Bucs seeking 'most possible talent' in Draft

PITTSBURGH -- Welcome to July.

In Pittsburgh, this month will be arguably the most pivotal of any on the calendar. With the Draft pushed back to July 11-13 and the Trade Deadline arriving on July 30, general manager Ben Cherington and the Pirates’ front office are entering a weeks-long grind.

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Cherington spoke about the two topics during a radio hit on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday ahead of the Pirates’ series with the Brewers at PNC Park. He’s been a busy man, as he and the organization’s scouting braintrust have convened in Pittsburgh to try to get their internal Draft board into a manageable state, though he says things could change even over the next nine days.

So when asked if he would take the No. 1 player on the club’s internal Draft board, his answer wasn’t exactly as simple as yes.

“We’re having really good debate upstairs about players. We need to do that work first and see where we are,” Cherington said. “It’s very clear that our decision on who to take at 1-1 is really important, important to the future of the Pirates. It’s also very clear we need to get the most possible talent we can out of the entire Draft this year.”

What does that mean? Well, the top of the table appears to be fairly even in terms of the talent split than in past seasons. Prep shortstops like Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawlar and Kahlil Watson, as well as Louisville standout catcher Henry Davis, have all been linked as potential selections by the Pirates if they want a hitter, but there’s also the high-upside college arm of Jack Leiter.

Therefore, the Pirates are not afraid to check in with No. 1 selection candidates, see what they’d be willing to sign for and use that information for July 11, when the Draft kicks off.

What does that not mean? It does not mean the Pirates are going to short-change their Draft selections. The club will use its full pool over the three-day event, and savings up front can help them sign players away from college commitments in later rounds -- as soon as the second and third round, in some cases. In fact, in 2020, the Pirates were able to go over-slot in the second round for high school pitcher Jared Jones through savings in other rounds.

It also does not mean the Pirates won’t take who they think is the best player at No. 1. That’s always been the goal: The best player available. It just means the math is a little more nuanced than some might hope it would be.

Cherington won’t get a day off before or after the Draft thanks to the Trade Deadline, in which the Pirates, who are in last place in the National League Central, are undoubtedly set to be sellers. Among those whom have been linked strongly as potential trade candidates are Tyler Anderson, Richard Rodríguez, Chasen Shreve and -- maybe strongest of all -- Adam Frazier, who was voted to be an All-Star Game starter on Thursday.

Cherington said the volume of calls and texts have continued to stay steady, even in the first week of July, from other GMs seeking to get a feel for a deal. Frazier, who has one more year of arbitration eligibility, is sure to be high on the list of external inquiries, and Cherington made it seem like as much when he told 93.7 The Fan, “We’re happy he’s a Pirate. He helps us every day. Other teams like him, too.”

However, despite the close proximity of the Draft and the Trade Deadline, Cherington sees it as a welcome thing -- even though his planner is clogged for the next few weeks.

“I think this year, I am grateful for the extra month,” he said of the Draft being in July vs. June. “… Partly because we missed so much time last year and players missed so much time last year, we’re trying to make up for that. We just have to be adept and nimble enough to manage Trade Deadline stuff and Draft stuff.”