2019 Pirates

steelparrot said:

Williams is 9th in era in the NL, that is looking like one of the biggest trade ripoffs we have ever had.

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Yep for them hiring Jim Benedict who just happens to be with the Cubs now.
Probably NH's best trade ever and it was handed to him on a silver platter.

Gregory Polanco Out Seven To Nine Months Following Shoulder Surgery


Well it will be interesting to see how they replace Polanco.

thedddd said:

Gregory Polanco Out Seven To Nine Months Following Shoulder Surgery


Well it will be interesting to see how they replace Polanco.

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Worst slide ever lol. I think MI is still the primary mission for the offseason.

They may as well just give up on 2019 as well, with Polanco probably out until June and Archer continuing to shit the bed.

It would be nice to still have Meadows right now.

I really thought the conversion to the NL would help Archer, like it did Burnett and Liriano, but it just is not working out.

Knowing the Pirates, the Taillon and Marte trades are just a matter of time at this point.

Archer is going to be much better next year. They're trying to adjust his pitch usage on the fly, and that's hard to do. Probably why he's been so inconsistent with the Bucs. Give him an off-season and spring training to refine his approach, and the stuff and natural ability will take over. And the guy "gets" pitching. Very thoughtful, does his homework.

I think I'd rely on Luplow and Frazier (and Reyes) to bridge to Polanco. Bring back Dickerson, obviously, since it won't be expensive to do so for his last arb year. Hope Martin and/or Reynolds can step up if needed. Just have to hope Polanco doesn't lose too much to this injury. He really found his swing this year.

Bell's sussed himself out, it appears, and after a slow start, Newman's hitting .294 so far in September with a 13% K%, so he looks like the guy he was in AAA again, so he should be fine as the starting shortstop. (And he's solid with the glove there, too. Good range, good hands, quick release to compensate for a bit weaker an arm.)

I'd offer Donaldson a one-year bounce-back deal to let him boost his value again and move Moran to the bench, let Kramer and Frazier (when he's not in RF) battle for the starting 2B role. We don't need to sign a guy to a long-term deal with Hayes set to start AAA next season. He's legit, I'm convinced, and I think he's going to be the next Pirate in MVP talks.

Pitching seems like it should be alright to actively really good. The offense is close, too, honestly. Kramer has serious talent, should be an upgrade over Harrison. Newman's a wash with Mercer, with more OBP and less SLG. Marte and Dickerson are good hitters, and with Bell seeming to find himself down the stretch, I think we can count on him, too. Frazier, Luplow, and Reyes should be able to be competent enough for a couple months while they're waiting on Polanco. A bat like Donaldson might be all they need to push themselves over the hump. (And his glove won't hurt, either.)

^ Lets hope it works that way.
As for Archer I am not sold it was a bad trade either. This year is over let him work the issues out down the stretch.

What is also sad is they go on another 5 game winning streak when it is too late .

Chad Kuhl Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

Count Kuhl out for next year, officially TJ surgery.

Good news Musgrove won't need surgery and should be ready for next season.

Marte is probably shut down for the year now with the calf issue.

thedddd said:

Marte is probably shut down for the year now with the calf issue.

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We sure are getting beat up, lets hope Santana does need TJS.

Pirates To Decline Option Over Josh Harrison, Jung Ho Kang

No surprises here.

Kang resigned. Figured he would be the platoon partner for Moran at 3rd.

Indians Acquire Jordan Luplow, Max Moroff In Five-Player Trade With Pirates

Another meh trade and they seem to want Gonzalez to be their utility MI.
Also they didn't have much of a plan for Luplow and must be planning on Frazier to fill in for Polanco now with Gonzalez taking Fraziers spot in the IF?

thedddd said:

Indians Acquire Jordan Luplow, Max Moroff In Five-Player Trade With Pirates

Another meh trade and they seem to want Gonzalez to be their utility MI.
Also they didn't have much of a plan for Luplow and must be planning on Frazier to fill in for Polanco now with Gonzalez taking Fraziers spot in the IF?

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I guess they wanted a 'glove' guy to backup Newman and to clear a 40man roster spot. I thought we would aim for Hechavarria this offseason.

As for the OF, I bet we wait and see what veteran OFer doesnt have a contract late in the offseason and sign him to a 1 year deal.

steelparrot said:

I guess they wanted a 'glove' guy to backup Newman and to clear a 40man roster spot. I thought we would aim for Hechavarria this offseason.

As for the OF, I bet we wait and see what veteran OFer doesnt have a contract late in the offseason and sign him to a 1 year deal.

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Yeah great point about the OF. There should be quite a few out there after looking at the list.

I wouldn't mind signing Grandy for the outfield. Still a solid player, easy to move to the bench when Greg gets back or if Frazier is the starter in the OF, great person and clubhouse presence.

The real get in the trade, though, is the pitcher, Thomas. Big time breakout candidate with a huge, exciting arm.

Pirates Sign Lonnie Chisenhall

Well here is the answer to that question.

thedddd said:

Pirates Sign Lonnie Chisenhall

Well here is the answer to that question.

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I guess we add one more veteran to round out the bench now, only questions is if it will be a SS or an outfielder.

steelparrot said:

I guess we add one more veteran to round out the bench now, only questions is if it will be a SS or an outfielder.

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Yeah my only wonder is he bats Left Handed and so does Moran, Frazier, Dickerson and Polanco so I would assume it would be a right handed bat for the MI?

thedddd said:

Yeah my only wonder is he bats Left Handed and so does Moran, Frazier, Dickerson and Polanco so I would assume it would be a right handed bat for the MI?

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That would be my guess, a rh SS. Hell, maybe its even Jordy.