Live Wire: Nobody inducted into Hall of Fame ... Union rejects universal DH

Welcome to our Pirates Live Wire, a round-the-clock feature that offers news that's fast, friendly to use and fun. The previous week's entry is right here.

Let's jump right in ...

NOBODY INDUCTED
INTO HALL OF FAME

6:25 p.m. Tuesday: As expected, none of the 25 players on this year's Hall of Fame ballot received enough votes to be enshrined into Cooperstown. Curt Schilling fell 16 votes short and was on 71.1% of ballots. Barry Bonds (61.8%) and Roger Clemens (61.6%) basically stayed at where they were at last year. All three will be on the ballot a 10th and final time next year.

Scott Rolen was the only other person to appear on half of the ballots, receiving 52.9% of the vote.

Aramis Ramirez and A.J. Burnett both fell off the ballot in their first year. Ramirez received four votes, and Burnett did receive any. 

Last year's class -- Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller -- will be honored at Cooperstown this summer after their induction was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The full results can be found here. -- Alex

UNION REJECTS DEAL OF UNIVERSAL
DH FOR EXPANDED PLAYOFFS

3:45 p.m. Monday: Per a report by Jon Heyman, the players association has rejected a deal the league proposed to implement a universal designated hitter for expanded playoffs in 2021. 

There could still be some time for more developments, but it is looking like that National League pitchers will step back in the batter's box and the playoff field will return to 10 teams. Both of these topics will be discussion points for the new collective bargaining agreement at the end of this season. -- Alex

PIRATES SIGN CATCHER HUDSON
TO MINOR-LEAGUE DEAL, INVITE

3:25 p.m. Monday: The Pirates added to their spring training catching depth Monday by signing veteran Joe Hudson to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. 

Hudson, 29, has spent small parts of the last three seasons in the Majors with the Angels, Cardinals and Mariners. He went 3-for-17 with the Mariners last season.

It will certainly be an uphill climb for him to make the team, but the Pirates only have two catchers on the roster, Jacob Stallings and waiver claim Michael Perez. If Perez struggles or if someone gets hurt, one of the backstops in camp could get the call. So far, the only other non-roster invitee catcher is Andrew Susac. -- Alex

TAILLON ON TRADE TO YANKEES:
'I THINK IT WAS NECESSARY'

1:05 p.m. Monday: In his introduction to the Yankees Monday, Jameson Taillon talked about how excited he was to join a contender. After watching Joe Musgrove and Josh Bell get traded earlier this offseason, he wasn't as excited to return to a rebuilding club.

“Seeing all my good friends get traded in Pittsburgh, and to see the direction we were headed, I think it was necessary," Taillon said. "But at the same time, [if I wouldn't have been traded,] I was going to be out there, throwing bullets on a team that I wouldn’t expect to compete for a World Series, which didn’t necessarily light a fire under me.”

That's not to say Taillon trashed the organization on the way out the door. He was extremely complimentary of the organization he has spent his entire career with and said he got texts Sunday that he will “probably save for the rest of my life.”

He also made sure to say that he felt the Pirates are in good hands.

“With Shelty [Derek Shelton] and Ben [Cherington] and Oscar [Marin], I think it’s the right group of guys to lead that team," Taillon said. "It’s gonna take a little while.” -- Alex

CACTUS LEAGUE WANTS
TO DELAY START

11:57 a.m. Monday:  As spring training approaches, one of the two leagues for preseason play is telling Major League Baseball that it might not be safe to get things started on schedule. 

The Cactus League issued a statement on Jan 22. to commissioner Rob Manfred expressing concern over Maricopa County's high COVID-19 infection rate. 

While there are many pandemic related concerns that have yet to be answered by MLB, the Cactus League has no authority over the start date of spring training. 

UPDATE: The players association has issue the following statement in response, saying they are committed to making sure everything is as safely as possible and to be prepared for an on-time start to spring training and the regular season. The MLBPA's letter can be read here.

Pitchers and catchers will start to report league wide in about three weeks. -- Noah and Alex

CHERINGTON SAYS PIRATES
WILL NOW LOOK TO ADD

4:01 p.m. Sunday: After dealing three of the franchise's biggest trade chips, General Manager Ben Cherington said this afternoon that now the front office will start to put more focus toward adding talent to the current Major League roster.

The Pirates are looking to add pitching, particurarly starting pitching, and outfield depth in particular. -- Noah

PIRATES DFA STOKES JR. 

3:21 p.m. Sunday: In order to make room for the newly acquired players, the Pirates have designated Troy Stokes Jr. for assignment. The 24-year old outfielder was claimed off of waivers from the Tigers earlier this month. -- Noah

TAILLON TRADED TO YANKEES

12:35 p.m. Sunday: Jameson Taillon has been traded to the Yankees, per a source to DK Pittsburgh Sports. Coming in return from the Yankees are right-handed pitchers Miguel Yajure and Roansy Contreras, infielder Maikol Escotto and outfielder Canaan Smith. 

Get more details on the trade by checking out my story here. - Alex

HOLLAND SIGNS WITH TIGERS

9:25 p.m. Saturday: Derek Holland has signed with the Tigers, according to the left-hander's Twitter. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports that it is a minor league deal. 

That's the same type of contract Holland came to the Pirates with last year. He won not only a spot on the roster, but in the rotation early in the season, but transitioned to the bullpen after being hit hard early. The 12-year MLB vet finished last year with a 1-3 record and 6.86 ERA over 40 2/3 innings pitched. -- Alex

REPORT SAYS TAILLON
'POSSIBLY' COULD BE TRADED
'IN NEXT DAY OR TWO'

4:05 p.m. Saturday: Per a report by Mark Feinsand, Jameson Taillon could be the next Pirates player to be traded, and it could possibly happen in 'the next day or two.'

For what it is worth, I have heard that the Pirates were listening to offers on Taillon, with the Yankees and Rays being among the teams who were interested. (Update: Feinsand reports the Yankees are the perceived front-runner.) The Pirates haven't shied away from trading players who have just two years of control remaining this offseason, dealing Josh Bell and Joe Musgrove with an Adam Frazier trade also being a strong possibility. However, after missing all of 2020 recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, there could be a case that the Pirates would be better off letting him pitch for half a season to try to regain some value before trying more actively to trade him. However, if the Pirates get an offer they like now, they could pull the trigger now.

During a Zoom call this week, Ben Cherington said that he did not receive instruction to cut payroll, so if a trade does happen, it won't be financially motivated. -- Alex

MARTIN CRACKS MLB'S TOP
10 FIRST BASE PROSPECTS

3:30 p.m. Friday: Pirates prospect Mason Martin was named the 10th best first base prospect in MLB Pipeline's list of the best minor-league players at that position. The publication also listed him as one of five players to receive a 60-grade for their power, the highest for anyone at that position.

A former 17th round pick, Martin enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2019, homering 35 times with 129 RBIs across two levels of class A ball. He spent the 2020 season at the Pirates' satellite camp in Altoona, Pa. and went to the instructional league in Florida after the regular season.

Martin is the first Pirates player to be named in MLB Pipeline's lists of the top 10 prospects at each position, which has already covered catchers and right- and left-handed pitchers. Their top 100 prospect list will be announced on Jan. 29. -- Alex

PIRATES HIRE NEW HITTING
COACH MARRERO; RABELO
MOVES TO NEW ROLE  ON STAFF

2:55 p.m. Friday: The Pirates announced two changes to their Major League staff Friday afternoon, hiring Christian Marrero as assistant hitting coach and moving the previous hitting coach, Mike Rabelo, to a new position on the big league staff as Major League field coordinator.

Marrero has spent the last three seasons as a hitting coach in the Phillies' farm system. He played 12 years in the minors, including making a stop in Altoona in 2012. He will work with hitting coach Rick Eckstein to try to turn around the Pirates' lackluster offense, which already has lost Josh Bell.

From the club, as part of his new role, Rabelo will "ensure alignment, and will take a leadership position on the use of technology and innovation at the Major League level." He will also advise and assist Derek Shelton and bench coach Don Kelly on MLB rules, in-game situations and practice. He will also be the primary liaison from the player development group and the MLB staff. Before joining the Pirates' staff last year, Rabelo spent six years coaching and managing in the Tigers' farm system.

The descriptions of the job are very similar to a quality control coach, a position Shelton held in Toronto and a turning point in his career, where he said he transitioned from wanting to being a hitting coach to a manager. -- Alex

RIOS SIGNS WITH RAYS

7:05 p.m. Thursday: Former Pirates pitcher Yacksel Rios has signed a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Rays, his agent announced on Twitter Thursday:

Rios spent parts of the last two seasons with the Pirates, allowing 10 runs in 14 1/3 innings. He was outrighted off the roster as training camp started in July, but was brought back on in August. He was outrighted again in October, and he elected free agency. -- Alex

MUSGROVE PENS (LITERALLY)
GOODBYE NOTE TO PITTSBURGH

10:50 p.m. Wednesday: Joe Musgrove tweeted out a handwritten note bidding farewell to Pittsburgh Wednesday night:

"There's a certain standard that the city of Pittsburgh expects out of you," he wrote. "Not only as a ballplayer, but as a human being as well. A certain level of grittness and toughness... That's what I love about this city. You get out of it, what you put into it, and I put in all that I had."

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that his handwriting is impeccable. -- Alex

MUSGROVE 'KNEW THE CHANGES OF
BEING TRADED WERE PRETTY HIGH'

8:00 p.m. Tuesday: In a Zoom call with reporters Tuesday, Joe Musgrove said that while he didn't expect to go to his hometown Padres after they acquired Blake Snell and Yu Darvish, he "knew the chances of being traded were pretty high" this offseason.

"To be back in my hometown and representing the city that I grew up in and where all my dreams started, it’s extremely special," he added soon after.

Musgrove was a Pirate for three years almost to the day and went 18-26 with a 4.23 ERA, never quite achieving that breakout season.

Talking about his time in Pittsburgh, Musgrove said he felt he tried to step into a bigger role with the club than he was ready for at the time, like becoming an opening day starter or clubhouse leader. He did say he learned things about his body, routine and mechanics that "are things that are going to help me" with the Padres and that he's excited to be on a contender.

And he wanted that playoff run with the Pirates.

"I'm bummed that I didn't get to make a postseason run with that team and experience what that stadium's like in the postseason," Musgrove said. -- Alex

CHERINGTON: 'WINNING REQUIRES
A DEPTH OF TALENT'

1:00 p.m. Tuesday: The Joe Musgrove trade has been finalized and officially announced by the three clubs.

In the club announcement, Ben Cherington said this:

“This trade is an important part of our commitment to developing a talent base necessary to win in Pittsburgh. Winning requires a depth of talent that we will only build through a continued focus on acquiringthe best young players possible via all avenues. Alongside our commitment to acquiring young talented players isour commitment to developing them. We are excited about the direction of our development program and eage rto get back to work with our players on the field as soon as we can.

"In a little over a year, I’ve gotten to know Joe Musgrove as a pitcher and as a person and have the utmost respect for him. We wish him the very best.”

Cherington will have a Zoom call with local media later this afternoon. -- Alex

TAILLON SAYS GOODBYE 

8:39 p.m. Monday: Shortly after the trade was announced, Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon took to social media to wish his friend and former teammate Joe Musgrove luck in San Diego. -- Noah

MUSGROVE TRADED TO
PADRES FOR FIVE PLAYERS

6:20 p.m. Monday: Right-hander Joe Musgrove has been traded to the Padres, a source confirms to DK Pittsburgh sports.

A source also says a third team is involved in the trade. Per reports, it is the Mets, who will receive left-hander Joey Lucchesi.

Five players will be coming to the Pirates, including Hudson Head.

Baseball America ranks Head as the Padres' eighth best prospect, though it's worth noting their top seven were each listed in their updated top 100 prospects list Monday. The 19-year-old outfielder was a third round pick in 2019 but was regarded as a very fast riser.

The Pirates will also receive catching prospect Endy Rodriguez from the Mets. MLB Pipeline ranked the 20-year-old as the Mets' 14th best prospect. FanGraphs' 2020 report on him lists him as a potential 60-grade hitter and fielder. The greater concern will probably be with the bat.

FOUR PIRATES RANK IN BASEBALL
AMERICA TOP 100 PROSPECTS

12:00 p.m. Monday: Four Pirates prospects were ranked on Baseball America's top 100 list, which was released Monday (subscription required).

Ke'Bryan Hayes jumps all the way up to No. 15 after his outstanding first month in the majors.

Oneil Cruz and Nick Gonzales are holding steady from where they were on the last list. Cruz is ranked 50th overall, and Gonzales 51st.

The one newcomer is Quinn Priester, who goes from being unranked to No. 58. Baseball America had previously sung his praises this offseason, so he is on a quickly rising trajectory. He could be higher during the midseason update. -- Alex

SEVEN INNING DOUBLEHEADERS,
EXTRA-INNING RULES STAYING

5:50 p.m. Sunday: Per a report from Bob Nightengale, MLB will keep seven inning doubleheaders and starting extra innings with a runner on second. There's no word on if the universal designated hitter or expanded playoff format will return.

One of the supporters of the extra-inning was Derek Shelton, though he would like to tweak it.

"I went with a very negative attitude towards it," Shelton said last month. "After being in some of those games — I think I got ejected in two of those games — I am a fan of it. I would prefer that we play at least one inning traditionally and then move to something (different). I went into a totally opposed to it and and I actually ended up enjoying it." -- Alex

PITCHING PROSPECT SHORTRIDGE
HAS TOMMY JOHN SURGERY

8:35 p.m. Friday: Right-handed pitching prospect Aaron Shortridge announced on his Instagram that he has undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2021 season:

Shortridge, 23, spent the entire 2020 regular season at the Pirates' alternate training site in Altoona, Pa. In 2019 he recorded a 3.25 ERA over 24 starts in class High-A. -- Alex

FULL LIST OF INTERNATIONAL
SIGNINGS FROM FRIDAY

3:50 p.m. Friday: Ok, one more list. Here are the 15 international players the Pirates signed to open the new period Friday:

I'm about to jump on a Zoom call with Junior Vizcaino, the director of international scouting, so keep an eye on that for later today. -- Alex

FINAL REMAINING SALARY FIGURES
FOR ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

3:30 p.m. Friday: Ok, a team source confirmed all of the salaries for the Pirates' arbitration-eligible players. So just to put it all in one entry, here it is:

Steven Brault – $2.05 million

Jacob Stallings – $1.3 million

Richard Rodriguez – $1.7 million

Kyle Crick – $800,000

Chad Kuhl – $2.13 million

Chris Stratton – $1.1 million

Colin Moran – $2.8 million

Adam Frazier – $4.3 million

Joe Musgrove -- $4.45 million

Assuming the rest of the roster is filled with players who are not yet arbitration-eligible, that would put the Pirates' opening day payroll at about $45 million. -- Alex

SALARY FIGURES FOR BRAULT,
MORAN, MUSGROVE, RODRIGUEZ

3:07 p.m. Friday: Per a source, the Pirates and Steven Brault have agreed to a $2.05 million deal. And from a different source, Colin Moran has signed for $2.8 million, Joe Musgrove for $4.45 million and Richard Rodriguez $1.7 million. I also had Kyle Crick's $800,000 salary confirmed.

With the exception of Musgrove, that is everyone's first turn through the arbitration process. For Musgrove, that salary will be a key sticking point for trade negotiations moving forward. -- Alex

PIRATES AVOID ARBITRATION
WITH ALL PLAYERS

3:00 p.m. Friday: I'm still working to get all the totals, but the Pirates have reached agreements with all nine of their arbitration-eligible players -- Steven Brault, Kyle Crick, Adam Frazier, Chad Kuhl, Colin Moran, Joe Musgrove, Richard Rodriguez, Jacob Stallings and Chris Stratton , so they will not have to go through the arbitration process with everyone. -- Alex

STALLINGS, STRATTON
SETTLE OUTSIDE ARB

2:50 p.m. Friday: A couple more signings to report. Per Robert Murray and Jon Heyman, Chris Stratton has signed for $1.1 million, and Jacob Stallings for $1.3 million.

This is the first time either player was arbitration eligible, with Stallings being a "Super Two" player, meaning he will go through arbitration four times rather than three.

Stratton led all National League relievers with 30 innings pitched last year, going 2-1 with a 3.90 ERA.

Stallings finished runner-up for a Gold Glove in his first year as a starter and was named the team MVP. He slashed .248/.326/.376 with three home runs, 18 RBIs and 1.1 fWAR.

That leaves five more players (listed below) who either needed to sign or exchange arbitration figures today. -- Alex

PIRATES, CRICK
AVOID ARBITRATION

1:35 p.m. Friday: I'm working to independently confirm, but per Robert Murray, the Pirates and Kyle Crick have agreed on a one year contract worth $800,000 to avoid arbitration. 

Crick is coming off an injury-plagued 2020 season where he allowed six runs over 5 2/3 innings. He never got his fastball velocity back after the shutdown, with his heater averaging 90.9 mph rather than sitting in its usual 95-96 mph range. 

The Pirates still have seven more players who they need to either sign or exchange arbitration salary figures with today. The deadline to do so was 1 p.m., but news could obviously continue to come throughout the day. -- Alex

PIRATES SIGN FORMER
NATIONAL INFIELDER DIFO

1:10 p.m. Friday: The Pirates have signed infielder Wilmer Difo, per Robert Murray. It's a minor-league deal that can be worth $1 million plus incentives if he reaches the majors.

Difo, 28, has been with the Nationals the past six seasons, mostly as a utility infielder. In 373 games played, he has a career .247/.309/.348 slash line with 15 home runs and 79 RBIs. He batted .071 in 18 plate appearances in 2020.

With Adam Frazier on the trade block, Difo could be potential middle infield depth for the Pirates. -- Alex

PIRATES SIGN SHALIN POLANCO 
TO $2.35 MILLION DEAL

10:35 a.m. Friday: After a long delay due to the COVID-19 virus, the 2021 international signing period officially opened Friday morning, and the Pirates immediately made a big splash by signing outfielder Shalin Polanco to a $2.35 million signing bonus. It is the second-largest bonus the Pirates have ever signed an international player for, just behind the $2.6 million they signed right-hander Luis Heredia for in 2010.

Polanco, 16 (and no relation to Gregory), was ranked as the eighth-best prospect in this year's international class by Baseball America and 11th by MLB Pipeline. He has been praised for his raw power and could potentially play any of the three outfield positions.

The Pirates have an international pool of $5,899,600 this year, putting them in the second-highest tier. The reason why they aren't in the highest is because they received an extra first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Unlike years past, teams cannot trade bonus pool space, so that $5.9 million is all the Pirates will have available, which virtually guarantees that Polanco will be their most lucrative splash into the market in 2021. This signing period ends Dec. 15. -- Alex

ARBITRATION FIGURES
DUE FRIDAY

10:15 a.m. Friday: Friday is the last day for the Pirates and their arbitration-eligible players to exchange salary figures before they go through the arbitration process.

The Pirates have nine players who are arb-eligible left to sign this year. Steven Brault, Kyle Crick, Colin Moran, Richard Rodriguez and Jacob Stallings are going through the process the first time. Adam Frazier, Chad Kuhl, Joe Musgrove and Chris Stratton are in their second arbitration year.

MLB Trade Rumors has projections for those salaries here. -- Alex