Notes: Q, Tsutsugo Reportedly Signed; Coaches Added; RIP Quail; Player Moves

The off season keeps rolling along…

Notes:

• Free-agent LHP Jose Quintana, 32 (33 in January), has reportedly reached a  one-year/$2M MLB agreement with the Pirates, pending his physical. The 10-year vet was 0-3/6.43 with the Angels and Giants last year. Q was used mostly as a long reliever after an early season bout of shoulder inflammation last year, leaving the Bucs the option of using him as a starter or in a bullpen role as both spots are short of southpaws.
• The Pirates have reached a deal with Yoshi Tsutsugo, pending his physical, for one year/$4M. It’ll be interesting to see where Colin Moran fits in; the Pirates aren’t going to carry a pair of lefty 1B -  and no, Yoshi is not, despite the Pirates attempts, an OF’er. Maybe the FO has some inside info re: the DH coming to the NL in the new CBA.

Yoshi keeps the uni for another year — image Pirates

• Here are the final Arizona Fall League stats. Don’t read a lot into them as their sample size is smaller than Corbin Burnes’ ERA – Players: 2B Nick Gonzales (.380/2/13); OF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.298/1/2) & IF/OF Ji-hwan Bae (.250/2/11). Pitchers: Michael Burrows (2-0/3.52, 16K in 15 IP); Roansy Contreras (2-1/3.21, 18K in 14 IP); Bear Bellomy (1-0/3.86, 9K in 11-2/3 IP) & Carmen Mlodzinski (1-0/4.91, 9K in 11 IP). Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com selected his Top 25 AFL Prospects; Gonzales and Contreras made the cut.
• The Pirates hired Andy Haines, 44, as their hitting coach. He held that post last year with the Brewers after a stint as the Cubs ass’t hitting guy. 
• Mike Rabelo is going to be the third base coach, replacing Joey Cora. He was the Pirates major league field coordinator and ass’t MLB hitting instructor last year after being a a minor league manager for Detroit. He joined the Bucs in January, 2020. 
• Sad Pirates news: Bill Virdon passed away at age 90. The Quail played for 11 seasons in Pittsburgh, then managed (1972-73; ’72 Division title) and coached here off and on while appearing in spring training as a mentor and torch–passer.
• C Michael Perez cleared waivers and was assigned to Indy, leaving Jake Stallings as the lone catcher on the 40–man roster.

And then there was one – 2021 Perez photo by Rich Schultz/Getty

• On the road again: The Padres will send 2B Adam Frazier to Seattle for LH reliever Ray Kerr and OF Corey Rosier, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
• Starling Marte, the top FA centerfielder, signed a four-year/$78M deal w/the NY Mets, pending his physical.
• Former Bucco OF Jason Martin, who played for Texas last year (.208/6 HR), signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers.
• The D-Backs acquired platoon OF Jordan Luplow from the Rays for infielder Ronny Simon. This is Jordan’s third team since being traded by the Bucs for Eric Gonzalez.
• The Giants DFA’d old Bucco farmhand Alex Dickerson. In four years split between San Diego and The Bay, the outfielder’s hit .260 with 39 HRs in 869 ABs.
• MLB and the Players Union have agreed to move the tender deadline from December 2nd to November 30th so that non-tendered players will have a chance to sign with a new club before the anticipated lockout takes effect.