The Pirates return home to PNC Park tonight to begin a five-game homestand, with the first three games against their Keystone State rivals. Joe Block has a preview.
Tuesday’s trade deadline is quickly approaching and the Pirates have already started dealing, yesterday shipping first baseman Carlos Santana to the division rival Brewers in exchange for 18-year-old infielder Jhonny Severino. Santana played 94 games for the Pirates and hit .235 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs. He provided one of the best moments of the season on June 30th – against the Brewers of all teams – when he crushed a walkoff home run into the Allegheny River to give the Bucs an 8-7 win, which he celebrated with a wild dance just before stepping on home plate.
Severino is just getting started in his baseball career. The Dominican Republic native was a 2022 international signing by the Brewers who hit .268 with three home runs in the Dominican Summer League last year and has only played twelve games this season in the Arizona Complex League, hitting .250 with four homers and five stolen bases. Brewers GM Matt Arnold said Pirates fans should be happy to get Severino, who he called an “athletic, physical specimen…(with) all the ingredients of a guy you would hope to get.” He said the broad-shouldered shortstop/third baseman “looks like somebody that would be a free safety at the University of Alabama.”
The trade of Santana will likely not be the first move the Pirates make before the deadline. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman yesterday tweeted that the Pirates are receiving “a lot of hits” on pitchers Rich Hill, David Bednar, Mitch Keller, and Colin Holderman.
MLB
Miami acquired closer David Robertson from the Mets last night in exchange for two prospects. Robertson has a 2.05 ERA through 44 innings this season and is 14-for-17 in save opportunities. The Mets get 18-year-old infield prospect Marco Vargas and 19-year-old catcher Ronald Hernandez.
ALTOONA CURVE
Jackson Glenn hit a three-run home run and Mike Jarvis had three hits for the second night in a row as Altoona scored four times in the sixth inning to beat Harrisburg, 5-3. Anthony Solometo threw five innings and gave up two runs for the win and Justin Meis tossed three innings of one-run ball for the save.
Sean Sullivan gets the start for the Curve tonight in the series’ fourth game.
Comments