OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Spring Training! Spring Training!

[Winger for Hire]

Didn't mean to confuse anyone, I accidentally deleted the quote and didn't feel like going back and undoing it.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Didn't mean to confuse anyone, I accidentally deleted the quote and didn't feel like going back and undoing it.

So inconsiderate of the fact that some of us are easily confused... or more so that we are too lazy to take 5 seconds and look back at the 3 most recent relevant posts and figure it out

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Yeah, I think barring injury, Harrison starts out as the everyday 2B, but especially if Frazier stays hot through spring training, I'd try to keep getting him ABs and starts now and then, with a relatively quick hook on J-Hay if he isn't performing well. It doesn't have to be an obvious "there is competition for the starting 2B" kind of thing, because both of them are utility players and can get starts in a few places. I think with both of them, if they are engaged in a healthy competition for at-bats, then that is best for the rest of the team. Allows Hurdle to work matchups and keep people fresh if they are both performing well. And if you get really high on Frazier, maybe Harrison earns himself some trade value and you get to move assets around/save a little on his contract.

 

[Asuna]

hughes continues to get lit up this spring.

so glad they brought him back

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Taillon with 4 good innings today, just two hits, one ER, and 2Ks, 0 BBs. Gosselin has hit a grand slam, Freese with a double (hitting nearly .400), and both Osuna and Frazier with two BBs. Jimenez started for the Orioles, but still, nice to see continued good at-bats -- both are around the mid-400 range in average, and combined for a good backhand stop and pick defensively today.

Now Jared Hughes is in, HBP, hit, walk, run scored already. I have a feeling we have a pretty firm punching bag target. Have been hoping he'd turn things around and be a useful mop-up guy, but especially with the option to use Hutchison in a similar capacity, the Hughes contract is not looking great. He should definitely be used situationally, and I'd say not even in high-leverage situations -- i.e., he should start out by only going into games we are trailing where we need some innings, and build to more appearances from there. Even in situations where we need a double-play, much better to spend Rivero or Hudson earlier in a game and count on someone like Nicasio in the eighth inning. The bullpen has some serious question marks. If Hutchison can be a similar profile as Nicasio there, mostly pretty reliable and able to pitch 2-3 innings every so often, that would go a long way towards solidifying things.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Taillon and Bastardo with solid outings combining for 6 IP, 1 ER, and Hughes follows it up with another ****** appearance against a trash lineup.

His contract didn't look great when they gave it to him and he certainly hasn't done anything this spring to help his case.

Edit: I see DJ beat me to it. Hughes final line: 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 4 ER. Spring ERA up to 16.50...

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I seriously want to know what they see in Hughes. He was an effective fireman at one point, but the negatives have lapped the positive many times over since then.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Hughes has options left... right?

 

[Big McLargehuge]

The fact that Hughes turns 32 in the middle of the season really doesn't help me figure out their adoration for that mediocrity. I get that he's a good guy, but there's more to baseball than being a good guy.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

The fact that Hughes turns 32 in the middle of the season really doesn't help me figure out their adoration for that mediocrity. I get that he's a good guy, but there's more to baseball than being a good guy.

Yeah I mean he doesn't even have the Fleury smile. His smile makes it look like he has someone locked up in his basement.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Maybe a little reductionist, but I could see it as partly him being Hurdle's guy, and Huntington not wanting to mettle too much/lack of an abundance of other options anyways. That kind of explanation obviously has serious flaws, starting with the fact that we can't really know much of those dynamics between GM and manager.

The situation is really exasperated by the question marks around Watson. If he were looking more like his old self, I'd be a lot less worried about the bullpen, because three strong guys in the backend + Nicasio is an ok starting point.

One guy who could displace Hughes fairly quickly is Edgar Santana. If he performs well in AAA, and Hughes gives no indication he can be a decent fireman option, I'd cut him/send him down quickly and give Santana a look. Unfortunately I just have no faith the Pirates would/will do the same.

Nova vs. Sale tomorrow in an evening game, starts at 6pm. Will be interesting to see what some of the youngsters can do against Sale. I hope Meadows gets some at-bats, and it makes sense to get as many regulars as possible in there, since we'll face him in a couple of weeks (I listened to a bit of the game, and they were speculating that Kuhl would start Game 2. Not sure why -- so I guess Cole, Kuhl, Taillon, then Nova, Brault/Hutchison, Cole for the home opener).

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Hughes has a history of being a solid reliever and the Pirates are very weak in the pen as has been discussed. I would imagine that was their line of thinking in signing him.

I'm not saying they were right to think that. It very well may be that Hughes is done and will never be an effective ml pitcher again. I know you guys hate him for good reason but let's see how he does in actual competitive games before we write him off for the season. If he can be a mid-3 era guy like he was not too long ago then it will be worth it. Time will tell.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Looks like the main 2017-possibles or locks who will face Sale are Frazier, Gosselin, Bell, Osuna, and Diaz. Should still be interesting, if almost entirely meaningless. Nice to get Bell a couple of looks in any case, and if Osuna has a big game, he will probably start landing a lockdown case that he should start in Pittsburgh when spring training ends.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Looks like the main 2017-possibles or locks who will face Sale are Frazier, Gosselin, Bell, Osuna, and Diaz. Should still be interesting, if almost entirely meaningless. Nice to get Bell a couple of looks in any case, and if Osuna has a big game, he will probably start landing a lockdown case that he should start in Pittsburgh when spring training ends.

Yeah, I mean we are missing so many of the real with McCutchen, Harrison, Marte, Polanco, Cervelli all participating in the WBC and Kang still sorting out his issues, those are about all the guys available. Meadows would have been nice I guess, but outside of that it's really just Mercer and Jaso as options.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Yeah, not too many options, and given that Meadows is definitely going to start in AAA, it makes sense to just stick on whatever rotation schedule they have for other guys to keep getting regular at-bats.

The Red Sox don't have too many regulars either: Pirates: Holt SS, Young LF, Benintendi CF, Ramirez DH, Moreland 1B, Rutledge 2B, Hernandez 3B, Vazquez C, Selsky RF, Sale LHP

 

[Winger for Hire]

I can't believe Josh Rutledge is still kicking around

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Osuna keeping the red-hot spring going. Batting clean-up vs Sale and 2/2 so far with an RBI in a 2-1 game in the 4th. Nova solid so far through 3 with 3 hits, 1 ER 0 BB, 2 Ks.

And for you Winger, Rutledge has a triple off Nova in this game

 

[DJ Spinoza]

We should roll out some kind of "five predictions" or something more interesting to help hold us over until the games get a little bit more interesting.

Nice to see Nova off to a rolling start. I am not fully convinced that he will be an impact player for us, but I do think he will probably assimilate a #3 starter and give us a lot of quality innings, which is nothing to scoff at, particularly given how insane the SP market is. The biggest pitching question in my mind is whether Gerrit Cole will stay healthy and pitch like he did in 2015. The second biggest is whether Taillon will take a small step forward as he pitches his first full season in MLB. If both of those things happen, the rotation will minimally have a very good foundation, and at least be a viable one should we make a playoff series.

Beyond that, there are obviously some questions about Kuhl, Glasnow, Hutchison, etc, but so far the spring has been overall encouraging for the starting pitching.

 

[Winger for Hire]

My 5 Predictions for the Pirates this year:

1. Josh Harrison turns in another empty .280+ average with an OPS that just creeps over .700 with 18-20 stolen bases. Fails again to break the 60 RBI mark and still doesn't take any walks.

2. Cutch relearns how to his a fastball and get back to form, but not MVP form. Something like .285/.375/.490. Sadly he gives up totally on the running game, but plays an above average RF. Marte takes to CF like a fish to water and puts up another 5+ WAR season. Polanco continues to improve his game overall, improves his average a couple of points, power continues to show, and speed stays the same. Looks a little unsure in LF, but acclimates well. Shows off his underrated arm multiple times.

3. Nova continues to benefit from leaving the AL East and Yankee Stadium's Little League dimensions. Walk rate continues to stay way below is career average and gives up noticeably less long balls with a slight uptick in Ks.

4. Daniel Hudson ends the year as the closer. Tony Watson starts the year shaky, but regains most of his form when moved back to the 7th/8th inning and rebuilds his trade value. Moved around the deadline because Rivero's breakout season makes Huntington very comfortable in giving up a top lefty arm with another one emerging rapidly. Nicasio gets some closer work, but ultimately works as high leverage, non-closer.

5. Tyler Eppler makes some good strides down on the farm and puts his name in the mix for a back-end rotation spot for 2018. Glasnow starts the season with his "1 dominating start, 1 Rickey Vaughn start, 1 solid start" rotation, but gets comfortable with most of his offseason changes after 9 or so starts and bumps Brault/Hutch from the rotation. I have no prediction about how he'll fare after that.

 

[Asuna]

who's feliz?

 

[Winger for Hire]

who's feliz?

Sorry, meant Nicasio. Had Neftali on the brain.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Tough start for Hutchison. 3 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 ER, 3 Ks, against a weak lineup for Baltimore with no regular starters.

 

[Gunnar Staal]

Tough start for Hutchison. 3 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 ER, 3 Ks, against a weak lineup for Baltimore with no regular starters.

He's just trying to keep himself financially flexible for the start of the season.

 

[Asuna]

He's just trying to keep himself financially flexible for the start of the season.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Glasnow pitching right now - for some reason my MLBTV isn't blacking it out even though I live in Philly (we are playing the Phillies). Maybe spring training is never blacked out, since that would be insane because about 20 people are probably watching?

He was really wild to start the game, went full count and walked Hernandez, but then seemed to settle down. Curveball looks very good, he's controlling it and got two Ks with it. Given Hutchison's bad start yesterday, I think it's still possible that Glasnow could make his case if he's strong today, but you have to think Brault has an inside track right now if he's able to just stay pretty consistent.