Pittsburgh Pirates: Two Players Likely in DFA Limbo

Robert Stephenson

I had faith in Robert Stephenson heading into the 2023 season. Stephenson had one of the most effective sliders in 2022, and the Pirates had the right-handed reliever utilize the pitch far more often after being acquired by the Bucs. Stephenson did pretty well in his September stint with the Bucs, but things seem to have come crashing down for Stephenson in 2023.

The once highly-effective slider has become a much less effective offering. After holding opponents to just a .264 wOBA and 32.3% hard-hit rate, opponents have now hit it for a .337 wOBA and 47.6% hard-hit rate. The difference between a .264 wOBA and .337 wOBA is like the difference between former Pirate backup catcher Chris Stewart and former All-Star catcher Jason Vaiertek.

The diminished effectiveness of his slider has made his always-poor fastball even more of a liability. Batters are hitting .333 with a .583 slugging percentage and .415 wOBA against his four-seamer. Stephenson has consistently had one of the least effective four-seam fastballs in baseball, and with no third pitch in his arsenal, he’s been hit hard this year.

All this leads to eight earned runs allowed in just 13 innings. Of the 12 hits he’s allowed, three have been long balls. He’s walked eight batters (one intentionally) while striking out 15, which is the only silver lining in his dismal season. Stephenson has been knocked around for a 15.2% barrel rate, the 19th worst in the league.

Despite his poor numbers, the Pirates have insisted on giving Stephenson a high-leverage role. Of his 17 total appearances, 15 have come between innings 7-9 or extra innings. Before his implosion on Sunday afternoon, Stephenson allowed seven hits, including a double and a home run, along with three walks in 25 plate appearances in high-leverage situations.

Let’s just see a pitcher who has a chance to actually become a high-leverage arm. Even a promotion of Travis MacGregor, Hunter Stratton, or Carmen Mlodzinski would likely prove to be more productive than having Stephenson on the roster.

That’s not to say that a rookie should all of a sudden be handed the reins to a high-leverage role. Dauri Moreta has certiantly earned a higher volume of high-leverage innings more than anyone out of the bullpen. But replacing Stephenson for a more effective pitcher sets the bar extremely low.

Chris Owings

The Pirates signed Chris Owings this past off-season to a minor league pact. Not expecting to play a significant role, injuries have forced the Pirates to promote the former long-time Arizona Diamondback utility man. Despite being promoted right after the first week of May, Owings has played extremely sparingly and has performed poorly when given the opportunity.

Ownings has just 21 plate appearances across eight games. He has only appeared in three contests after May 15th. In this very short amount of time, Owings has just four hits, all of which are singles. He has yet to draw a walk and has struck out nine times in 21 plate appearances. This comes to an OPS of just .380.

Even though the sample size is way too small to make any definitive conclusions, it’s not as if Ownings was a silver slugger candidate in previous campaigns. From 2018-2022, Ownings batted just .190/.266/.300 with a .249 wOBA and 48 wRC+. His -2.2 fWAR in this five-season stretch was the eighth lowest among position players. -2.2 is pretty impressive, considering that he only had 667 plate appearances, basically a full season.

The only thing of value that Ownings brings is his defensive versatility. He has mostly manned shortstop for the Bucs but can also play second base, third base, and all three outfield positions. But defensive versatility doesn’t always mean a good defensive player. Owings is a career-negative defensive shortstop while grading out around average at second and third base, and his outfield defense has also been about average.

Now, granted, Owings hasn’t played nearly enough for his negative value to make a significant impact. He’s only played in 52.9% of the Pirates’ contests since his arrival. He’s a once-a-week starter, and you’ll never find a superstar to fill that role. But you’re still talking about a guy who was essentially a -2 WAR player on average per season. At that point, you might as well see if Aaron Shackelford's Triple-A success can carry over to the majors.