Atlanta this weekend, it's fair to wonder whether this team would have benefited from another difference maker in their lineup... say, someone like Esmerlyn Valdez?

Valdez's promotion was an exciting surprise for Pittsburgh Pirates fans looking to see the 22-year-old slugger mash under the bright lights of the MLB. To an extent, the youngster delivered. His first career home run went deep to the opposite field, showcasing his power and providing us all with a hysterical standoff that had a happy ending for all.

The run for Valdez was short, however. Just five games and 18 plate appearances, in which he hit .125/.222/.500 with two homers and a 50% strikeout rate, were all it took for him to get demoted back to Indianapolis.

That doesn't mean the Pirates' No. 9 prospect failed. The sample wasn't big enough to prove that he failed. Instead, as Pirates insider Noah Hiles laid out on Bucco Territory, the move makes perfect sense.

"That's a good luxury to have. Again, that's the sign of a good, playoff team is when you can pull a guy up from the minor leagues, and it's like we'll bring you up here if you can help us. But if not, we need you to keep getting good at-bats. Because Esmerlyn [Valdez] is going to be a big part of next year's team," Hiles said.

Pirates have finally built the kind of depth that contending teams possess, as the Esmerlyn Valdez decision proves

In years past, a guy like Valdez would have gotten called up and stayed up because the veterans on Pittsburgh's Major League roster had proven that they weren't any good. In cases like that, it would make some sense to give a prospect some run, even if he wasn't fully ready, because at least he might become something.

The conditions that led to Valdez's promotion, such as Ryan O'Hearn's injury, have changed. With O'Hearn back, opportunities for Valdez would've been scarce. Languishing on the big league bench isn't the best thing for his development either (just ask Jhostynxon Garcia, who was optioned back to Indianapolis on Sunday).

Meanwhile, Konnor Griffin's forearm injury necessitated a different kind of depth move, with Tyler Callihan's promotion representing a different kind of depth. Callihan isn't the kind of promising young talent that Valdez is, but he's a competent utility infield type to fill the void on the bench until Griffin returns.

Valdez might be up again later if injury strikes. If not, his next shot at the big leagues could be as a September call-up. With that said, he isn't far from being big league ready, and likely will compete for a regular role with Pittsburgh next spring.

The Pirates of old would have had no choice but to run him out day in and day out, regardless of whether or not he was truly ready. That strategy could have been more harmful than helpful to his future.

But now, with an outfield that consists of Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Jake Mangum, Ryan O'Hearn, and fellow youngster Jhostynxon Garcia, they can focus solely on contending at the big league level and development for young pieces like Valdez at the minor league level. This is the benefit that contending teams enjoy, and finally, the Pirates can operate on that plane.

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