Pittsburgh Pirates Roster
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Teams have been calling about Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Steven Brault, according to a source. Brault is attractive because he carries three years of control and had a career-best 3.38 ERA in 2020. The 28-year-old is also in his first year of arbitration eligibility. He was arguably the team's best starter last year in the shortened season, posting 38 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings over 11 appearances (10 starts). Brault had a 5.16 ERA with 100 K's in 113 1/3 innings over 25 games (19 starts) in 2019, so he showed noticeable improvement, albeit in a much shorter season, in 2020. The southpaw also had a 1.21 WHIP and 22 walks in his 42 2/3 innings last year. Brault doesn't have much fantasy appeal in Pittsburgh, but he could become a nice late-round sleeper if he were to land in the right situation via trade.
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell is back in the starting lineup on Thursday after getting the day off on Wednesday. He's hitting cleanup in Thursday's game against Alec Mills and the Chicago Cubs. Bell is slashing .221/.296/.354 with seven home runs, 19 RBI and 19 runs over 53 games this year. He's been extremely cold lately, going 0-for-17 over his last five games. Hopefully he'll be able to turn things around after Wednesday's day off.
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Cole Tucker (concussion) has been shut down for the remainder of the regular season. The 24-year-old was placed on the seven-day concussion list back on Sept. 17, but it seems he is not progressing as hoped. Tucker endured a disappointing 2020 season, slashing .220/.252/.275 with one homer and eight RBI through 109 at-bats. The former first-round pick will need to convince fantasy managers to take a chance on him in 2021 because the early returns have not been pretty.
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell is not starting Wednesday versus Chicago and right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Colin Moran shifts over to first base, with Jose Osuna holding down the DH spot. Bell is in a ferociously cold slump, having gone 0-for-19 over his last seven games with two walks and nine strikeouts. After an All-Star campaign in 2019, Bell has fallen off significantly this year, further muddling his fantasy outlook heading into 2021; fantasy managers can look elsewhere for production over the final days of the season.
Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Oneil Cruz may be facing a lengthy jail sentence following a tragic car crash in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. The 21-year-old was reportedly driving a vehicle that struck and killed three civilians on a motorcycle. Initial reports suggested he was sober at the time of the incident, but it now appears as though he may have been under the influence of alcohol. If the top-100 prospect is convicted, his MLB career is likely over. It is a terrible and mournful situation on all fronts.