In what may be the last time he meets with reporters before the MLB Draft, Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington discussed the class, minor league depth and addressed whether Chris Stewart was Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher.
The MLB Draft will be June 8-June 10, and for the second consecutive year, the Pirates will be picking late.
“This is a really good class to be picking from the back end of the first round,” Huntington said. “There’s a ton of gray at the top of the draft, there’s going to be really good players that come out of this draft, probably this year of any year. There’s some depth to it but not the elite knockdown talent that’s been there in the past.”
Nick Kingham’s second opinion has taken longer than many could have expected as his chosen doctor has been busy. The hope, Huntington stated, is that he gets in at some point this week. Jameson Taillon pitched a two-inning simulated game Saturday. Tyler Glasnow was placed on the seven-day disabled list after his sprained ankle did not improve in game action.
“We decided to be safe instead of sorry,” said Huntington. “He passed all clinical tests but the final step was how it felt in the game and it didn’t feel right. We got him out early and make sure we do everything in our power to get this healthy and quick as possible.”
Is it a coincidence that Chris Stewart and Gerrit Cole have often been paired together this season? Huntington does not believe so but not for the reason of Stewart being a personal catcher.
“It gives us a nice clean shot to give Francisco a day off,” Huntington said. “He [Francisco Cervelli] hasn’t caught 140 games, he hasn’t caught 130 games in a season. We were going to do this with Chris Stewart catching more than the average backup catcher catches.”
Josh Bell came to the Pirates with his power touted, however this year this has not shown. Still he has found success batting .322 in his first 146 at-bats and Huntington is not concerned.
“We want him to be a really good hitter and the power will show itself,” said Huntington. “The worst thing a young hitter can be asked or told is to hit with more power. You will create a groundball monster as he yanks and pulls pitches.”
A question was asked to the Pirates general manager if Jose Tabata would be a good first base option since the starting outfield of the future seems to be a forgone conclusion. Tabata however does not have first base experience and Huntington called it a challenge. He said Tabata would make the move in a heartbeat if asked but it did not seem to be something he considered.
Huntington as general manager faces a lot of scrutiny from fans and media alike for moves that are made, however what he has done is create prospects, many of which block the other’s path. This, Huntington said, creates good problems but states there is still work to do.
The session concluded with Huntington being asked if he would ever consider managing, a clear reference to Dan Jennings leaving the general manager role he held with the Miami Marlins in favor of being the new manager for the team. Huntington quickly responded that there would be no chance of this possibility.
“I don’t question what the Marlins have done,” Huntington said. “Dan Jennings is a great baseball man and a great leader. I just know one of my strengths would not be managing a game and you’ll never see it happen.”
Photo courtesy: Getty Images
