OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Seven Springs Eternal

[cookthebooks]

it is amazing how easy it is to summon horrible news about the pittsburgh baseball club. next few days im sure kela will opt out or something

 

[xlm34]

Even if we do get Rocker he’ll probably get hit by a bus or something on his way to sign the contract.

 

[dogthateats]

At this point, I am rooting for the Pirates to get so bad that they are fun to watch again.

 

[ImporterExporter]

 

[ImporterExporter]

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I am thinking of the season in terms of losses banked now. Wouldn't have minded forgoing tonight with Williams' great start, but this Twins series is a good opportunity for a sweep.

And I imagine a bullpen without Burdi will help us bank more losses. Pretty obvious and uncontroversial now, but we have a legit shot at the #1 pick.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

 

[gtpeli2]

I'd actually feel bad for Derek Shelton if he hadn't proven himself to be more incompetent than Clint Hurdle, Jim Tracy, and Lloyd McClendon. What a pathetic organization.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I'm not really someone who thinks that an MLB manager is important, so I don't want to sound like I'm defnding Shelton, but I really wouldn't draw many conclusions about him based on this year. 1) the team is bad – it's mediocre in a number of ways on paper but the guys who would lead it to that mediocrity are either hurt or underperforming; 2) more importantly, it seems patently clear that the organization doesn't care about winning games; 3) it also seems somewhat clear that there's a plan in place to get certain guys looks for certain roles.

I'm not 100% sure about #3 yet, but the other two prevent me from really making many strong decisions. I think the basic approach is that this is one long exhibition. I don't think we're trying to lose in the conscious way that we joke about with memes, but I also don't think he's really doing much more than executing certain decisions with the bad personnel that he has. I think the smart money is that if the offense wasn't total garbage, we'd have a few more wins under our belts but otherwise that's it.

At the end of the day, I don't think MLB managers make a huge difference, so I don't have a strong attachment to Shelton one way or another. My basic take would be that next season is the year where several players, as well as maybe him, are probably auditioning for a role going forward. Having the culture of an exhibition that values process over results isn't ideal for trying to build a winner in the near range, but I think the 2020 season will end up being mostly a wash.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Barreto makes a lot of sense as a target, if the A's are still interested in Frazier.

He would be a great target because of the plus power. Most As people still seem to like him, with FG havng him as a 55 in 2018. Consensus seems to be that the A's will definitely have to trade him and he won't make it through waivers. We have 1 good offensive player, so picking up a guy who has never been given consistent playing time and letting him roll with it for 50 games seems like a good risk to take.

 

[cookthebooks]

re barreto: it would at least lend credence to an overarching aim of what theyre trying to do with this season. roster seems filled with placeholders for guys like that who are relative unknowns instead of not very goods

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Wouldnt it be the most Pirate thing to botch the development/ controlled years of Rocker like they did with Cole? Or to have him become the 2nd coming of John Van Benschoten, or have him Lindros us and refuse to sign or report?

 

[DJ Spinoza]

re barreto: it would at least lend credence to an overarching aim of what theyre trying to do with this season. roster seems filled with placeholders for guys like that who are relative unknowns instead of not very goods

Yeah, the one thing I can't quite figure out is why their assessment of Tucker is so stubborn. But the unwillingness to play him at SS at all (Riddle is starting there today) at least gives the semblance of an overarching assessment plan, so I can somewhat roll with it.

Not sure this is a rocket science level take at this point, but I think the plan is basically to assess various guys while having enough depth mediocrity that the bottom doesn't totally fall out. Guys like Evans and Riddle who haven't latched on anywhere but have some defensive flexibility and have shown flashes before are nothing to get overly excited about, but they definitely could slot in as a depth piece as the team builds. Or they could be dispatched with, just like most of the middling prospects still trying to break in.

The worrying issue to me is that there's no clear star-level talent to start building around. It's not absolutely needed but it's certainly one way to make up for the lack of a payroll as we start looking to 2021 and 2022. I think there's really no reason not to roll Hayes and Tucker out there everyday as 3B and SS.

My hope is that we might be quickly pivoting towards some trades and a full-throated youth movement for 40 games or so. Just on kicking that off, a Frazier trade would be a welcome sight. It would be nice if Kela can get back ASAP, though I suspect he'll need some time to have a modicum of value and we might be better off waiting until the deadline to move him (he won't be blocking a young player anyways). The main thing with Barreto I think is the power potential. We have so little power and have not shown the willingness to pay for it in free agency. It's one aspect of the offense that always does us in even when everybody is healthy and playing well like the .500 team Neal built.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I'm at least somewhat excited to see Brubaker today, although truth be told I wish we could leave him in the RP role and concentrate on making him a valuable contributor there. That's not to say that he couldn't step up in a starter's role, which is more valuable, but there's also a point where I think it makes the most sense to try and develop certain guys for roles they will excel in, and the early look of Brubaker in the pen points in that direction to me.

But who knows, maybe 2/5ths of our rotation next year will be Kuhl and Brubaker and both will be good. I wouldn't dismiss the idea out of hand.

I would assume since he hasn't really been stretched out that the longest he'd go today is 4 innings.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Welp, so much for that idea.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Yeah, Brubaker's stuff is worse as a starter and his control has left him. Love to ruin a plus option out of the pen because the whole team just sucks.

 

[Winger for Hire]

It's hard to really read anything into any of this other than the team is treating this season as an extended spring training.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

We won a game!

 

[cookthebooks]

nothing better encapsulates pirates fandom than being deeply ambivalent about a walk off win

 

[DJ Spinoza]

It wouldn't have been terrible to "bank" one more loss in such a losable game, but I don't mind since I was casually watching the whole thing. I have no idea who we are playing this season but I'm sure we can lose 2/3 at least and keep on pace.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Wouldnt it be the most Pirate thing to botch the development/ controlled years of Rocker like they did with Cole? Or to have him become the 2nd coming of John Van Benschoten, or have him Lindros us and refuse to sign or report?

I'll take a Lindrossing provided that the Phillies trade us half of a roster in exchange for Rocker.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Nice double-dip night thanks to some spite: the Royals managed to win, keeping us in last, and they beat the Cubs!

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Although it would ruin our chances at Rocker, the idea of the season being cancelled and everybody scapegoating the Cardinals is quite tempting.

 

[Winger for Hire]

My man

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Ok here's a hot take: Phllip Evans is the player that many people seem to think Jose Osuna is.