Breaking Down the Pirates Package for Adam Frazier
With the Pittsburgh Pirates being towards the bottom of the MLB in terms of record, we knew that some of the biggest stars were going to be moved. The first shoe dropped on Sunday when they traded second baseman Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres. In return, they brought back the Padres #5 prospect Tucupita Marcano, outfielder Jake Suwinski (AA), and relief pitcher Michell Miliano (A+). The move was sort of a surprise in terms of how early the move happened, but General Manager Ben Cherington saw the players he wanted and went out and got them. Along with Frazier, they also sent 1.24 million over to complete the deal.
The biggest piece in this deal, and the only one with Big League experience, was shortstop Tucupita Marcano. Marcano was reportedly off the table when the Pirates traded Joe Musgrove to the Padres this off-season. He is the #5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline in what has been a stacked Padres system. He made the jump from A-Ball to the Major Leagues this season and is currently playing in Triple-A. Jake Suwinski has a lot of raw power in the outfield and will likely start in Double-A, while Michell Miliano will begin his Pirates career likely in High-A Ball. Today, we break down the return for the Pirates all-star second baseman, and how they will impact the organization.
SS Tucupita Marcano
As the San Diego Padres number five overall prospect in the system, Marcano took big strides in 2021, quite literally. He jumped all the way from A-Ball to the MLB but showed he still needed some development. In 25 MLB games, he hit .182 with three RBI over 44 MLB At-Bats. He appeared twice in the series against the Pirates in mid-April and went 1-7 with an RBI Double in the three-game series. He had three different stints with the Padres but ended up being sent down for good on June 7th. However, his run in Triple-A has been a lot more successful where in 44 games he is hitting .272 with six home runs and 26 RBI. Defensively, he grades out more as a second baseman than a shortstop, but also jas the ability to play the outfield. Second base is his best defensive spot, however, where he has a .983 career fielding percentage.
At just 21-years-old, Marcano still has plenty of time to develop and is probably the closest to seeing MLB time. The Pirates wanted Marcano in the Joe Musgrove trade this off-season, but he was apparently off the table. So, to get their man Cherington threw in 1.4 million dollars and snagged the coveted prospect. He will most likely head to Triple-A Indianapolis to start his Pirates career, but there is a chance we see him this season with the September call-ups. He isn't a guy who chases a lot, with a career strikeout rate of 8.7%, and he will draw his fair share of walks. Look for Marcano to battle for the second base job next season with Rodolfo Castro, with whoever doesn't win getting reps as a utility man around the infield and outfield.
OF Jake Suwinski
We have talked all season long about how the Pirates need some power in their organization, and they got that with outfielder Jake Suwinski. The 15th round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft has put up impressive power numbers in Double-A, hitting .269 with 15 home runs, 37 RBI, and a .949 OPS. He led Double-A San Antonio in home runs, OPS, and Slugging Percentage (.551) and has made great strides since advancing from High-A Ball. Suwinski may not have been ranked in the Padres system, but he is on the cusp of being a top prospect, especially if these power numbers persist. His strikeout rate is higher than you would like to see at 27.7%, but he is also walking at a very high rate of 16.8%.
The key as to whether or not Suwinski is a pick that pans out is going to depend on his strikeout numbers. We have seen so many times where guys put up great power numbers, but are limited by their high strikeout numbers. With Suwinski, there are some concerns about his strikeouts, but his walks are what looks like his saving grace. Suwinski has a career walk rate of 12.9% and has shown a very good eye at the plate throughout his pro career. This leads to him getting better pitches to hit and therefore taking advantage of those opportunities. The big thing to watch as Suwinski develops is making sure that he doesn't succumb to the strikeouts as he tries to bring out more power in his swing. It is a good move to add power to the Pirates system, but the question will be whether or not he can bring that power with him to the Major League level.
RHP Michell Miliano
The final piece in the Adam Frazier deal is the one that comes with probably the most questions in RHP Michell Miliano. Miliano is a reliever in High-A Ball who has good stuff on the surface but is still finding ways to harness the stuff he has. He started the season in Low-A ball and initially posted strong numbers going 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA to go with 21 walks and 52 strikeouts in 25.2 innings of work. However, since making the transition to High-A Ball, he hasn't been greeted with nearly as much success through his first four games. He has posted a 6.23 ERA over his first 4.1 innings of work while walking four and striking out seven. There is no question Miliano has the ability to get professional hitters out, but the thing that has killed him has been the command of that stuff. He has a fastball that hits in the mid to upper 90s, but control has been an issue throughout his career.
The biggest problem that Miliano has faced since he was signed back in 2017 has been control issues, however, he has always fixed those problems with his strikeout numbers. His career-low in walks was eight during his first pro season, but ever since then, he has had at least 19 walks in 30 or fewer innings in each of the last three seasons. So far, 2021 has been Miliano's worst season yet as he features a walk rate of almost 20% in his first 30 innings of work this season. He is only 21-years-old, so he still has time to work things out, but with no signs of improvement in the Padres system, the Pirates are hoping they can work their magic and help him find his way. Miliano is the biggest project in the Frazier return, but he will most likely head down to High-A ball where he will get to work through his struggles and get back on track.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (38-61) get an off day on Monday before they return to action against the Milwaukee Brewers (58-42) tomorrow at 7:05 pm. Tyler Anderson (5-8, 4.35) takes the hill for the Pirates in his final start before the trade deadline as he faces Brett Anderson (2-5, 4.26) for the Brewers. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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