The Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran right handed pitcher Justin Masterson to a minor league deal last week adding to an already strong core of pitching in the Pirates system.
Last Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates added to their already deep core of talented pitching by signing veteran right handed pitcher Justin Masterson to a minor league deal. Masterson is just another piece of an already deep Pirates core of pitchers who can come up and help the major league ball club. Triple A Indianapolis was ranked as the fifth best starting rotation in all of minor league baseball by minor league baseball.com and they have some talented arms ready to make an impact on this Pirates team.
The newest addition to this depth, Masterson, is currently in Pirates City in Bradenton, Florida getting stretched out to become a starting pitcher due to the time he missed in spring training. Last season with the Boston Red Sox, Masterson pitched in 18 games and nine starts collecting a 4-2 record with a 5.61 ERA while walking 27 and striking out 49.
Masterson was once considered the ace of the Cleveland Indians staff being named an all-star in 2013. However, he had been dealing with injuries the last two seasons and it caused him to fall off in terms of stats the last two seasons. He underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery over the off-season and was quoted as saying "For the first time in a couple of years, I haven't had any pain."
Masterson's two big struggles last season were the number of hits he gave up and the amount og batters he walked. In 58.1 innings last season, Masterson walked 27 batters while only striking out 49. His strike out to walk ratio sat at 1.81. You would like to see that number up around two and a half to three for Masterson to be successful.
Masterson also gave up a lot of hits in 2015. In those 58.1 innings pitched, he gave up a total of 68 hits on the season. As a starting pitcher, if you are giving up that many base hits, you are going to struggle at the major league level. Masterson has to work on his control so he can keep the ball out of the hitting zone and he can put it somewhere where the batter can't get the barrel of the bat on the ball.
Working with Ray Searage should help Masterson regain the dominant nature he had with Cleveland. From 2011-2013 he went a combined 37-35 while keeping his ERA in the mid to low threes. While he will never be the ace of a rotation again, he will fit nicely as a number three or number four guy in the middle of the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation.
Along with Masterson, the Pirates also have some other intriguing options down at Triple A Indianapolis that could come up and help the big league club. The three really intriguing options for the Pirates are Tyler Glasnow, Jameson Taillon, and Chad Kuhl. Each of these players has shown success in the past and are starting off the season on the right note.
For Glasnow, through his first two starts he is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA. He has allowed only one run in each start, but the most impressive stat is his strike outs. In 10.0 innings pitched, Glasnow has struck out 15 batters on the season. Glasnow has been regarded as a flamethrower in the Pirates minor league system and he looks to continue that reputation in his development. If there is someone in the Pirates rotation who struggles, it is very likely that Glasnow will make his MLB debut at some point this season.
The other power arm in Triple A Taillon is having a good start to the season as well. Through his first two starts, he has compiled a record of 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA. In his first action in two years, Taillon is making a good transition back to baseball and it has really helped his development moving forward. While he doesn't have the speed or stuff that Glasnow has, he has been able to hold his own on the mound striking out 10 batters in 10.1 innings of work.
The other power arm the Pirates have is Chad Kuhl. Through his first two starts, including a victory today against Toledo, he is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA. Kuhl has struck out 8 batters through 9.2 innings this year while only walking two. Kuhl is one of those guys who could be called up in a pinch if needed to start or come out of the bullpen for the Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have always been known for their depth at the pitching position both at the major league level and the minor league level. Glasnow, Taillon, Kuhl, and now Masterson will each have a role on this Pirates team either this year or next season. The Pirates have a bright future on the mound, and with all the good young prospects they have, there will be no trouble on the mound for the Pirates for the foreseeable future.
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