CHICAGO -- The fight between Felipe Vazquez and Kyle Crick last week does not appear to be serious enough to need drastic measures.
The two were believed to be the club's backend relievers for years to come, and an altercation like that does raise questions of if the two can coexist or if at least one of them needs traded.
Neal Huntington said Sunday that such actions are not necessary at this time.
"We don't have to trade either one," Huntington told reporters before the game. "Talking to veteran baseball guys, fights happen in clubhouses every year. This one became very public because of the injuries.
"And it's not ok, and so we're not just passing it off as, 'Well, it happens,' and 'Boys will be boys.' That's not the way we feel at all. At the same time, there are times where things do escalate, they become physical and both members will have to move on, and they can coexist."
Huntington went on to say that if the Pirates could receive an offer with an "elite return" for either player, they would consider a trade. Again, that mindset is independent of the altercation.
This was the third incident from the bullpen that required public discipline. Keone Kela and bullpen coach Euclides Rojas were both suspended for two games for separate incidents in July.
Crick and Vazquez were fined for the fight.
"We felt like this was the right way to handle the situation," Huntington said. "Unfortunately, there's been multiple [incidents]. We need to learn from it, we need to grow from it, we need to not let them happen again."
Some other notes from Huntington's meeting with the media:
• Chris Archer's season is officially over. While he has thrown off flat ground and has done some rehab in recent weeks, there just is not enough time to realistically get him back into a game in 2019.
"He's worked hard, [but he] hasn't progressed as he had hoped and we had hoped, and we're just running out of days," Huntington said.
Archer has been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation since being pulled before the second inning in his last start on Aug. 20.
• Crick was placed on the 60-day IL Friday, and the Pirates used the open spot on the 40-man roster to claim LHP Williams Jerez off waivers Friday.
Jerez is a converted outfielder with a fastball and slider combo Huntington believed was worth making a claim for.
"We think there are some things that we can help," Huntington said. "... It's a guy we've talked about trying to acquire in the past."
• Speaking of middle relief:
"Our middle relief, again, has struggled, and that's why we have so many double-digit runs allowed games," Huntington said. "It's the weakest part of any team, and it's been a real challenge for us this year... Part of that's on me for the selection of who is here, and we'll continue to add some guys."
• Gregory Polanco's left shoulder is reacting to the PRP injections as hoped. Huntington described it as a "very positive path."
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