On a day when they traded for veteran starting pitcher Marco Gonzalez, the Pirates lost a highly-valued infield prospect in the minor league portion of baseball’s Rule 5 Draft.
Third baseman/shortstop Dariel Lopez was chosen by the San Francisco Giants. He was rated the 14th-best prospect in the Pirates’ system despite missing last season with a dislocated knee. They also lost pitchers Omar Cruz to the Padres, Roelmy Garcia to the Rays, and catcher Rafael Escalante to the Twins.
The Pirates did not take anyone in the major league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. In the minor league portion, they grabbed first baseman Seth Beer (the Astros’ number one draft pick in 2018) from the D-Backs, pitcher Fineas Del Bonta-Smith from the Rockies, third baseman/shortstop Marcos Cabrera from the Yankees, and center fielder P.J. Hilson from the Giants.
General manager Ben Cherington sat down for a conversation with Bucs broadcaster Greg Brown yesterday at the Winter Meetings in Nashville. He said he knows Pirates fans want to see big moves and the Winter Meetings are where big deals frequently get done, but he is being patient.
Cherington says the Winter Meetings aren’t what they used to be because teams are waiting for the big name free agents to sign with their chosen team before they make their own moves.
