Antonio Bastardo posted a 3.94 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 64 innings of relief for the Phillies last season. — GETTY
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
News: The Pirates have acquired left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo from the Phillies for Class AA pitching prospect Joely Rodriguez, according to several national outlets.
Views: Nicely done. Clint Hurdle loves having two lefties in the pen, and Bastardo replaces Justin Wilson as the complement to Tony Watson.
Bastardo, 29, logged a career-high 64 innings with a 3.94 ERA, a career-high 81 strikeouts, 34 walks and an eyepopping .188 opponents’ batting average. His 1.20 WHIP — walks and hits per inning pitched — would have ranked fourth-best in the Pirates’ pen last season, behind Mark Melancon (0.87), Tony Watson (1.02) and Jared Hughes (1.09).
Left-handed batters hit .175 against him and, to hear some of them tell it, hated even getting in the box. Adam LaRoche used to talk about that vocally when he was with the Pirates, calling his delivery and release point ‘unfair.’ Here’s a quick video of Bastardo from an August two-inning scoreless appearance against the Astros that might help illustrate why.
From the money standpoint, Bastardo won’t come cheap for a reliever. He made $2 million last season and is third-year arbitration-eligible, which is the primary reason the cost-cutting Phillies moved him. (Not to mention some dude named Jimmy Rollins.) But it’s a one-year investment at a fair price, and the Pirates were smart to snap that up, as several teams were known to have inquired with Philadelphia on this front.
So, starting pitching pretty much set, bullpen pretty much set.
Do I hear first base?
Not to belabor the point, but go around the diamond and identify the one position where the Pirates stand to improve the most. Catcher might be it, but the options appear to have been exercised there.
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December 10, 2014
News/views: Pirates replace Wilson with Bastardo
by Dejan Kovacevic • Coverage • Pirates
Antonio Bastardo posted a 3.94 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 64 innings of relief for the Phillies last season. — GETTY
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
News: The Pirates have acquired left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo from the Phillies for Class AA pitching prospect Joely Rodriguez, according to several national outlets.
Views: Nicely done. Clint Hurdle loves having two lefties in the pen, and Bastardo replaces Justin Wilson as the complement to Tony Watson.
Bastardo, 29, logged a career-high 64 innings with a 3.94 ERA, a career-high 81 strikeouts, 34 walks and an eyepopping .188 opponents’ batting average. His 1.20 WHIP — walks and hits per inning pitched — would have ranked fourth-best in the Pirates’ pen last season, behind Mark Melancon (0.87), Tony Watson (1.02) and Jared Hughes (1.09).
Left-handed batters hit .175 against him and, to hear some of them tell it, hated even getting in the box. Adam LaRoche used to talk about that vocally when he was with the Pirates, calling his delivery and release point ‘unfair.’ Here’s a quick video of Bastardo from an August two-inning scoreless appearance against the Astros that might help illustrate why.
From the money standpoint, Bastardo won’t come cheap for a reliever. He made $2 million last season and is third-year arbitration-eligible, which is the primary reason the cost-cutting Phillies moved him. (Not to mention some dude named Jimmy Rollins.) But it’s a one-year investment at a fair price, and the Pirates were smart to snap that up, as several teams were known to have inquired with Philadelphia on this front.
So, starting pitching pretty much set, bullpen pretty much set.
Do I hear first base?
Not to belabor the point, but go around the diamond and identify the one position where the Pirates stand to improve the most. Catcher might be it, but the options appear to have been exercised there.