Esmerlyn Valdez gave the Pirates a scare earlier this week, and even though he appears to be fine, the episode sharpened the same old question hanging over Pittsburgh’s deadline plans: who else can hit right-handed when the matchup turns ugly?
Valdez left Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks early after a hit-by-pitch caught his wrist, but he did not miss any time afterward. Still, his 1-for-10 stretch over the next two games didn’t exactly offer a clean bill of health in the batter’s box. More importantly for the Pirates, it put a spotlight on how thin they are from the right side.
Pittsburgh’s lineup leans heavily on left-handed and switch-hitting options, but the group has not done enough against southpaws. Only Valdez and Nick Gonzales are everyday starters who bat right-handed, while Marcell Ozuna, Henry Davis, and Jared Triolo also chip in frequently. Even with the switch-hitters in the mix, the Pirates have struggled in that split, ranking 24th in the league with a 91 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.
That weakness stands out even more because the offense overall has been one of the best in baseball. The Pirates are the second-highest run-scoring team in the league, which makes the lack of production against lefties feel like a flaw that could matter a lot if October arrives.
So while bullpen help still has to be the priority, there’s a clear case for Ben Cherington’s front office to add another right-handed bat before the trade deadline. The need is real, and it’s not going away just because Valdez is okay.
The challenge, of course, is that Pittsburgh won’t be shopping alone. Plenty of contenders and Wild Card hopefuls are hunting for right-handed hitters ahead of Aug. 3, and that kind of market tends to push prices up fast. That makes a huge splash less likely.
But the Pirates don’t need a huge splash. A name like Byron Buxton or Hunter Goodman would be nice, but the offense already has enough talent that the ask is simpler than that: find another dependable starter who can ease the burden on a rookie.
And Valdez, to his credit, has already become a serious middle-of-the-order presence in short order. Through his first 41 big-league games, he’s hit .277/.371/.664 with a 176 wRC+. Against lefties, he’s been even louder, posting a monstrous .313/.421/.875 line and a 235 wRC+.
That kind of production can cover a lot of ground, but it can’t be the whole plan. League adjustments are coming, and the brief wrist scare was a reminder that asking one player to patch over an entire lineup’s weakness is a risky way to live. The Pirates need at least one more bat who can punish left-handed pitching, even if that’s the only box they can check at the deadline.
In Other News...
Pirates Just Lost A Catcher Who Briefly Forced A Bigger Question
Shawn Ross did not stay on Pittsburghs roster long, but he did enough in a brief look to make the Pirates think for a moment about what they might have found. The catcher, who also brings some defensive versatility, reached the majors with Pittsburgh recently and quickly logged a small but notable first impression before the Pirates moved on from him.
The New York Mets then claimed Ross off waivers and opened a spot by designating right-hander Joey Gerber for assignment, a roster shuffle that mostly affects the other side of the transaction. For the Pirates, the more interesting part was the fleeting possibility Ross created during his two-game debut, when a depth piece suddenly looked like someone worth watching a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Have A Trade Deadline Edge Few Contenders Can Match
The Pirates are in a position this July that plenty of contenders would love to have: a minor league system with catching depth that goes well beyond one promising name. Several of Pittsburghs top-30 prospects at the position bring both defensive value and some offensive upside, giving the organization a rare kind of flexibility when teams start looking for help behind the plate at the trade deadline.
Catching is always a thin market, and it only gets thinner when clubs begin sorting through which teams can actually spare a player they trust. For the Pirates, that scarcity could turn their pipeline into a real advantage, since a position that is hard to find is also one that can carry extra value in trade talks. The question now is how far that leverage can go once rival front offices start making calls. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Cherington Just Raised A New Carmen Mlodzinski Deadline Question
Ben Cherington left the door open to a different kind of deadline move, one that would send a big leaguer out and bring another back in. For a Pirates club still centered on run prevention, that matters because it suggests the front office is not simply hunting for depth or future pieces, but is willing to consider swaps that could help the roster right now. Even after bringing in Camilo Doval, Cherington made clear that one move does not have to be the last one.
That broader posture is why Carmen Mlodzinski has become a name to watch. The right-hander has a live arm and major league experience, but his role in Pittsburgh has never fully settled into one lane, which makes him easy to imagine in the kind of deal Cherington is signaling is possible. If the Pirates decide they want immediate help in return, Mlodzinski fits the profile of a pitcher who could be part of that conversation. [Read more 🡒]