Pirates starting pitching prospect Gerrit Cole may be one of the most highly-regarded pitchers in the minors, but the Pirates are not ready to bring him up. Despite posting a 2.45 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Indianapolis, the Pirates opted not to call Cole up when a spot opened in the rotation Tuesday. This is probably a frustrating development for Fantasy owners stashing him, but the Pirates clearly still have concerns about his development.
Cole has struggled with his control all season long, walking 5.2 batters per nine innings and posting a 1.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has also failed to average five innings in his first six starts, a sure sign that he is struggling to pitch efficiently at the highest level in the minors.
Baseball America's No. 7 overall prospect should have a future as a Fantasy contributor, but the team has now passed over him twice when a spot has opened in the rotation. To the owners stashing Cole in 34 percent of CBSSports.com leagues, don't expect a contribution soon.