The Pirates’ success for much of the season has been one of the surprise storylines of the 2023 campaign. Pittsburgh burst out of the gates with a torrid April, capping off that month by winning 11 of 12 games. They’ve since endured losing streaks of seven and eight games (currently active) but also enjoyed a six-game winning streak in what’s been a roller-coaster performance. All told, the Bucs sit at 34-38, with their recent slide and a corresponding 10-game winning streak from the Reds dropping Pittsburgh to four games back in a feeble NL Central division.
That sub-.500 record might sink them in other divisions. They’re right in the mix in the Central, though, and Pirates president Travis Williams made clear in an interview with Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that with the trade deadline approaching, general manager Ben Cherington will have the support of ownership to pursue upgrades that improve the team both in 2023 and beyond.
Pirates fans, in particular, will want to check out the full interview for Williams’ comments on the deadline, the 2023 MLB draft, potential contract extensions and more. By and large, however, Williams stressed that he and owner Bob Nutting will “give [Cherington] the opportunity or the freedom to do what he needs to do” in order to bring about a 2023 postseason berth if the opportunity exists. While the team president went on to say it’d be “silly” to forecast the context of the trade market and the moves his team might make with the Aug. 1 deadline so far down the road, he doubled down that the goal is now to “be a winning team, not only this year but for the long term.”
It’s worth again noting that the Pirates are in the midst of an eight-game freefall in the standings. While they’re currently still easily within arm’s reach of the division, Williams, Nutting and Cherington may well view things differently if the team can’t stop the bleeding and finds itself looking up at a more sizable deficit a month from now. It’s unlikely the Pirates would strike up deals for any rental players if they were eight-plus games out of the postseason chase, for instance. That said, the progress made this year and Williams’ mention of winning beyond the current season would likely still leave the door cracked for the Bucs to add some MLB talent that’s controllable through 2024 and beyond, regardless of the current season’s standings.
As far as potential areas of improvement, the Pirates have any number of avenues to explore. Pittsburgh ranks anywhere from the bottom-third of MLB teams to the middle of the pack club in terms of runs scored (300, 23rd in MLB), home runs, (67, 25th in MLB), rotation ERA (4.34, 16th in MLB) and bullpen ERA (4.41, 24th in MLB). Injuries have taken some of the shine of the team and strained the team’s depth. Shortstop Oneil Cruz underwent ankle surgery on April 10 and isn’t expected back until later this summer. Right-handers JT Brubaker and Vince Velasquez have both undergone season-ending elbow surgery. Relievers Wil Crowe, Jarlin Garcia, Jose Hernandez and Colin Holderman are all on the injured list.
The Bucs appear more set in some areas than others. Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski have locked themselves into outfield spots with strong performances, and Andrew McCutchen is having a resurgent year between designated hitter and right field. The recent promotion of top prospect Henry Davis gives the Pirates three catching options and also puts Davis in position to solidify right field for the time being. Ke’Bryan Hayes isn’t hitting as well as hoped at third base, but his elite defense will keep him in the lineup regularly. Infielders Ji Hwan Bae, Tucupita Marcano and Carlos Santana have all struggled to varying extents with the bat, while utilityman Rodolfo Castro has hit fairly well but with shaky glovework.
In the rotation, Mitch Keller has enjoyed a long-awaited breakout — recent slump notwithstanding — while Johan Oviedo and veteran Rich Hill have provided nearly identical 4.30 and 4.31 ERAs, respectively, in a combined 29 starts. Top prospect Quinn Priester could get a look before too long, but the Pirates could certainly use some additional help on this front. In the bullpen, David Bednar has been his typically excellent self. Dauri Moreta and the currently injured Hernandez and Holderman have both filled key roles, too, but it’s been a top-heavy group that’s rotated more than a dozen relievers through the final few spots in the ’pen.
There’s still just under six weeks until the actual trade deadline, and as the recent streaks in both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati illustrate, the standings can change in only a fraction of that time. Still, it’s encouraging for Pirates fans to hear leadership discussing a buyer’s mentality this late into the season. If the Bucs can right the ship and remain in contention, they’ll be looking to add at the trade deadline for the first time since 2018.
Honestly, as much as I’d like them to make a push, I think they should aim for 2024. The pitching is improved but they still need more arms. We need R. Conteras to get better and for O’Neil Cruz to get healthy again. Bring back McCutchen for 1 maybe 2 more years.
Don’t repeat 2018 and try to swing big for a mediocre SP just to get a .500 record.
Yes. This season is for figuring out who will be part of their eventual playoff push and who won’t be. There is enough talent but it still needs to be sorted out.
Very much agree. Just be smart this deadline, maybe trade off some of the non-McCutchen rental vets if you can. I’m not opposed for them to just do nothing of any note, imho. Just wait until the off-season to become active. You need to evaluate how all the guys who have been moved to Double-A and Triple-A over the last 1-3 weeks do, because that could really shake things up going into next year.
On the other hand, if the Pirates are among the teams with a chance at a PO spot, they’re not going to sit back and say, no, let’s not add anyone or promote someone who could help us do something that would be truly remarkable for a rebuilding team. It’s a weak division, the favored Cardinals might not even make the PO, so if the Pirates are close, go for it.
It depends on how close. If they can do a 180, heck even a 100-degree turn from now until the deadline, things could be real interesting. Maybe they bring in a rental to sure up the SP, but i can’t really see them going for it right now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very much hoping they turn things around, but being realistic, they’re definitely not in a position as of right now to just gun it. We’ll see how things shake-up, though.
Cutch has a no trade clause in his contract
whatever they do start by firing Haines
There’s no excuse for only having 2 hits today and shutout the previous 2 games
Someone must be held responsible for the offensive failures over the past 9 games
I’m tired of Haines too. I have no idea why we kept him around for another season. If they make any coaching changes over the next year, it has to be him. Maybe they should bring up Greensboro’s hitting coach, Rubén Gotay. GBO is second in the South Atlantic League in OPS.
If Archer is available I say they go get him?
Absolutely brilliant move… he went 6-9 as a Pirate. And I, for one, don’t believe the Pirates win those 6 games without him!
He’d be a very cheap reclamation project right now, which is kinda what they like to do (i.e. AJ Burnett, Mark Meancon, Jose Quintana, etc.)
I’m not too happy how they’ve been playing recently, I mean who would be. But I’ll stay optimistic. A hot streak changes everything because of how close this division is and there’s a lot of time between now and July. Like I said in a comment above, I agree they shouldn’t put all their chips on the table just with the hope they could make a Wild Card, and end up around .500 without a playoff spot. The current team could end up around .500 w/o a playoff spot.
I’m totally fine with them just doing nothing, if I’m being honest. Maybe trade like Rich Hill so they can bring up Priester or someone else from AAA. But there’s really no one to trade right now. They have so many pre-arb players, or players who are going into their first year of arb. that they’re not going to deal any of them. if they do, they’d probably want a player with some ML experience already.
Give it a couple weeks, Pirates might be back in the swing of things. Then it would be a good idea to start kicking the tires on the rentals.
correction
give it a couple of weeks, they’ll be worse than they are now
No thanks to Shelton who uses analytics on a team that doesn’t meet expectations of the data
I understand the logic of some that your top run producer should bat 2nd so he can see more ABs but when your top home run hitter strikes out more often with runners in scoring position that logic doesn’t meet reality
He doesn’t have players capable, bunting for his, allows Castro to bat against a right handed pitcher with the bases loaded and he strikes out on a pitch in the dirt, considering Castro is horrible against righties.
He’s a horrible manager plain and simple
And what does Castro do in the 9th against a rightly?
He strikes out
Case closed
In Castro’s defense, he’s been forced in a greater role than what was expected of him because of Cruz’s injury. Had it not been for that, he and probably would have been sheltered against RHP for the most part with Bae and Marcano taking up the majority of playing time against RHP.
Shelton allowed Castro to bat with Bae on the bench when the former struck out with the bases loaded
Otherwise Castro has been playing baseball for probably half of his life, the fact he hasn’t learned how to hit righties is not only pathetic on his part but also that of Haines the hitting coach
I guess I don’t get the logic of him being here then, mlb. Below, you make note of Peguero having a nice year at AAA. Given what we have seen, Castro is utility, at best. Is this decision to keep talented kids on the farm while Pirates players flop in the same spots a case of the team again paying much more attention to finances?
Marcano is utility. Bae is scrappy but sure doesn’t seem like an everyday major leaguer. But Peguero and Gonzalez bide their time due to contracts?
It’s hard to fathom.
It’s not hard to fathom to long time Pirate fans that remember when then owner Kevin Mcclatchy said that if a new stadium was built to replace 3 Rivers, they’d be competitive in 5 years
Hard not to fathom because we’ve been given the same BS propaganda since 1997 that this team is on the cusp of being a winner when in reality they have been preventing prospects from reaching the majors due to finances
I get the frustration of wanting prospect up but we need to look at performance. Gonzalez really is hitting against AAA pitchers similar to what Bae/Marcano/Castro are against major league pitchers. (I am generalizing – yes). Just because he was a round 1 draft pick doesn’t make him better. Make him earn the promotion. In the big picture we have learned a lot about those three players because they were able to get playing time. For me Castro has proved he is a weak side platoon player only. In theory (if positions matched) he would be an excellent partner with Suwinski. That is not sexy – Castro – but can be a role. Peguero is not down because of contracts – he is down because he was an error machine in AA last year and early this year and quite frankly until the last 7 weeks was a mediocre hitter against AA pitching. I’d like to see him moved to AAA and PROVE he deserves a promotion.
I get what you’re saying about earning a promotion but on a team that lacks offensive production they need to do whatever it takes to improve run scoring opportunities
Castro has options remaining, as does Marcano and Bae
They need to do something to shake up the team’s offensive failures even if it means sending players back to Indy to show the other players that their positions aren’t guaranteed on the major league roster
Except that Castro didn’t exactly tear up the minors either when he was promoted
In fact he hit equally as bad and with a ton of strikeouts in each of his minor league seasons
Your points are well taken although I’m not sure Davis actually earned his promotion here based on your description. Instead, someone sensed a need to somehow jump start this team and elevated their number one pick with that in mind
And it makes sense
That’s the problem here—there are no good options. Castro really didn’t earn a promotion as much as filling an immediate need. The same can be said for Marcano, Bae and the revolving door that is “the extra outfielder”
In most organizations, your commentary is pertinent and should be the way to proceed
With the Pirates, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there are a plethora of guys on the farm and now, here at the MLB level, whose skill sets have been miscalculated. It’s there in every department, from pitching to hitting to defense
Would most of these younger players currently on the big league club even sniff joining another team? Highly doubtful
That said, I’ll reprise what I said before
Stand pat. Teach. Evaluate. Bring in staff who can thoroughly instruct and inspire—especially a guy who can communicate through language barriers
And while you say finances are not part of the Peguero issue, it’s clear the club still confines its thinking to dollars and control first
Screw that
This team is going nowhere
Bring up the guys who are on the cusp now. Endy, Nick and others that have been listed on this thread
They cannot be worse than what has been here the past two seasons are what is ominously looking like a similar finish this year
Get the idea of “contending” out of your vernacular and prioritize the idea of development instead
And get some fresh, real world analysis of each prospect because whomever has been in charge has failed miserably
It’s my belief that the current roster have become too comfortable not only with losing but also their false sense of security of being on the major league team
Ever watch the dugout during any game when the camera happens to focus on the players.
They’re laughing and joking around
Not a crumb of concern written on their faces
It all starts at the top, Shelton is considered a player’s manager. Perhaps this team needs a manager that is more concerned about winning than having good relationships with his players
I don’t think they have a realistic chance at a Wild Card spot in the first place. It’s either win the division or miss the playoffs completely. In fact, that’s probably the case for the entire NL Central.
Yup I agree, there’s no wild card teams coming out of either AL or NL Central this year. Which makes the division up for grabs.
The NL Central is up for grabs. The AL Central has been practically handed to the Twins by default.
@lanidrac Yeah, both central divisions are division winner or bust. Either way, unless the Pirates go on some tear over the next month, I doubt they go big on buying.
I appreciate your optimism but talk of the NL Central being a possibility and/or the Pirates getting hot for an extended period is the stuff of Fantasy Island scripts
Since their 20-8 start, we’ve gotten a truer glimpse of what this team is
While I will spare you a rendering of each position and player, this is a lineup that has difficulty scratching out hits let alone runs, a defense that is often shaky and most disturbing, a team whose pitching has literally fallen apart
This team acting as a “buyer” at deadline time is utter insanity
I get that fans—especially younger ones—wish to see some silver lining in all of this. They want to believe that some of the young guys who’ve come up will push them to the top and the next wave will be even better
I’m just kind of wondering what those types of fans see during a 9 game losing streak and a 14-30 run
The start was the illusion. This is the team we’ve seen for the past couple seasons, only incrementally improved
I can live with a 75 win team, but you don’t trade prospects, not even one, to dress a pig another way.
Just because I hope they turn a corner doesn’t mean I think they will. I definitely think they’ll play better than they have for the last week and a half. But I also don’t think we’ll ever reach the heights of April this year. Ofc, that’s two very major extremes. They were 12-13 from May 15-June 14, right before this massive losing streak. I still believe they can at least replicate that to some degree, however.
That being said, I’m still going to remain optimistic, regardless of what happens. While I do have more optimism for next season, as they’ll get Oneil back, and hopefully make a couple of impactful moves in the off-season, I still think 75 wins is a realistic outcome this year. That’s where I had them going into Spring Training.
I do agree with you that buying is out of the question right now. The Pirates would have to go on a miraculous run in order to even think about it. While it’s hard to find silver lining in this rough time, the overall roster is better than how they’ve been playing. They’ve gotten hit hard with the injury bug, and for a team with little depth, that’s season changing. They finally got Davis to the big leagues, and some of the other young guys like Oviedo, Keller, Suwinski, and Castro have shown improvement from last year.
Castro has 9 errors this year and strikes out at an average of over:30% of the time
He still can’t hit righties and about the only improvement he’s made is he’s drawn more walks but he’s hardly improved
I don’t know where you’re getting a 30% K-rate. He’s only at 24.2% (46 Ks’ divided by 190 plate appearances). That’s not great, but it’s only 1.5% worse than average, and a 2.4% decrease from 2022. His OPS is about 20 points higher than the average. But I you are right about his shortstop defense and ability to hit right-handers. They need to stop putting him at shortstop. He’s significantly better in every single measure at second base, where he’s been about average at this year. Castro might just be a platoon guy in the end, which doesn’t make him valueless.
I think it’s harsh to call him pathetic for not being able to hit RHP. There are simpily some guys who end up as platoon players. Again, it’s very likely that he would have been mostly hidden against RHP had it not been for Cruz’s injury. One thing I would like to see him try however is giving up switch hitting altogether. His ability to see the ball out of a LHP’s hand doesn’t seem to be a problem. But he just seemingly can’t hit RHPs to save his life. Maybe a different angle could do him some good. Can’t do much worse than a 42 wRC+ against RHPs.
I don’t care about the average or analytics as neither does anything for this team
Castro’s horrible against right handed pitching and there’s no disputing that, no matter what the league average is
Agree with all of this. IMO we have learned Castro can be a good hitter as a short side platoon. That of course gets you much less playing time. Suwinski in many ways is similar (does draw walks!!) but as a strong side platoon. I think if Castro played second and was the depth at third he has a good role as a major leaguer. May or may not be as a Pirate as I would love somebody to claim 2B (please people stop with the pleading for Nicky G until he conquers AAA – HE HASN’T).
Disagree to an extent. Can’t keep every prospect, where do they all play? I’d be fine with them doing something like trading for a Daniel Lynch or a Tigers pitcher or two, including one of the injured guys.
It should cost very little to acquire a guy like Matthew Boyd or a Marco Gonzeles/Trevor Williams, but if they aim higher, they can get someone like Lynch or a Skubal/Turnbull. I think they can make a move or two like that without hurting their future.
I think they should wait until the off-season to make any big moves, unless they get an absoutle steal, or all of a sudden go on like a ten game winning streak to offset their recent losing streak, of course.
Here’s the problem with your scenario, @holecamels35. While I would agree with the basic premise of dealing a prospect they feel won’t be in their plans, they’re having one helluva time delineating just who can play at this level and who gets here and just flops
One look at the shuttle between here and Indy would tell you that they bring guys up with a lot of bluster and after a short, uneventful stint are sent back
I honestly believe that the Pirates scouts do not know who can play at this level,who is ready or who is on the cusp. It’s like a continual poker game
Many of us sound like broken records. The scouts and development staffs here really need to be held accountable by top management
And I also have to think that the idea of sending a guy away for a rental whom they’ve misidentified is also a concern. Or should be
They are in a much better spot than last year and the year before, with most positions being set, but like you said, they just can’t seem to develop guys well or draft impact players. You look at the Reds, SO many prospects they drafted and traded for are playing great. Pirates were said to have a great farm as well but you never seem to see those guys breaking out. I feel bad there is so much pressure on Henry Davis because he is the top prospect everyone expects to swing a big bat and be here for many years. The team needs a Vlad Jr, Tatis, Adley, Austin Riley, Acuna type big star player.
You’re right, they’ve had incremental success and a lot of us would be ok with 72-75 wins
The Reds versus Pirates draft/development story is a solid comparison of what’s gone wrong here. Two very similar stories, two older, proud franchises and two long suffering fan bases
From there, the comparison goes off the tracks where drafting/trades/development are concerned. It’s both remarkable and obvious.
I really don’t know about most positions being set. Is Cruz really the stud at short? Who plays 2nd, 1st, RF?
And what about this pitching staff?
Many, many questions here and from what I can glean, no big gun behind Davis or Endy on the cusp
The word was originally that they’d compete in ‘24 or ‘25. While anything is possible, that seems be overly optimistic
Rich Hill and Roansy Contreras to the Blue Jays for Alex Manoah
I hope the are buyers! It would be great to see
I wish I was as delusional as Williams The Pirates have too many holes and are playing too uninspired to think one or two trades are going to make a difference. Many think that they have a chance of staggering to a division title and once in the playoffs “anything can happen”. Yes, “anything can happen”, but a weak team staggering into the playoffs are not likely to go anywhere but staggering home after the first round.
To be competitive and that means not just winning a weak division, it means building a strong team. To achieve that, the Pirates need two to three decent starting pitchers. They also need at least two or three bats to revive their dead offense. Unless you trade for Ohtani and clone him twice, there are too many pieces to pick up to be competitive. Then they still need bullpen help. Lots of trades would need to be make and they all would have to work., no5 to mention what the Pirates would have to give up. Don’t see that happening.
Also, I am not sure Shelton is the manager the Pirates need.
For me, the object should not be just to make the playoffs and pray for a miracle, though it would take multiple miracles for this team to advance. The object is to put a truly competitive team on the field that is a threat to go far. There are too many missing pieces on this team for that to happen this year.
I don’t see the Pirates as significant sellers either. What do they have to sell?
You’ve hit upon the most disappointing aspect here and one that you would hope wouldn’t beset a young team: the uninspired, passion-less, we’re okay with losing vibe you see when this team is on the field
It was there last season. Took a break when the wisdom of guys like Cutch, Hill and Santana found their words weren’t falling on deaf ears, but is back
There is absolutely no leadership exhibited by the likes of “cornerstones” such as Hayes and Reynolds. No fire at all
More pointedly, you’d hope to have a manager in charge to push the mental and emotional parts of the game, a guy who could inspire and spark pride and passion
That’s clearly not Shelton
They’ve rebuilt their farm, but not with the stud players that TB, ATL, LA and now, Baltimore and Cincinnati. This is a team which is light years away from contention
If Nutting was serious about “winning is unacceptable,” getting rid of his entire scouting and development staff should be job one. Not being buyers to accomplish 70 wins
I think lightyears away from contending is too harsh on them. Pirates just got Davis to the big leagues, as well as promoting top prospects Anthony Solometo and Jared Jones to Triple-A. They’ve made massive gains this season. Along with that, Endy Rodriguez, Quinn Priester, Nick Gonzales, and Liover Peguero are at Double-A and Triple-A. You get some of those guys to help support a core with B-Rey, Hayes, Suwinski, Oviedo, Bednar, Castro, Marcano, and Bae, and the team will make major strides.
You may be right, of course, but if you’re using a scorecard and have kept track of the kids who’ve come up to the Pirates—some have stayed, most have been sent back down—it tempers one’s optimism
If I am listening to someone who is knowledgeable about prospects in other organizations like TB or even Baltimore, I am more prone to believe their comments about individual players than I am a Pirates scout, whose words now sound like a great deal of hype
In reflecting upon that scorecard, what have we found? Hayes is a good glove who will likely never hit above .260, let alone hit for power. Suwinski will likely be a home run or strikeout guy—a good glove—and a platoon candidate. Cruz is a wild card, of course. He seemed to be making strides with his swing. But will he ever be a big time SS?
Other than these guys, mlb, you have scrap that’s either still here or have returned to the minors. Castro, Bae, Palacios. I am hoping for the best with Oviedo and Ortiz but have little hope for guys like Roansy or Bido
You’ve listed guys that represent the next wave here. Let’s hope they pan out but to average fans, it has to be a case of “I’ll believe it when I see it”
Right now, I just don’t see a great deal of difference between these guys and the A’s, Royals or Nats
I understand where you’re coming from. Though there’s a major difference between the Pirates, A’s, and Royals. I don’t think the Nats are a great comparrison, but the PIrates are much more well run than either the A’s or Royals. That doesn’t mean I think the Pirates are a running at 100% efficency, but you’re talking about the Royals, who have made absotuely zero progress in rebuilding (at least the Pirates have made some strides in the right direction). The Pirates’ player development isn’t great, but it looks like the Rays compared to the Royals. The A’s ownership makes the Pirates’ ownership look like saints. If I were to guess, A’s fans who are out there will take the Pirates’ situation over the Athletics’ situation ten times out of ten.
Let’s take the idea of “the way they’re run” out of the equation. Obviously, A’s ownership decided to scuttle the ship after having tremendous records and now look to line their pockets in Vegas. No argument there. Almost criminal what was done to the fan base
You say the Royals development has been poor and that they’ve stagnated. I would wonder how that is different than what we’ve seen here
For argument’s sake, let’s look at Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincy. They’ve all been in similar straits as the Pirates. What’s different?
The O’s have had ultra frugal ownership and now are a good team. The Indians have arguably one of MLB’s best manager with a solid track record. The Reds seemingly have had better scouts and better development
I like that Cherington has restocked the minors. Problem is, it doesn’t appear that he’s done it with top tier prospects, despite high draft picks and trades
Time will tell
I’d say Endy, Henry, and Johnson are “high-end” prospects. They’re all generally considered top 50 guys, with Johnson among the top 30 on most lists. They went with a lot of high school guys in 2021, which was a major point in the rebuild. For many of those guys, they’re just 20 years old and only now getting their first full professional season. Some guys, namely Solometo and Jones, have made massive strides. I’ll be patient with Bubba Chandler though. He’s struggled, but Greensboro is extremely jitter friendly, and he’s changed up his routine now that he’s solely focusing on pitching. Like you said, time will tell, but they’ve definitely see some guys make major strides.
I don’t think you can really compare the Royals and the Pirates, in terms of overall player development just yet (or at least their rebuilds). The Royals have been rebuilding since 2018. Pirates didn’t really start rebuilding since 2019-2020 off-season when they brought in a brand new regime.
Isn’t it ironic that the teams you listed have a deep farm system when the Bucs, perennial losers minus 3 years in the middle of the 2000 teens don’t have premier players let alone are even above mediocre ready for the majors
It all comes down to player development and this franchise has consistently had one of the worst in recent years
Absolutely buy if you are close. They don’t have anything of significant value to sell unless they move a Keller Bednar who still have 2 or 3 seasons left before free agency. Big if though. Pitching is just solid and bats are usually awful. Schedule until deadline is hardest remaining part. They better start scoring some runs if they want to be buyers. I wouldn’t expect them to trade any real prospects. Will be non 40 man guys and underachieving guys.
Better yet, stand pat
Don’t give away prospects. Any prospects
If anyone wants Santana, Hill, Joe, Hedges, Mathias or even Choi, have them gift wrapped
Get people in place to teach. Develop. Communicate
Get rid of deadwood. Get guys even on the cusp up here and stuff your economics
Let them play and learn..and again, continue to teach, develop and communicate
Then re-evaluate your scouting and development staff. Clearly, something is amiss
Stop pretending this team is capable of contending anytime soon and truly build for the future
or even better demote Shelton and fire the hitting coach
Pirates will likely win any trades they make. Buying or selling they probably won’t do much.
“ will be underachieving guys “
Which is basically the entire team
they need to find away to trade some of their pre arb players like Castro and Bae, etc. there’s going to be a 40 man crunch again. aren’t getting much back but can possibly add to the BP.
I definitley think that if they don’t shop him at the deadline, they’ll take a look at what Liover Peguero can get them in the off-season. He’s been really good this year outside of the first three weeks of April.
i agree.
This team needs speed, trading Bae makes them slower as a team
he’s versatile for sure but somebody of value has to go. They go to many second baseman types.
There hasn’t been a 40 man crunch and won’t be one this year.
The current roster was built to win more games than last year and begin to excite fans about the future. They are still in a position to achieve this goal, but nothing beyond that. They have one position player above average in Reynolds and two pitchers in Keller and Bednar. The rest of the roster may have some potential, but at this point in their careers they are below average. A team cannot contend with such a roster. BC has made some decent trades and draft choices, but most are still a year or two away.
In 2024 with some people back from injuries and another year of development they may actually start to contend.Hopefully in the off season they go after a little higher level of FAs to help them along. Ending up with 90 losses is probably realistic in 2023.
Translation, the owners aren’t giving up. I’d say trade Santana, bring up Rodriguez, trade Hill, he was brought in with that in mind, bring up Priester, DFA Hedges and take the financial hit, because nobody will want him.
Hilarious timing for this as they’ve lost 9 straight games and have dropped from 1st place to 4th in the putrid NL Central
There shouldn’t be a comma in front of “too.” The sentence should go like this:
“….Hernandez and Holderman have both filled key roles too, but it’s been…”
Don’t overuse commas.
Pirates had too many second tier prospects auditions and have over- played veteran accusations. There is indifference in the FO regarding prospective promotions of prospects who might help. Trading worn out veterans will find limited opportunities and value. The only thing to do is PUNT. OF COURSE, new leadership might help but new ownership has always been the root problem and solution.
I will believe the Pirates as buyers when they actually are buyers.
They don’t need all stars, they need stability… but all stars would be a bonus 🙂
Think it is safe to say the pirates are going to pick Crews or Skenes in the draft that have a make up of being in the mlb in 2025 if they don’t fall apart. That pick may effect what they are willing to give up.
Ownership seems to be doing the right things these past two seasons. New front office maybe giving better advice.
Given another grotesque loss tonight, I have to wonder just what type of stability would suffice. I had thought this team had incrementally improved since last year—and maybe with Cruz and Brubaker they would have—but once again, they’re abysmal. Will they win the 72-75 I had predicted? Looking less likely by the day
Crews and/or Skenes represent two positions they are sorely in need of but even a monumental draft won’t save this ballclub anytime soon if there is no one on staff to analyze each prospect and others to develop talent
This is an amazing amalgamation of scrap here now. No amount of stability is going to remedy the many ills this organization has right now
with the draft i was thinking if they draft a stud pitcher who could be here in two years they may look at trades that provide more offensive support rather than pitching, if going for something longer term.
other than the offense jumping off a cliff, Roansy’s performance is the biggest disappointment so far this year.
with out running the table the rest of the month pirates look more like sellers now, problem is they do not have much to sell.