Shelton on Ortiz: 'I think it's a win for our pitching group'
While the Pirates knew they would have to trade from their surplus of pitchers in order to fill the void in an area like first base, Derek Shelton said it's tough to give up a guy like Luis Ortiz. He came into his own as a reliable asset in multiple roles this past season and was one of the few Latin American success stories the Pirates have had over the last several years.
"Almost, you have to look at it as a win for our pitching group. I mean, this is a guy that was one of the last guys to make our team in spring training. Pitched in low-leverage -- although the first time he pitched was the game in extra innings -- transitioned into a guy that pitched mid-leverage, opened for a starter and ultimately was one of our best starters over the last month of the year," Shelton said. "So, I think it's a win for our pitching group that we were able to add value, bring in Spencer (Horwitz) with this. I mean, Luis learned a cutter mid-season. That doesn't happen unless you have buy-in, you have good coaching. So, I think we took out of our surplus to add."
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THE ASYLUM
José Negron
3:43 pm - 12.11.2024DallasShelton on Ortiz: 'I think it's a win for our pitching group'
While the Pirates knew they would have to trade from their surplus of pitchers in order to fill the void in an area like first base, Derek Shelton said it's tough to give up a guy like Luis Ortiz. He came into his own as a reliable asset in multiple roles this past season and was one of the few Latin American success stories the Pirates have had over the last several years.
"Almost, you have to look at it as a win for our pitching group. I mean, this is a guy that was one of the last guys to make our team in spring training. Pitched in low-leverage -- although the first time he pitched was the game in extra innings -- transitioned into a guy that pitched mid-leverage, opened for a starter and ultimately was one of our best starters over the last month of the year," Shelton said. "So, I think it's a win for our pitching group that we were able to add value, bring in Spencer (Horwitz) with this. I mean, Luis learned a cutter mid-season. That doesn't happen unless you have buy-in, you have good coaching. So, I think we took out of our surplus to add."
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