2015 Pirates

[Darkstone42]

Burke Badenhop (R), JJ Putz (R), Casey Janssen (R), Gorzo, Phil Coke (L) seem interesting. There are plenty of decent relievers out there.

Also John Mayberry as a RHB 1B/OF option.

I like all of those ideas.

Neal Cotts would be a decent get on a minor league contract if he'd take it. Not as a solution, just as depth with upside. But I think someone else will give him a Major League contract, and I don't think he's worth that kind of risk for the Pirates.

 

[sychmd]

Two years, $12.5 million to Neshek. That seems high for a reliever who had his first good season of his career last year...

But it was the Astros who signed him, so that seems like it could explain the dollars.

agree, too much for minimal track record. we spent 5 on volquez for 192 innings.
dodged a bullet by not getting him.
would rather go with what we got and keep the money for a july deal on a performing commodity for a specific identified need.

 

[stillmatic32]

Looks like the Pirates had an offer in and were gonna get Neshek.

 

[Darkstone42]

Looks like the Pirates had an offer in and were gonna get Neshek.

I'm guessing it was in the 2 years, $8-10 million ballpark if that's what the Astros offered to lure him away.

On Sanchez, apparently he was working on his two-strike approach, intentionally getting into deep counts, and it didn't go well.

 

[thecrow124]

what good is a starting pitcher if you don't have a reliable closer to finish it. when you have good SP, you don't need 7 relievers. spend on the SP and the backend of the pen.

1B should be long ofter those 2 are shored up, especially since we have a passable 1B at present and not a lot of great options to be had out there without giving up some real prospects.

I believe that Mark Melancon and/or Tony Watson either one could be considered reliable closers. Jared Hughes seems have got himself right. Holdzcom is a wildcard, but should be passable. I believe these pitchers are why we are can afford to look to an upgrade at 1B.

 

[element1286]

So the Astros have shelled out 30+ million on relievers the past few hours, very interesting. Luhnow knows what he is doing, so there is obviously a strategy there.

 

[Darkstone42]

I believe that Mark Melancon and/or Tony Watson either one could be considered reliable closers. Jared Hughes seems have got himself right. Holdzcom is a wildcard, but should be passable. I believe these pitchers are why we are can afford to look to an upgrade at 1B.

Agreed, and the addition through free agency of a reliever, a starter, or both would give us more flexibility in dealing for that upgrade.

 

[pixburgher66]

So the Astros have shelled out 30+ million on relievers the past few hours, very interesting. Luhnow knows what he is doing, so there is obviously a strategy there.

It helps their bullpen, and when it comes trade deadline time you have some of the hottest commodities at your disposal. It is annoying that they're single handedly inflating the reliever market though. As was said, I'm sure the Pirates deal was quite a bit lower. Certainly a risk for a guy coming off a career year.

 

[Darkstone42]

So the Astros have shelled out 30+ million on relievers the past few hours, very interesting. Luhnow knows what he is doing, so there is obviously a strategy there.

Two good relievers, too. If the Astros keep sucking, those are the guys who will be sought after on the trade market. He can turn that spending into good, young assets this season or next if he plays his cards right.

 

[Darkstone42]

It helps their bullpen, and when it comes trade deadline time you have some of the hottest commodities at your disposal. It is annoying that they're single handedly inflating the reliever market though. As was said, I'm sure the Pirates deal was quite a bit lower. Certainly a risk for a guy coming off a career year.

Two good relievers, too. If the Astros keep sucking, those are the guys who will be sought after on the trade market. He can turn that spending into good, young assets this season or next if he plays his cards right.

That much quicker than me, pix. Darn you.

 

[element1286]

It helps their bullpen, and when it comes trade deadline time you have some of the hottest commodities at your disposal. It is annoying that they're single handedly inflating the reliever market though. As was said, I'm sure the Pirates deal was quite a bit lower. Certainly a risk for a guy coming off a career year.

I had that thought too, but these are two and three year deals. Trade deadline time doesn't lend itself to getting the best deal for anyone signed beyond that year.

 

[Darkstone42]

Snider being shopped for a lefty reliever. I don't like that idea. If it's part of a bigger deal in which we send some starting pitching depth or other prospects and also get back a first baseman, I'd be more for it, but Snider has some talent and really started to hit last season. If we're going to sell high on him, sell high on him and get a real asset back.

 

[pixburgher66]

I had that thought too, but these are two and three year deals. Trade deadline time doesn't lend itself to getting the best deal for anyone signed beyond that year.

When we're talking about contenders (the big market usuals) they don't care too much about that extra year if they get a late innings guy back. There's certainly still risk involved, because if neither of these guys performs this year or next, it's a loss. But that's a risk with any contract. It's an added benefit to a basement team to hoard these guys. Another point: although Houston isn't spending money now, they're not a small market team. 6th biggest market in baseball (with the top 3 markets being shared with LA, NYC, and Chicago). They can handle it. $80M/year TV deal, btw.

 

[element1286]

My guess is that 4th OFs are generally easy to find, but yeah not interested in getting only a LHRP back.

A lot of possible outcomes both good and bad in a deal involving Snider.

 

[pixburgher66]

Snider being shopped for a lefty reliever. I don't like that idea. If it's part of a bigger deal in which we send some starting pitching depth or other prospects and also get back a first baseman, I'd be more for it, but Snider has some talent and really started to hit last season. If we're going to sell high on him, sell high on him and get a real asset back.

Major League Leaderboards » 2014 » Batters » Dashboard | FanGraphs Baseball

Yeah, not a fan. He got hot this year, so I'm okay with moving him with high value, but that's the whole bench...so we better get more than freaking Matusz back. Ask for Crush, hahah!

 

[Darkstone42]

My guess is that 4th OFs are generally easy to find, but yeah not interested in getting only a LHRP back.

A lot of possible outcomes both good and bad in a deal involving Snider.

With Polanco as yet unproven (even if promising), I don't know if Snider is truly a fourth outfielder to us, though. Maybe that's how Baltimore (to whom he is being shopped) views him, but they're still looking for a starter out there, too. We should try to get more back for him than that, no matter how we feel about the other guys on the depth chart.

 

[element1286]

When we're talking about contenders (the big market usuals) they don't care too much about that extra year if they get a late innings guy back. There's certainly still risk involved, because if neither of these guys performs this year or next, it's a loss. But that's a risk with any contract. It's an added benefit to a basement team to hoard these guys. Another point: although Houston isn't spending money now, they're not a small market team. 6th biggest market in baseball (with the top 3 markets being shared with LA, NYC, and Chicago). They can handle it. $80M/year TV deal, btw.

The thing with relieves contracts is more opportunity cost of the roster in future spot than the actual numbers, especially for the big market teams that, like you said, can absorb what the dollar value is with no problems at all.

I'm thinking it's more him just trying to make his team better, I'm not sure paying above market rate for relievers on multiple year deals is ideal, but like you said Pix the Astros aren't a small market either, although I do know they have some TV contract problems.

 

[Darkstone42]

Major League Leaderboards » 2014 » Batters » Dashboard | FanGraphs Baseball

Yeah, not a fan. He got hot this year, so I'm okay with moving him with high value, but that's the whole bench...so we better get more than freaking Matusz back. Ask for Crush, hahah!

That's what I was thinking, actually, especially if they feel good about Pearce at first. They might feel like they're swapping depth for need in that case. It would also make Pedro even more expendable, perhaps in a deal for a starting pitcher.

I don't think just Snider gets Davis, of course, and he certainly doesn't get both Davis and Matusz, but we could get clever, I think.

 

[Darkstone42]

Also, I wanted us to be in on Lester, but now that I've seen the contract he signed, thank goodness we weren't. That is not going to look good in a few years, I suspect.

 

[element1286]

With Polanco as yet unproven (even if promising), I don't know if Snider is truly a fourth outfielder to us, though. Maybe that's how Baltimore (to whom he is being shopped) views him, but they're still looking for a starter out there, too. We should try to get more back for him than that, no matter how we feel about the other guys on the depth chart.

Yeah, there is uncertainty with Polanco for sure. And it would be creating a hole they would subsequently have to fill.

But I can see them being very interested in Zach Britton, LHP who throws hard and gets tons of ground balls.