November Notes: Pirates Make Some Moves, Tap Waiver Wire, Bucs & MLB News, MLB Dates

Hot stove season…

Pirates Stuff:

• The Pirates declined the $15M club option on LHP Marco Gonzales, making him a free agent. Gonzales, 32, was 1-1/4.54 and spent most of the season on the IL.
• RHP’s Dauri Moreta, Johan Oviedo, Hunter Stratton and C Endy Rodríguez were reinstated to the 40-man roster from the 60-day IL. RHP’s Ben Heller, Daulton Jefferies and Isaac Mattson were removed from the 40-man after clearing waivers.
• The team claimed 1B/OF Trey Cabbage, 27, off waivers from the Astros. He hit .209  in 147 career PAs with the Angels in ’23 and Houston this season, striking out 60 times. In the minors, he’s shown good pop but with a high K rate.
• OF/DH Bryan Reynolds has been named a finalist for the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award at the utility position. Utility is sorta a stretch, but hey… B-Rey is up against Luis Arraez of the Padres, LA’s Mookie Betts and Jake Burge of the Marlins. No other Pirates reached the finalist round.

B-Rey – 2024 Topps

• The Hall of Fame announced its Classic Era finalists, which included The Cobra, Dave Parker, Vic Harris, longtime Homestead Grays OF & manager, Luis Tiant, who had a cup of coffee here, and from Lawrence County, Wampum’s Dick Allen.
• MLB Trade Rumors picked its Top 50 Free Agents and say the Pirates are a possible fit for three: OF’s Tyler O’Neill & Michael Conforto plus reliever David Robertson. The one Buc FA who didn’t make the list (none made the top 50) but was noted was LHP Aroldis Chapman.
• The Pirates are not expected to look for catching help per MLB’s Alex Stumpf. After three straight years of signing a vet FA (Yasmani Grandal, Austin Hedges, Roberto Perez), they look set with Joey Bart, Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis, with Jason Delay lurking at Indy.
• Has 23-year-old Altoona OF Sammy Siani finally figured it out this year? He’s hitting .406 with three dingers in the AFL and Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline thinks his light may have turned on… He’s one of three Pirates pups to make the Arizona League All-Star team, along with C Geovanny Planchart (.345/2HR) and RHP Derek Diamond (0-0/2.45, 12K in 11 IP). If you’re wondering, 2B Temarr Johnson hit .250 in 11 games before joining Team USA. Siani started, going 2-for-5 with a run in the AS game, Diamond tossed a scoreless, one-hit frame and Planchart came in as a defensive sub as the NL guys lost, 6-5, to the AL AFL’ers.

Other Stuff: 

• RHP Gerrit Cole will remain with the Yankees on his original four-year/$144M deal. He and the team bypassed a $36M option year that he could have rode to free agency and instead will work on an extension to Cole Train’s current contract.

Cole Train during Bucco days – 2017 Topps Bunt

• The Guardians re-signed C Austin Hedges to a one-year/$4M deal.
• Milwaukee outrighted RHP Bryse Wilson. He spent the past two years with the Brew Crew after working out of the Bucco bullpen in 2021-22. The moved a few ex-Bucs: RHP Rob Zastryzny (2023 Pirates) was waived and claimed by the Cubs. The Brewers also outrighted former Pittsburgh farmhands C Christian Bethancourt and RHP Colten Brewer. 
• C Jake Stallings turned down his option with Colorado (it was just $1.5M) and will test free agency.

Winter Dates:

• The World Series-ending date triggers some activity: You can trade players the day after, and five days following the WS conclusion is the deadline for QO’s/contract option decisions, IL players to be returned to the 40-man and FA signings can commence.
• Nov. 4-7: GM meetings in San Antonio. Generally these meetings are a forum for the state of the game & its issues and to lay the groundwork for future wheelin’ & dealin’.
• Nov. 19: Players are placed on 40-man roster to protect them from Rule 5.
• Nov. 22: Contract tender deadline.
• Dec. 9-11: Winter meetings in Dallas. This is the meeting during which most teams begin serious roster-building for the coming year.
• Dec. 10: MLB draft lottery.
• Dec. 11: Rule 5 draft.
• Dec. 15: End of the 2024 international signing period.
• Jan. 10: Players and teams exchange arb figures.
• Jan. 15: Start of the 2025 international signing period.
• Jan. 18: PiratesFest at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
• Feb. 22: Pirates spring slate opens at Orioles in Sarasota.
• Feb. 23: First spring home game v Twins.
• March 24: Spring training ends v Twins in Fort Meyers.
• March 27: Season opens v Marlins at Miami.
• April 4: Home opener v NY Yankees.