2014 Pirates

[thedddd]

Yeah Drew denied it so yeah not worth the loss of a pick right now.

 

[Illinest]

This is a disaster of an off-season. Now the choices are:

Ervin Santana - way outside of our price range
Stephen Drew - a bad target, but the best remaining
Nelson Cruz - red flags all over the place
Kendrys Morales - can't even play 1B adequately

or E: Bob Nutting keeps the money


If this were the Penguins I'd be saying "Mario Lemieux always tries to win, I trust that he'll reinvest the money and I don't like any of the remaining free agents, so let's just not sign anyone"
But since it's Bob Nutting I say "Fuck you Bob, pony up for 7 years of Santana and pay for his contract out of your personal fortune, prick."

 

[element1286]

Anyone who is any good left if attached to a draft pick. NH could still use the money to essentially take on a salary dump, a la AJ two year ago, but I can't think of any guys off the top of my head that teams want to dump for salary reasons who are decent players.

I'm not interested in anyone who is gonna cost a draft pick, caveat being you get a good player for multiple years, ie Ubaldo for 4 year 45 million, which he would never sign.

 

[steelparrot]

The offseason isnt over with, and maybe they have something up their sleeves, and maybe they think AJ if going to fall off a cliff production wise... but

This is looking like a fallback and consolidate year

lay around .500
Trade most of : Liriano, Volquez, Wandy, Martin, GSanchez and a bullpen arm or two.
new starters by Aug 1: Taillon, Polanco, Kingham? and T Sanchez and a couple players from the trades.

IF my crystal ball is right, it might be the best long term move, but its rather disappointing after last season.

 

[element1286]

BTW, is there something wrong with Jeff Neimann, formerly of the Rays, decent pitcher fits the mold of a guy the Pirates like, yet still unsigned.

 

[thecrow124]

I do not believe that most of you are giving the assembled talent enough credit. I don't think we are as good as St. Louis, but I am pretty confident that we are still the second best team in the NL Central. I am not sure that we take the step back that people seem to think we will take. Player for player we are better than the team that started last season, and have more potential impact from the minors than we had last year. I don't know that we get to 94 wins, but I see us well above .500.

The real beauty of this season is that we can legitimately do what I begin suggesting 3 years ago. We can be both buyers and sellers at the trade deadline. We will have pitching that can be moved for prospects, or major league players. We will have 3-4 RF options that could be moved, 1B options that could be moved. A catcher, SP, bullpen, and outfield option to move for upgrade for this season, or for prospects, and we can do all of that with little to no loss of production at the major league level. We also have prospects that can be moved if we should need to upgrade the major league roster, and we could offer combinations of either to help the organization.

 

[steelparrot]

BTW, is there something wrong with Jeff Neimann, formerly of the Rays, decent pitcher fits the mold of a guy the Pirates like, yet still unsigned.

He had major shoulder reconstruction last spring, labrum and rotator cuff.

 

[element1286]

He had major shoulder reconstruction last spring, labrum and rotator cuff.

Thanks

 

[steelparrot]

Playoff Odds | FanGraphs Baseball


their number based predictions are pretty favorable for the pirates.

25% chance to win division 23% chance for wc @ 84 wins

not sure what they use for this steamer?

 

[sychmd]

I do not believe that most of you are giving the assembled talent enough credit. I don't think we are as good as St. Louis, but I am pretty confident that we are still the second best team in the NL Central. I am not sure that we take the step back that people seem to think we will take. Player for player we are better than the team that started last season, and have more potential impact from the minors than we had last year. I don't know that we get to 94 wins, but I see us well above .500.

The real beauty of this season is that we can legitimately do what I begin suggesting 3 years ago. We can be both buyers and sellers at the trade deadline. We will have pitching that can be moved for prospects, or major league players. We will have 3-4 RF options that could be moved, 1B options that could be moved. A catcher, SP, bullpen, and outfield option to move for upgrade for this season, or for prospects, and we can do all of that with little to no loss of production at the major league level. We also have prospects that can be moved if we should need to upgrade the major league roster, and we could offer combinations of either to help the organization.

agree crow. this is what i have been saying about this year.
still too many holes and not realistic options in the offseason while some of our guys just 1-2 years away from rely being co-supporters with cutch and not just good role players.
we don't have enough real stars to get to WS this year and probably next.
we do have one stud(cutch) and some real good players to be above 500 and compete for playoffs and maybe win a series with the right matchup.

but looking at the field, dodgers, cards, nats, we catch match their star power in a series against their top 3 pitchers. not enough hitting yet.
i like the positioning crow discussed to add the necessary pieces to be strong in 15 and WS contenders in 16-19.
but we have to audition the younger SP (not bring back burnett) to see who is a piece of the WS team and who is a good chip to package for the 1B, SS, 2B, C piece we might need depending on the production of lambo, mercer, walker, sanchez in the next 1.5 years.

 

[element1286]

Playoff Odds | FanGraphs Baseball


their number based predictions are pretty favorable for the pirates.

25% chance to win division 23% chance for wc @ 84 wins

not sure what they use for this steamer?

Probably Zips, they do a zips analysis for each team, I'm guess they compiled them for this.

 

[steelparrot]

Pirates Claim Brent Morel: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

his stats are terrible at MLB level, injury insurance i guess

 

[steelparrot]

Pirates Designate Chase d’Arnaud For Assignment | Pirates Prospects


tbh, i'm not sure how he stuck around this long

 

[Illinest]

Morel is a classic neil pickup. He was a decent prospect. Line-drive contact type hitter in the minors and a decent glove. Then he hurt his back and his mlb production has been pretty bad.

Most likely our AAA third baseman. Hard to see him making the major league ballclub. Even at his best i think he'd be a josh harrison type, maybe trading some hitting ability for some fielding ability.

 

[thedddd]

Even though it is such an insignificant roster move no matter where you put him Morel is an upgrade over d'Arnaud for roster depth (and is younger).

 

[thecrow124]

Not a fan of the Morel/d'Arnaud move here. I don't see any value in Morel, none whatsoever, and while I see no value in d'Arnaud either, he could have given us every thing Morel will give us.

Now if this pickup leads to us trading Fat Pete, well then I will love the pickup.

 

[element1286]

I'd rather have D'arnaud since he can play ss, and their bats both seem equally bad. Harrison is better than both easily.

 

[sychmd]

morel the more experienced #B glove and younger.
darnaud has a unique skill - speed and PR at the end of a game. he can also play a decent SS, but no bat.
harrison - reliable in all positions(even pitched and could possibly catch in a extra inning pinch), hits LHP well (350/381/981), can PR (but not as special as darnaud), is reliable at plate and field at the mlb level and good attitude chemistry.still only 26.

if pedro goes down, i would rather see harrison is our 3B, and morel moves up to utility IF. not sure if better to have darnaud as the jack of all 3, though he was stagnating in AAA and not really mastering it.

 

[thedddd]

Oh yeah Harrison is by far the best of the three. I just think value wise Morel brings more than d'Arnaud for AAA this season only. In reality if Harrison, Morel or d'Arnaud were getting extensive playing time on the major league roster this team would be in trouble.

 

[thedddd]

Also at minor league SS I wonder if Hanson will start at AAA, Ngeope at AA (listed as SS now? I thought he was a 2B?) and Jones at high A?

I forgot they signed Robert Andino who can be the AAA SS until Hanson is ready. But with Hanson, Jones and even Ngeope they all past d'Arnaud on the depth chart.