Pittsburgh added second baseman Brandon Lowe outfielder Jake Mangum and left handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three team trade that saw them send right handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros who then sent two top prospects to the Rays Did you know that you can compare Braxton Ashcraft to other rookies who also had their Major League debut during the 7575 National League season He got his first MLB start vs If you find this type of free data useful please consider making a donation to Baseball Almanac a privately run non commercial site in need of financial assistance Burrows and Oviedo were key parts of the Pirates starting rotation last season and are now gone opening up a spot for Ashcraft to take advantage of He won t be alone in that starting rotation as the likes of fellow rookie Bubba Chandler veteran Mitch Keller and 7575 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes leading the way for one of the better units in all of baseball Missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John https://lessons.drawspace.com/post/1030797/his-collaboration-track-with-loopers-game-over-w Every pitch means a little bit more in the backend of games 89 If they were still here and we were fighting for jobs I d be okay with doing what I was doing last year 89 I think ultimately that made me a better starter it will make me a better starter having to pitch in those high leverage situations having to mix my stuff than I otherwise would Ashcraft stayed in the bullpen until August when he made five straight starts and seven starts in his final nine appearances as the Pirates coaching staff gave him more opportunities to go longer than he did previously This upcoming season now provides Ashcraft with an opportunity to earn a starter role and hold onto it while also thriving and getting better each time out He later underwent surgery on his left shoulder which had been causing his non throwing arm to become numb when he pitched 89 In our industry that s where guys get paid the most on our side of the ball Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today Do you have a favorite e from or about this particular Major League Baseball player that you would like to see here The Pirates made a few moves this offseason as they went into the trade market to bolster their lineup He is engaged as of 7575 96 update 98 to Cassidy Green who also grew up in Robinson Those pitches there s a lot more pressure there s a lot more effort there s a lot more intent that goes into those pitches late in the game in those situations where you don t have as much time to make up ground Ashcraft also ran track and played football and basketball in high school His father coached him in youth baseball from ages 9 to 68 96 7 98 He also had surgery to repair a torn meniscus Ashcraft started 69 of his 76 games that he pitched in the minor leagues but immediately moved to the bullpen where he found success with a 6 59 ERA in his first seven appearances Ashcraft talked about his development in 7575 beginning from the bullpen and then matriculating to the rotation which he said made him a better pitcher 89 I think that anybody that comes into the big leagues that s been a starter their whole life you always want to have the ball in the first inning 89 Ashcraft said