The Pirates announced today that catcher Yasmani Grandal was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Fellow backstop Henry Davis was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported that Grandal was at the ballpark prior to the official announcement.
Davis, 24, was the first overall pick in the 2021 draft and was considered one of the top prospects in the league on his way up through the minors. He was able to make his major league debut last year but the club’s other notable catching prospect, Endy Rodríguez, handled the bulk of the work behind the plate. Davis mostly played right field and hit .213/.302/.351 in his first taste of the majors.
That wasn’t especially impressive production but it’s not uncommon for prospects to scuffle when first promoted to the big leagues and didn’t necessarily warrant concern, but it did raise questions about how the club would proceed. Rodríguez didn’t hit much in his debut either but the Pirates seemed to prefer him behind the plate, based on the way they handled the playing time last year.
Rodríguez required UCL surgery in December, which put him out of action for the entire 2024 season. That was obviously bad news for the Bucs but it did at least open a window for them to experiment with Davis behind the plate at the major league level for an extended stretch of time.
The results haven’t been especially encouraging thus far. Davis has a grade of -3 from Defensive Runs Saved so far on the season. Each of Statcast, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus rank him as a subpar pitch framer so far this year.
But the larger problem is that his poor offense has gotten even worse from last year. He has drawn walks in 13.3% of his plate appearances but has also been struck out at a huge 34.9% rate. He currently sports a batting line of .162/.280/.206 for a wRC+ of 48. His average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard hit rate are all in the 37th percentile or lower among qualified hitters.
The Bucs had signed Grandal to serve as a veteran complement to Davis this year but he had to begin the season on the IL due to left foot plantar fasciitis. Jason Delay was on the roster with Davis to start the year but the Bucs acquired Joey Bart from the Giants as Delay was placed on the injured list and later required knee surgery.
While Davis has struggled, Bart has been flourishing. His 28.2% strikeout rate is on the high side but he’s drawn walks at a 17.9% clip and hit three home runs already. His .219/.359/.531 slash line translates to a 151 wRC+. That’s a small sample size of 39 plate appearances, but since he’s out of options and Davis is struggling, it makes sense to keep him around and see what happens.
For now, Davis will head down to the minors to try to get in a better groove as Bart and Grandal share the big league catching duties. In the long run, the Pirates will have to answer some questions about their plans behind the plate. Grandal is a free agent at season’s end but Rodríguez will be back in the picture for 2025. If Bart can last on the roster for the rest of the year, he can be retained via arbitration for three future seasons, but is out of options and needs to be kept on the big league roster. Davis still has a full slate of options and just 14 games of Triple-A experience, so keeping him at that level for a while isn’t outrageous. But if catching isn’t in his future, there will come a point where it makes sense to move him and allow him to focus more on offense and outfield defense.
From a service time perspective, Davis came into 2024 with 105 days of service, leaving him 67 shy of the one-year mark. He’s added 36 here so far this year and could still get over that line if he comes back for another month-plus at some point.
I’m shocked that this team actually made a roster move considering Davis has been putrid since the start of the season
Granted, he was only optioned because Grandal was eligible to come off the IL, I’m not sure if a 35 year old catcher will make a difference on a team that collectively stinks to begin with
Suwinski should have gone with him
Rather Triolo than Suwinski. Gonzales Bae Peguero need mlb look. Well I guess.
Suwinski has regressed from last year and could probably need some time at Indy but Shelton is too stubborn to make this team better
Jack just struck out with runners in scoring position so yeah, keep him at the ML level
But Triolo was the runner at second on a single
And replace him with Bae
After tonight’s pending loss, management must make changes because after 6 innings, they have 3 singles, 6 ks and are losing to worst team in baseball
It appears that they will not only lose to the worst team in baseball but continue their streak of strikeouts in double digits and against a pitcher who had an era of over 5 at the start of the game and perhaps get shutout for the second consecutive game
TheMan3, let’s quit saying “they lost to the worst team in baseball” whether they’re playing, the A’s, Rockies, whomever
They *are* the worst team in baseball. There are AAA pitchers that could shut down these bats
And while I agree with your critiques of Shelton, Haines and the gang, just who can raise the dead here? Seriously.
DreamGM has it right. They’re going to sputter for a couple years again—now four years away from being two years away—until they burn it all down
Because after all, they have reputations to keep as MLB front office types, player personnel geniuses and scouts
As for Davis, my guess is we’ll see him again in September if at all. Shame.
My apologies, Tiredolderdude, you’re correct, we are the worst team in baseball no matter who we play against. Still, it’s very frustrating and embarrassing
One thing this franchise excels at is rebuilding and we will embark on yet another one beginning this upcoming trade deadline when our current one year contracts are traded
Sadly, i won’t receive much in return.
Correct, we always think we are getting a good prospect in return but the other team knows better and sells us a pig in the poke.
It’s an annual tradition, trading upcoming free agent players for whatever they can get in return.
With the likes of Rowdy, Taylor and Chapman, it will be more like salary dumps than getting ML ready players back
Then over the winter, they will sign another handful of nobodies or has beens and by next summer, the tradition will repeat itself again
Wish Grandal was up sooner. Good to have him work with pitchers who will be arriving throughout the season though. He isn’t going to move the needle much but he needed called up and Davis needed sent down. Will let this article age a bit and will brainstorm some hobbies for you. Too much pirates could be harmful.
It’s about time.
Hopefully Davis can work things out, otherwise he’s a huge waste of a draft pick.
Maybe. Have to see how the 2 ss do. They were the other options. And Chandler. I can see not wanting Leiter. Can’t blame a team passing on hs arm at 1 1.
I never understood the love for Leiter. He had a 3.7 BB9 in his second year at Vandy and was a little old for that level.
Can’t really call him a total waste of a draft pick, since the Bucs wouldn’t have been able to take both Chandler + solometo in rounds 2-3 without the millions they saved by taking davis 1st overall and him taking several million underslot, with meyer and leiter being the best prospects (draft wise) headed into the ’21 draft.
let me ask Pirate fans this. Chandler and Solometo both look like legit, future mlb starters in another 1, tops 2 more years. so what if davis washes out. isn’t getting 2 decent mlb arms worth a dud?
Yes getting 2 decent MLB arms are worth a dud except that this team lacks serious offensive players and that includes a catcher
We can have 5 phenomenal starters but unless they can score runs, the great pitching is a waste
That was my point. Bucs took davis, sole reason to save money from the start. memory serves.. Don’t remember any talk of him being top 10, maybe top 15 pick in ’21. Why not go in another direction.
It’s generally considered best policy to get the best guy available at 1-1. Really any top choices.
Sure, texas is still having issues with Leiter, taken 32 and the Tigers seem to have been baled out at 3rd pick Jackson with him doing so well.
I think Skenes, Davis and Chandler are the core of the starting staff. Solometo reminds me of Jeff Locke. That’s fine
But let me ask you: if no one is able to hit around an ace staff, does it really matter?
There are literally just Reynolds and Hayes here as somewhat consistent hitters. The jury is out on Cruz although it sure looks like he’s been the recipient of a great deal of hype so far. There is no one on the farm other than the middle infield trio we saw here last season who never found consistency.
And there’s Endy
Just where is the hope here?
Davis was 4th 5th best prospect in draft according to outlets I seen. I remember terms best power college bat and even some best college bat.
What about Dream’s favorite players, Alika Williams and Jack Suwinski?
Connor Joe, probably the most consistent player during the A’s series, which really doesn’t say much, didn’t play in last night’s game
Shelton once again wrote out the lineup by pulling names out of his r ear and using Taylor instead of Joe is yet another boneheaded decision by the worst manager in baseball
I need to find a new hobby for the days they are scheduled to play. That or put a sheet of plastic in front of the television screen so in case I get frustrated, the plastic will protect damage from my shoe
The hope is located with pure fans who want to see the headline here
Shelton and the coaching staff have been fired by Ben Cherington
It’s just a butterfly bandage on a huge gash though. As someone said above, the problem is system-wide and begins with the GM
I believe in the idea of a new voice, new leadership and competent coaching, but in the end it means little if the players’ abilities just don’t cut it at this level
Mike Gonzalez was yesterday named minor league player of the month for April and is stuck at Indy because of the equally strong hitting by Alika Williams or Jared Triollo
and that was sarcasm
The problem solely rests on the shoulder of this little league manager, Shelton. HE SHOULD BE CANNED IMMEDIATELY. If this moron was managing any other team, he would have been fired halfway through his 2nd year.
Now I wish I could sit down with Nutting and ask him 1 question.
GIVE ME 1 REASON WHY I SHOULD,AFTER 55 YEARS A FAN, WHY SHOULD I REMAIN A FAN?
@Buccoprojectory If I was Bob I would say because you been a fan for 55 years. If you can make through 1993 to 2012 you ain’t going anywhere until death. These are good times compared to that stretch.
If it was any other team, Shelton wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to manage. Other than being an assistant hitting coach for the Rays, he had no managerial experience in the majors
His philosophy is that of Andy Haines, to take as many pitches as possible in order to get into the bullpen early and this approach doesn’t work
Both Shelton and Haines should be on notice that their jobs are on the line if things continue to escalate further with lack of offense
Why is Cruz playing against a lefty when Williams, a right handed hitter is available?
These are the boneheaded things that Shelton does when he develops his lineups
You’re suggesting that fans should just suck up the mediocrity because of their lifelong devotion to this team, Dream?
Alika is hitting 500 vs lhp with a 1.700 ops! Fire Cherington Fire Shelton Fire Haines Fire them all.
Not at all. I am suggesting that if they been fans that long there is no need to worry about them finding another team. They ain’t going anywhere. I ain’t watching the game. Haven’t watched in 2 weeks. Might start watching again when the bats get going. No idea when or if ever that will be. I will brainstorm with you if you want to find a new hobby. I like video games ( no you aren’t too old ) running walking hiking biking, camping, astronomy, restoration of anything from cars comics art furniture. Golf swimming basketball. Pinball table tennis real tennis ski snowboard. Target shooting. I could do hunting but fishing not my thing but maybe for you. Painting. I know you might not be able to do the sports and more physical activities but some of those you can do. Make art. Wood work. Learn to play instrument. Type in new hobbies to try and try one for a week or 2. Then try another until you find one you enjoy. Flea markets auctions can be fun. Learn magic to impress ladies! Collect sports cards. Trains!!!!! Old guys love model trains.
then why isn’t Alika playing today against a lefty instead of Cruz?
Cruz struck out on 3 pitches nowhere close to the plate with the bases loaded in the 2nd inning.
You proved my point that it should have been Williams playing today and not Cruz
I been telling you how amazing alika is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Slugging over 1000 vs LHP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cruz average vs lhp 094 and falling!!!!! They refuse to give up on him being a everyday player. And they could be right. He has for a week or 2 stretch been able to hit LHP. That’s why Cruz is starting. They are more concerned about developing him then winning the game. Cherington would something something about short war vs long war battle vs war finding the right balance and how challenging it is.
I learned how to play the guitar and have always played the piano and have a room dedicated exclusively for Pirates, Penguins, Steelers and Pitt sports memorabilia
Autographed hockey sticks and pucks
Autographed baseballs and bats
Autographed mini helmets, footballs and jerseys
I have a framed autographed jersey of Cutch and AJ Burnett and
Autographed Dan Marino Pitt football
Plus a Super Bowl autographed football by every player on the starting offense and defense which is my price possession
My prized autographed baseballs. Elroy Face, Willie Stargell, Al Oliver and Steve Blass
Prized hockey, autographed game used stick by Mark Recchi, Ron Francis, Sidney Crosby and Paul Coffey
I’m agreeing with you about Alika, Dream !!!
Cruz, especially considering how awful this team has been in scoring runs, should not be playing against a left handed pitcher. You would think ( not you of course) that a team that is struggling to just put runners on base would do whatever it takes to make it happen
I do have a question that maybe you can answer or explain
If the pitch is thrown to the outside part of the plate, why do batters still try to pull the ball?
Alika might be short term success but ride it while it’s hot.
My expertise is in pitching but was always taught don’t fight the ball. Out and away hit away.
I was once a pitcher. But I was a lifelong coach and manager. I have nothing autographed. No memorabilia. Just not my thing
I’m a fan of the game and truthfully, big time money made me more of a fan of teams with the name “Pittsburgh” on their jerseys than any individual player
To address Bucco’s original posting, I have to give credit to Dream’s response while also saying that I don’t believe any owner feels some responsibility to longtime fans anymore. This may sound incredibly jaded, but it really doesn’t matter if you watch or attend games when owner profits are predicated on other things now
You can go to games. You can boycott. You can watch the team on TV or you can opt to watch TLC. Everything is driven by profit margins and if a team finds their support is dwindling and profits are not up to projections, there are other cities which will be happy to grab the team. Look at Oakland.
Granted, the owner there wants a new stadium built by taxpayer funds, but there has turned a deaf ear to a proud fan base. Now they’ll play in a minor league stadium in Sacramento before bolting for Vegas
The Pirates are built on endless hype, and the perpetual rebuild we’ve grown accustomed to. And as such, I’ll say again that I’m fine with a .500 team that leaves it all out there, game in and game out. It’s the best we can hope for here
1 person can’t make a difference unless they are spending huge $ or position of power.
With people dropping cable though there should be some panic to be good or have good marketing at least.
Nuttings spending is dependent on wins. He makes about the same with a 50 million payroll and 1.5m fans as he does with a 100m and 2.3m fans. So even if he spent 100m only 1.5m are going to show up for a 60 70 win team. If they win 90 games payroll will be 100m because he will make his $ back. And the playoff $ is a real incentive.
He gets the national $ and 1.4 1.5 attendance no matter what. Doesn’t push for 100m unless he has a perceived contender. It’s a smart safe business strategy. Fans always want him to spend so they can be a 70 win team instead of a 60 win team but those same fans won’t attend anymore games. Only winning brings out the extra fans.
Pittsburgh will keep the Pirates until owner wants new stadium or some mega upgrade. Or until population shrinks. Leagues want to expand. They want more teams not current teams moving around. Teams usually move because of stadiums. Fortunately pnc is beautiful and appears structurally sound. Makes it harder to demand a new one. Pirates should be safe for a long time.
I prefer small market teams. I like the challenge. Huge payrolls make it so easy. Fortunately most the larger markets have to weakest people running them. They sign some awful free agents.
I feel bad for Pirates fans. I thought they could improve the development enough to have some winning years and even playoffs. They have done so with the pitching but not the hitting. Maybe it can still be done but I am not as optimistic as I was in past years. They can still hit on their free agents and trades and pitching can carry them but that development is really going to cut down on what they could have been. Less wins. Less contending years. Lost 1 year looking like 2 already. If the hitting was just average vs awful they would have a winning record.
The primary reason I collect sports memorabilia is because my entire adult life after the military and college was spent traveling the country for my employer and if I was lucky, I wouldn’t have to work weekends
And through 30 of those years I still bought a season ticket package despite not having the ability to attend games often
So I needed something other than sampling hazardous waste to occupy my time and chose collecting
It’s a sad state of affairs that we are content rooting for a mediocre team because that’s the best we can hope for
There’s an interesting article on Bucsdugout website yesterday, that originated last year at this same time about our favorite hitting coach, Andy Haines
The commentary lists the failures of Haines in the same position as the Brewers hitting coach over his three year stint there and compared those stats with his current position here
The irony is so thick, even a sharp knife couldn’t cut through it
The other issue is his refusal to admit that his philosophy on taking pitches isn’t true and that worthless manager Derek Shelton defends him
It is worth reading even though just a factual comparison between the two teams under his failed leadership won’t change anything
It was only Chandler. They could have paid full slot or even over and still got Solometo. Going under slot allowed them to give Chandler 3m vs having to draft a 1m player.
Lonnie White was taken in the 2nd supp round over slot too. The Bucs wouldn’t have been able to sign him without the Davis pick at 1/1.
I truly believe the current problems are down to Haines at the MLB level. He’s destroying hitters and the sooner he’s gone, the better. TheMan3 has been proven to be right – credit where it’s due!
You may be right, but I can’t fathom the idea that a team full of hitters—guys who’ve played all their lives and must have had a modicum of success to get to this level—arrive and are sabotaged by the hitting coach
That’s not to say Haines shouldn’t go. Given what we’ve seen, just how do you retain him? But basically you see what’s transpiring here at every level of the game. Guys who were fantastic somewhere, move up a level or two and struggle and stagnate
Guess my point is that these kids were never going to be big time hitters at the MLB level anyway. They were misidentified.
I hope I one day eat these words, but no one is going to turn Suwinski around. I sincerely believe the Pirates messed with Davis’s head.
The list of guys here who will never progress is endless. Only Cruz is the wild card, and I’ll attribute that to missing a season
The one player here who lends credence to your argument is Reynolds. Here was a guy among the top 10 hitters in the league for a couple of seasons, now entrenched apparently in the .250-.260 range. If they tinkered with him one would have to wonder why
maybe they tinkered with Reynolds because his successful hitting was making the rest of the team look bad
Nothing would surprise me about this coaching staff
You are either a apologist or believe their lies. The only thing Davis underslot did was allow them to take Chandler vs a 1m tier player. That’s nice and was considered a smart move at least at the time. If they took Leiter Jobe Mayer Lawler they still could have got White Solometo.
Agree Tired. If hitting coaches were so impactful rich teams would poach them from not as rich teams. Managers who were former hitting coaches would be hitting coach as well. Shelton wouldn’t be manager because another team would pay him more to be hitting coach since he improves hitters so much. They would be like coordinators in football making millions instead of thousands.
One could argue that the Bucs could’ve still signed Chandler and not signed White, Solometo and Bishop over slot with the $2m savings on Davis at 1/1.
And yes, the Bucs draft was pretty much universally praised for the five top 100 guys they signed.
@GM …… I’m an apologist? Lol.
You’re the one who’s been spouting ‘A+ signing’ constantly during BC’s rebuild and attempts to defend Nutting’s frugality on a regular basis.
I’ve posted my desire to see Cutch dropped, Cruz moved to 1st, Bednar traded , Shelton replaced and now Haines fired.
Once the bats warm up this won’t be an awful team, but the lack of development of minor league hitters is frightening.
They should have kept Davis in rightfield. He’d be better than anyone else they play out there. YES THEY DID MESS WITH HIS HEAD, BY PUTTING HIM BACK AT CATCHER.
Shelton or cherrington is to blame for this happening. I’m willing to bet if Davis stays in rightield, his stats would be better.
Conclusion, the pirates have a recent history of messing with young players heads
You would have college senior organization depth instead of prospects but it could have been done.
My A+ have been dead on.
I don’t defend Nutting I just tell it like it is.
You are late to the party my friend. I wanted Bednar traded years ago! Never wanted Haines hired in the first place! Wanted him fired last year! I can’t say I ever wanted to move Cruz from ss though. Only because I am so far ahead of you I never had him at ss! He was always a 1b or RF for me!!!!!!!
I was only kidding about the apologist. I am glad I got your reaction though. Gave me the opportunity to ham it up a bit. That was fun.
I will not talk negative about cutch ever again. Every time I do that still amazing far from being washed up ballplayer gets a hit or wet fart and I have to hear from my friend Paul something like this Cutch had 1 of the pirates 3 hits today. Smh. How could that be? I was told he was old and done for.
Lol. You can GTFOOH with the Cruz to 1st meme (that’s my baby, and mine alone), but yeah… I agree with most of what you’ve said.
Cutch is well and truly done, but as with Big Ben, the Pittsburgh fanbase refuses to acknowledge it. Even more frustrating is Russell Wilson quoting the same bible crap while playing out his ego in black and gold.
@PITTbull1980 You’re a good sport. I don’t think any scout had Cruz sticking at ss but you go ahead and own that. I am in the minority that says keep cruz at ss. Obviously he would be much better at 1b. It’s just the pathetic pirates don’t have a better option at ss. Someone’s gotta play there. Until someone emerges I don’t care who plays ss. Cruz is as good as the next guy.
Will stick with Terrier. Didn’t know it was for football. Thought you were pirates fan from Pittsburgh so mind went to pittbull.
Williams plays ss and has improved as a hitter
I completely agree, Buccoprojectory. I think there was so much pressure on Davis to become the starting catcher, he lost confidence at the plate.
Otherwise, Jones’ phenomenal pitching performance today will go to waste because this team can’t score runs.
In the last 53 innings, they have scored a putrid total of 5 runs. Any other team, the hitting coach would be filing for unemployment
Can’t stick with Terrier given his comment “…once the bats heat up “
This is not a team with position players who can collectively become consistent so as to be a contender
They never were. They never will be
It’s somewhat astounding that the great majority of hitters here have no sense of plate discipline, no awareness of situational hitting, have incredible mechanical flaws, are unaware of an umpire’s strike zone and are clueless as to what the pitcher on the mound is throwing and to where
One look at the box scores from their 20-8 run last season and there first 15 games or so this year should make it more clear. Starting pitching is what got them going. But it can only last so long
Terrier wishes to take credit for the idea of moving Cruz to first. Fine
For two years now, I’ve asked those who say this team will soon contend a simple question:
Where will the runs come from?
I’ve yet to get a response other than analytics gobblety-gook that doesn’t jibe with reality.
There are no true hitters here. You have Reynolds and occasionally Hayes as the next best things. You have nothing approaching offensive help in the minors at any level, save for three middle infielders who were shuttling in and out of here last year and showed no consistency.
None of what we are seeing is a surprise
They’ll soon have a starting staff with guys like Skenes, Jones, Solo, Bubba, perhaps Burrows. But other than a great deal of hype, what does it matter if you can’t score runs?
I’m sure that by now there has been some realization that a great many players here were misjudged during the scouting process. And with literally nothing coming from the minors, it’s not rocket science to think there is great panic as at some point, it will all likely have to burned down. Again.
None of what we’re seeing here is a surprise
I doubt scouting misjudged many. I think you want something from these players that’s not there. Suwinski couldn’t hit LHP and struck out a ton with SD. If they were confident in fixing that they would never have traded him for 1 year and 2 months of a above average 2b. Pirates scouts seen this. It doesn’t mean they thought they could improve him either. As is it’s a fair return for Frazier. Dodgers didn’t think Cruz would stick at SS. They probably weren’t confident in him hitting LHP or having a good k rate. At his size there is no reason to bet on it. For 2 months of Watson it was an incredible return. There was nothing to scout. You still take Cruz knowing what he is most likely to be. Pirates weren’t trading mvps and cy youngs. To get elite prospects back you typically need elite players. Last years draft the first 5 picks would have been the first 5 picks in 2020 2021. Davis wasn’t in the same tier as Adley. It’s hard to blame scouting on Davis. You are a coach, watch the video. Looked like a high pick to me. TJ even more impressive. You don’t see a hs bat like him every year. Can’t say the same about Gonzales though. But hopefully they thought they could improve him. Head CSN obvious swing problem. So obvious they had to see it. Marcano Alika obvious power problem. They can’t miss it. Cherington just took whatever he could get and took a long shot his coaches could fix a swing or add some muscle.
Taillon coming off 2nd tj isn’t getting a 6 foot 6 four pitch guy. You get a quantity package with a guy who screams reliever. It was impressive development he lasted as a starter so long. He looked much better as a Pirate than a Yankee. I have no idea where his spin rate and velocity went. It was impressive while it lasted though.
I don’t believe scouting missed these things. They have to have scouts as good or better than me and these should have been obvious to even a average scout. I believe it’s a combination of weak trade assets and Cherington going for ceiling over floor. If you cut Suwinski Cruz K rate and get them even almost average vs LHP they are all stars. Get rid of Heads arm bar all star. Get CSN to elevate or K rate above average hitter. If they didn’t have flaws you weren’t getting 3 or 4 players. They would have been top 100 prospects. You aren’t getting top 100 prospects for average above average players.
We are generally saying the same things here in different ways. You’re essentially saying the scouts knew, the Pirates brought them in anyway. Ok
But your last paragraph is pie-in-the-sky and reflective only of things not happening in the pipeline. Guys *aren’t* improving. While you make sense in saying hey, you have to trade something big time to get prospects who are big time, and that’s certainly true, gone are the days when such prospects come here and after a couple years are polished diamonds
It’s a never-ending cycle where trading for prospects is concerned. I’ll grant you that. But the kids they’ve brought in through the draft are a different story
The only bats that heat up are those hitting against our pitchers
The first inning Pirate bats were expectedly dismal
But the Rockies bats on the other hand in the top of the second hit 2 homers
It, unfortunately, will take a miracle for this team to come back being down even by only 3 runs
They are simply pathetic
My question, how long does Ben allow this to go on before making a serious decision?
Quite around here. You guys celebrating the wins?
There really isn’t a lot to say, is there? I mean, my thoughts are repetitive to begin with and I find I’m just regurgitating ideas here all too often
Guess we can say that if this team was going to be a contender, they could have gotten off to one helluva start given some of the teams they’ve played
But the reality is, they’re not contending for anything, anytime soon
With Taylor’s propensity for striking out with runners in scoring position, they’re probably contending to not finish in last place
I was against signing him and having watched his plate appearances, I see why I felt that way
It’s great that they have won 2 games in a row but they’re playing, at least in winning percentage, one of the worst teams in the American league but for that reason, this is a series they need to sweep ( Angels )
I think Hayes leads the team in pop up outs
Prototypical Pirates win tonight
4 runs. 4 hits
Starting pitching leads the charge. Complete game for Mitch
In general, the starting pitching has deserved much better this season and has done well. But unless they can consistently allow only a run, maybe two, the team will have a difficult time winning
Hit a ground ball instead of hr and they lose 1 0
Hayes has been in a slump and should be batting further down in the order.
Joe bats clean up and does what he does best. Called third strike
Some of these players still ignore the fact that it’s best to try and protect the plate on borderline pitches
I wonder how many times Taylor strikes out tonight
If Meadows doesn’t hit the homer, using a hypothetical, the score remains tied at 0 until extra innings
Priester will never be a starter. It’s that simple. It’s like watching a mannequin pitch.
Priester is nothing more than a long reliever and no more than 3 innings. After 3, the ball starts flying out of the ballpark
That said, not being able to muster more than 3 hits against the lowly Angels is a testament to this failure of leadership and a hitting coach who has failed with every team that has employed him
And Taylor was a waste of $4 million dollars. Granted he’s fast and plays a solid center field, this team needs offense and he never delivers
I don’t expect to win every game but this team doesn’t make an effort to even make it competitive
3 hits again to a pitcher with an Era of almost 6, something is seriously lacking from the hitting coaches
Dream can remind us of why they turned Mlodzinski into a reliever when he looks very much like a guy who could go 5 every 5 games. Perhaps it’s for the very reason you provided
I’m looking forward to the day—very soon, it appears— when the Pirates have a formidable starting staff but absolutely no run support
Then what?
It would behoove them to finally identify who the 2nd baseman and a spare middle infielder are and deal others. In a similar way, if they really are so deep in starting pitching, it would make sense to go a similar route
You said previously that teams are making moves left and right already this season. Why not see if there’s a market for Chapman, Tellez and Taylor while they’re at it
Bring over some prospects who are hit-oriented
As is, it’s like Cherington is closing his eyes and clicking his heels three times, hoping some kind of magic transforms these guys into hitters. That’s not likely to work
My point about Mlodzinski was essentially wondering how he was made into a starter and Priester was designated a starter
I dunno. Usually they keep someone a starter too long giving them every chance to make it.
I am in agreement, tiredolderdude. They keep giving the ball to Priester every 5 days and every 5 days we ask the same question. Why?
Especially when there’s other options to make starts
Today’s game is your typical Pirate management blunder. Taking Perez out after he gives up 2 singles in the 6th, when for all intents and purposes, was pitching a good game. And there’s the typical strikeouts by Pirates hitters, 11 so far in 7 innings
It’s like they still don’t know the strike zone and are too anxious to get on base
Triolo needs to go back to Indy and bring up Gonzalez and Rowdy should be DFA for Bae
Since Haines’ job is secure ( for some strange reason), they need to shake up the roster
As stated previously, the overall lack of plate discipline here is surprising at the very least. Where basics are concerned, I often wonder if these guys even watch the game when they’re in the dugout. They seem to have no sense of the umpire’s strike zone or exactly what the opposing pitcher is doing
I think they should be doing more than shaking the roster up, as stated above. If their starting pitching is going to be A+ (nod to Dream) then begin building around it now. As is, this team is going nowhere. Make some decisions on who’s in your two year plan, ship off who isn’t for prospects who can hit, tinker with your positioning
But this is too much common sense. This isn’t Legion ball. They have 125 games left and jeez, have to keep up the appearance of “competing”
Davis had a good ST, especially vs. my Tigers. He most definitely is not a wasted draft pick. I haven’t followed him since the season started, but pretty much everybody’s highly touted rookies are scuffing.
Keith w the Tigers
Holliday w Orioles
Leiter & Langford w Texas
To name 3.
That’s 4.
None of those had big league experience last year though. Davis did. Chris Owings is always a superstar in ST then can’t hit when pitchers are actually trying, so… the jury is still out on Henry.
Young players struggling is nothing new. Many prospects aren’t rated properly. Davis though has more mlb time and less appealing data. Far from finished but scarier than the others.
Any time I hear a draft report saying “if he can remain at catcher”, I worry. Even if you hear the same thing with a CF or SS, it’s not nearly as bad.
If young players struggle and naturally, why do the veterans on this team struggle, too?
What is the over/under on strikeouts in this afternoon’s game?
Henry has gone from a non option at catcher to average.
Where are you getting that idea?
Taking a catcher 1/1 is bad business. There just aren’t many success stories. I’m surprised there isn’t some kind of algorithm to indicate that.
2019: Adley Rutschman
2001: Joe Mauer
That’s the list of 1(1) catchers before Davis in the last 50 years.
You missed a few, but the ones you missed just further prove your point:
Bryce Harper (drafted as an OF but was a catcher in HS and college)
BJ Surhoff (1985)
Danny Goodwin (1975)
Goodwin is the only one who was really a bust out of all of these. Also, most of the other 2021 guys are still in the minors aside from a few, so it’s hard to call Davis a bust this early. .
BJ Surhoff was my guy
But the success of Adley and Mauer doesn’t change my stance. There is just too much projection that goes into evaluating catchers. It’s too risky.
Plus, Mauer and Surhoff were LH hitters and Adley is a switch hitter. Surhoff never made it as a catcher.
You’re right that it’s too early to call Davis a bust.
Former Pirate Neil Walker was drafted as a catcher
And played 3rd in the minors.
Walker was a well known all around athlete in this area. Not sure he fits into the convo because really, he’d played the infield. Drafting him was no shot in the dark
Good business taking a catcher number 1 if they have the best bat and a pitcher ss cf of similar talent isn’t available.
Pirates thought Davis plus Chandler was more valuable than the other options. It was fair to have thought that.
Bro is seriously comparing adley and Mauer to Henry Davis
I think something is wrong when you get drafted #1 and aren’t top 15 on prospect rankings (granted Mayer and lawlar should’ve been higher than Henry but the pirates are cheap)
Except that the Bucs in drafting Davis as their #1 pick, they were required to pay him a signing bonus and his rookie contract lasts until he’s arbitration eligible
In this scenario, they weren’t cheap
sad tormented neglected mariners fan1
but the pirates are cheap)
========================
It wasn’t cheapness. The simply spend money on other draft picks.
This is trouble for Cherington. He’s had some shaky drafts and the kids are not developing as expected.
At least the position players aren’t. So far, the pitchers look great. Carmen Mlodzinski had a great second half last year, Jared Jones is a potential ROY candidate, Bubba Chandler, Thoams Harrington, Anthony Solometo, Hunter Barco, and Michael Kennedy look great. Just frustrating we can’t get any hitting.
You forgot the best of them, Skenes.
The skenes pick made itself
I don’t know why teams just don’t take every pitcher they can and use that surplus to acquire developed hitting.
The Mets tried that a few years back with Harvey, deGrom, Wheeler, Syndergaard, Matz et al with limited success.
The problem is that pitchers break down more readily than hitters.
Drafts have been fine. Hitting development is the problem.
Player development has been an issue with this franchise for years
The lack of offense should be a concern for Cherington as well as the poor player development system of a franchise he’s supposed to be running
It won’t happen but the hitting coach should be fired and Shelton’s job as manager should be on the line
Making changes would tell the fans that they are serious about being competitive
You can’t just send a message that you’re serious about being competitive. You have to actually be serious about being competitive and then back that up with some corresponding seriously competitive moves.
Just ask the Rockies Dick Montfort. He’ll tell you every year how they’re gonna be competitive. And then aren’t.
you can send that message to young fans who aren’t as savvy about this team as fans like you or me
There’s gullible people in every corner of life
At this point one wonders whether this was all a case of incredible hype to lure Pirates fans into thinking better days were ahead or a remarkable case of misjudging young players. Perhaps it is a combination of both
While having a team full of young guys who simply can’t cut it at the MLB level is bad, the fact that there is no one in the minors anywhere near the idea of “Star of tomorrow” is worse
I have to laugh at those who keep carping that hey, there are stud pitchers on the way. We’ve heard the hype before where young prospects are concerned. But even if they pan out, how will this team—this franchise-score runs to help them win games
Trouble for Cherington? Most assuredly.
I vividly remember the hype given to Tony Sanchez, Will Craig and even further back, Kris Benson
Different GMs, same hype and all failed to meet expectations for this franchise
I expected this to be the move as soon as Grandal was healthy enough to join the ML team. Just a frustrating time for Davis. He looks lost on any fastballs in the top two-thirds of the K-zone at 96+ MPH.
I’m not convinced that Davis’ offensive problems were all due to his inability to put the ball in play
The entire team is struggling, inability to score runs, striking out in double digits almost every game.
This failure has been ongoing for nearly 3 years, even before he made his ML debut
Harold Baines (1977), Ken Griffey Jr. (1987), Chipper Jones (1990), and Joe Mauer (2001) are the only 1-1 Hall-of-Famers.
In the history of the draft, there have been far more mediocre players taken at 1-1 than Hall of Fame players. It’s still early, but Davis seems like he is going to slot into the former instead of the latter.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and wonder if there isn’t some massive incompetence in the Bucs’ hitting staff. Every year they come out swinging – presumably after working the offseason with other players & trainers. Then when it comes time to make adjustments in-season, they just can’t. Why?
I’ve said that many of times throughout the past 3 years. I believe it all comes down to coaching.
You hit the nail on the head, SewaldSwansonSwoon
Andy Haines, their hitting coach for nearly 3 years was in fact fired by Brewers because his direction was an abysmal failure and it b carried over to the Pirates when he was hired
Massive incompetence in the bucs entire system. Generally, their top contributors are almost always from other development backgrounds.
Yes! Exactly! Jeez, just watch other teams with young guys whose progression mirrors what you see here. Then ask yourself where it all went wrong. Baseball Siberia, but we have the nicest ballpark in the league. What a trade-off
Come on, tiredolderdude, you’ve said it yourself, we have fireworks night, pierogi races and the occasional homer hit into the Allegheny River ( by an opponent batter of course)
Davis has talent, but he’s wound very tight. Once he gets the mental side down, he should be alright. He’s never faced failure so we’ll see how he gets himself out of this. I’m betting that he will.
I agree alwaysgo4two, while he didn’t light the ball on fire last year, he showed potential but he played right field and didn’t catch
He does have potential though and hopefully his time at Indy will help him immensely
I was wondering the same. Davis is a hard worker, very focused. Perhaps he needs to relax a bit and remember baseball is a game and supposed to be fun
And perhaps messing with his head last year wasn’t a good idea. Play him in RF. DH him. Give him no time at catcher, even in blow out games
A lot more moves need to be made.
There are a few players in Indy that deserve a promotion and an equal number that need to be demoted to work on their hitting.
Bae and Gonzalez deserve a promotion but Shelton will wait for an injury before trying to improve the offensive struggles
Too bad Shelton and Haines couldn’t be demoted too
He’s turning into Tony Sanchez
I always think taking a catcher in the top 5 picks is a HUGE RISK. They don’t usually pan out as regular position athletes. This guy is struggling back to back years and even his K rate is getting worse. To think the pirates could have had cowser, mayer, Merrill, Lawler, painter, Ford, black, or Montgomery (SOX). Tough pill to swallow if he doesn’t step up drastically after all star break.
Isn’t there players every year that someone could have drafted instead of who they did?
I mean how many teams could have drafted Trout or Judge?
Yeah it’s a tough pill to swallow but almost one you are used to as a Pirates fan
Pirates have perfected the art of turning good hitters into bad ones. The list of struggling hitters in Pirates system is long and distinguished. The list of those exceeding expectations is pretty much non-existent.
Or has it been a case of overestimating the talents and abilities of young players. Yes, the player personnel department is poor. The scouting department is just as bad
No hitters by this franchise over the years has really hurt. Sub 500 always. Old Bucs fan, 70’s pirates were loaded with hitters don’t understand what happened to the development? Poor hitters make number 5 starters look like Tom Seaver. Crazy.
I go back to the late Forbes Field era, and you’re right. The drop off since Leyland’s time is remarkable. To people pointing to them soon having a stellar starting pitcher staff I ask, could a starting staff of Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine and Avery make this team any better? What can you do when your hitters can’t produce runs and there is very little coming through the minors to change that?
Dodgers used to manufacture runs with Wills getting on , stealing second and sometimes third, then a sac fly.
This team would strikeout so no sac fly.
Taylor is an accomplished bunter and has decent speed. For a team that is starving for base runners and scoring runs, you’d think that Shelton would use this technique to get a runner on base
Instead, he prefers scoring runs the old fashioned way.Striking out on a wild pitch then hope for 3 more wild pitches
Don’t understand what happened over last 20 30 years? Pirates were always a hitting club. Parker,Madlock traded for. Kendall maybe. Can’t really think of anybody. We need 4 AL Oliver’s in the lineup.
At this point I would take a Lee Lacy or Mike Easley, or even a John Milner
All good hitters in their own right but were mostly platoon players
Now let’s option the manager and hitting coach!
They have become the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Total lack of imagination and coaching.
Heading into the season I thought the weakest part of this team was the rotation and offense would take care of itself. I still think the rotation is one of the shakiest in the game, but the offense has succeeded in drawing the most fire. There are shortcomings all over the place which suggests the problem lies within the system. Such has been the case many years in Colorado, and everyone has just accepted it. Will the Pirates organization follow suit, or have they already?
Thank God all the fools in the stands who demanded he be rushed to the majors are still standing behind their decision.
Oh wait…
I remember the euphoria from Pirates fans when they signed Davis. Baseball is hard.
We are in different multiverse. I remember they wanted Rocker then Leiter then one of the hs ss. Nutting didn’t want to spend $ so took Davis underslot. Drafted for need. Took most affordable player. Tony Sanchez 2.0 Sure some fans liked the pick but majority of Pirates fans don’t like anything they do. They could sign the best free agent in baseball and they still complain.
Baseball IS hard. Skeptical is right, and his name is appropriate in judging any Pirates prospect that’s been drafted or signed in the past few years. Are Pirates scouts simply out of touch with reality?
As for fans, they/we can only go by what we see. Vandy with those two guys looked like an MLB team. Leiter is one thing but whatever happened to Rocker?
Rocker pitched half dozen minor league games then arm surgery. Probably due back soon.
Pirates scout are fine. Davis was going in top 10 probably closer to 5. TJ Skenes were automatic picks that most gms make there. Jones Solometo White Chandler Barco were no brainers. Most their top 3 4 rounds were good picks. Gonzales was by far the weakest 1 pick. He had some red flags but was still considered top 10 by many.
@GM …. ‘Nutting didn’t want to spend $ so took Davis underslot’
You know the Pirates spent as much as was possible before losing their first pick in the following year’s draft…. right?
They had a $14 pool and spent over $15m.
Whoever’s programming you as a bot needs to review their database.
@Terrier You know how to read……. right?
I know this and never said that. Discussion was about how majority of fans felt. I used they not I. Come on now you know I called it A+ draft.
I like the snarkiness though. You should upgrade to Pitbull1980 or better yet, wait for it…. PITTbull1980 huh? Awesome right?!!!!!!!!!
What you call snark is what we take for granted in the UK.
Apologies for missing the irony in your previous post.
I’ll always be a Terrier even though we were relegated to the third tier today along with Brady’s Birmingham City.
espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40081193/brady-sees-bir…
You poor man. Who’s your nba nfl teams? Hornets Nets? Browns Jets?
Steelers in NFL due to living in Western Pa for two years.
Hate the NBA and NHL but did see the Cavs at Richland and Pens at the Civic Arena.
England for soccer and Yorkshire cricket.
Pitt Panthers hoops and college football.
I count myself lucky TBH. I’ve been to 60+ stadiums in English soccer while watching the Buccos all over the USA. I’ve seen the Steelers at Wembley, Heinz and Three Rivers.
Forgot to mention Cleveland Municipal Stadium where I saw Brown turds spitting beer on Stillers fans.
I’ve also been to Bradenton, Civic Arena and Pitt Stadium.
Yankee Stadium, Busch, Wrigley, Marlins, Skydome, Nationals:Park, Camden Yards, Comerica, Petco, Oracle, Turner and Truist in Atlanta.
Not bad for someone based 3.000 miles away.
It would be unfair not to include the cricket ‘meccas’ of the GABBA,, SCG and MCG. in Australia as well as Lords, Headingly and Trent Bridge in England.
I LOVE sports and have made it my life’s work to experience as much as is possible.
That’s a good experience living in usa. Got you into somethings other countrymen aren’t interested in.
Soccer is growing here. One day some kid is going to have a passion for it and become one of the best and it will blow up and usa will be a soccer super power. I tell my friend from New Zealand usa has the best rugby team in the world. It’s just they are all playing in the NFL. If rugby ever paid more $ than nfl the all blacks are finsished.
I’d rather watch Cricket Rugby over nba nfl. Nhl is close with them. Used to watch pirates but can’t even do that anymore.
I’ll never not watch Huddersfield Town, England football, Pirates and Steelers. They’re in my bones and it’s impossible not to pay attention.
I can name at least 3 ex Pirate catchers that currently are hitting better than Davis and even most of the lineup.
I see akeyHOLE Williams is back in today’s lineup. This guy shouldn’t be on any professional league teams roster.
I think moron Shelton is in love with this guy like Hurdle was in love with Rodriguez.
Shelton nothing but a moron pretending to know about baseball
Watching Davis, He sells out for power. that only works if you make contact.
His defense has been ‘good enough’ if he hits. The timely return of Grandall gives the chance got get some swings at the upper levels he didn’t get.
Hopefully to also get a game or two Catching Paul who had his first taste if difficulty today.
IMO: give them another month in the minors.
I’ve been on vacation most of the last month,and left when the Pirates were winning.
Hopefully,when I get back they will start to do so again,and actually beat some good teams.
Fascinating discussions for such a mediocre team.We can be thankful that they do not have players of the caliber of Josh VM anymore,although he was a ML player longer than all of us put together,
They should have fired Haines 2-3 years ago,as I have been saying since then.
They should have fired their player development team two years ago,as I had said then.
Their drafting has been good (compare the first round picks to the last 5 or 6 of NH’s).
Hire Joe Nunnaly back and see Hayes become an all-star hitter too.
But most of all I appreciate the comments of my three best friends here of Tired and The,who I am honored to call by their first names,and Dream,who prefers his middle name.
Relationships are what this is all about.
Thanks, my friend.
This year’s Pirates are a lot like last years. You could just hit rewind and see the same frustration in these articles
I guess the only thing that’s becoming evident to more fans is that the idea that the young Bucs had the talent to be a contender was all propaganda. Where position players are concerned, there is no core here at all and most disturbing, there is no cavalry coming over the hill to hit homers and drive in runs.
They have Jared Jones. We’ve all seen Skenes. Beyond these two young guys, every other player is average or below, or yet another candidate for the hype train until they show something here
They’re two years away from burning it all down again, before being two years away from contender
How ‘bout those Phillies!
Take another vacation. I don’t know how people watch this team. I have found much better things to do.
It’s May so you could say it’s too early. Tons of better players are doing just as awful as our average players. Probably a dozen stars would fit right in on the Pirates. As awful as they been they are still only 3 games under 500. 5 games out of 1st. To be over 500 all they needed was Cutch Suwinski to be somewhat close to last year. Tellez to be close to Santana.
If they had even 1 super star they would have a winning record.
Only thing I can blame the gm for is Haines if he is the problem. Most gms are taking Davis. Even more would take TJ. Didn’t have much to work with in trades. Probably did best he could.
I nicknamed one of my best friends from middle school Dude so if he was your brother he would be Dudedude.
The Pirates need to hire someone over Cherington to fire Haines and Shelton as the Pirates are lifeless.
The Marlins did this with bad results but Cherington needs help especially if he espouses the Haines way of hitting.
It is Cherington who is not promoting Gonzalez.If Bae can play center field now they can send Suwinski and Triolo down.Neither of these guys have proved themselves in AAA.It would be Gonzalez’ last chance as a regular ML player.
Cruz is on a trend for 30 errors.He may be OK at first base and perhaps Henry in RF long term to fill two holes.
Skenes can come up soon but with Priester’s meltdown today I would send him back to AAA another time.
Cherington is good to very good at certain things but the problem is that he is bad at others.
He would probably get 2 D’s,a C,a B and a couple of A’s from me.
These guys have become like Hurdle and NH- they do not feel the urgency to win so their team reflects it.
And if BC pulls an NG,so be it.This “rebuild” becomes to a “molehill” quality instead of a mountain.
The Phillies on the other hand have a HOF’er at GM.and plenty of money like the Dodgers and Yankees.They will have purchased any title that they get.
I agree now with Dream’s clarification. The rebuild is over. It just wasn’t successful.
I don’t think you’ll get any more out of this group than what you see and unless I’m wrong, they’ll hype Jones and Skenes for a couple years before they burn it down again
They know the talent is not there
I don’t know the intricacies of the draft like Dream, but Davis was a mistake. It seems Termarr was, too
But to your point, the biggest mistake has been the hiring of. Cherington. If wholesale changes are on the agenda, it should begin with him. He’s been a dud, and should only get credit for retooling the farm system, replacing walking stiffs with kids of average abilities, at best
The scouting department has been a dud and player development worse, but you can’t get blood from a stone
Cruz at 1st is a natural. But will he pout? Given his demeanor at bat during his prolonged slump, I’d say it’s a no brainer
Davis has to prove he can hit. He looks lost at the plate. RF? Maybe. Or 1st, with Cruz going to RF. More pouting
Suwinski will never progress beyond what he’s shown. I’m sure they wouldn’t even think of sending him down. I was wrong about Triolo and think he’s bench, at best.
And I’m betting that once Bae, Peguero and Gonzales return, it’ll look a lot like last season. No real consistency.
Hayes has returned to earth with his hitting and last I looked, Reynolds was in the .249 range.
And yet, local media is complaining they need Skenes. Yeah. Maybe he and Jones can pitch every other day
Disagree about Hurdle. That sense of urgency only waned after they’d had some great years. I think both saw the rebuild ahead. Clint would be a breath of fresh air for this team
They desperately need to burn it all down and start again, from a GM who can bring in true scouts and development people on down. As is, this franchise is going to sputter for years
Disagree with Dream here. Cutch of ‘23 was simply replaced by Joe of ‘24.
Suwinski has some of the worst plate discipline I’ve ever seen And Santana over Tellez would have meant little
Pitching got them off to a good start last season. It’s kept them around .500 this season, save for Priester, the walking mannequin. They need hitters who can provide pop consistently. There’s no one here or in the minors who can provide that
But there is one helluva lot of hype to sell “the young Bucs” to the unwashed masses
23 Santana was much better than what 24 Tellez has been.
Texas might have been the only team to pass on TJ. They pulled a 21 pirates and got cute going underslot. Except in 21 there wasn’t a player as good as TJ. Pirates got lucky. After TJ there was a drop off to the raw impressive athlete Green with obvious k rate problem. After that a even bigger drop off. They had to draft TJ. There wasn’t really another option. Many scouts said he was the best prep hitter in the draft. Some the best in 10 years. 1 famously said he had Vlads hitting ability with Boggs plate approach.
Davis alone wasn’t a had to but him plus Chandler was a had to.
The jury is still out on Termarr, I’ll grant that. And is there anyone who can get Davis’s head straight?
In watching these guys every day—well, almost anyway—let’s say pitching isn’t the problem. And it’s going to get better, barring catastrophic injury
Endy will be back
Cruz is starting to get a bit better at bat but is no shortstop. You get the feeling they placed all their eggs in his basket and don’t want to risk moving him to someplace like 1st or RF to upset him. But it’s the right move
Let Nick have 2nd for the rest of the season. Play Alika and Peguero at SS. Play Davis—providing he can improve his hitting-in RF and keep him there
Platoon Jack and Joe in CF and ship Tellez, Taylor and especially Chapman when you can
Yeah. I’m dreaming. Too much sense in beginning to build around Mitch, Skenes, Jones, Marty/Solo and Bubba/Burrows
These last two seasons have been like long tryout sessions. Only they don’t make sensible decisions that are somewhat final
The Pirates basically have the same quality team as they did last year.
Cutch May be done.He sometimes gets slow starts because of the weather but I do not see him hitting much more than 235 this year.
Nutting needs to get involved in firing Shelton and Haines if he does not hire someone over BC to do the job.
I had hopes for Cherington but he does not realize the coaching personnel shortcomings and is not flexible enough.
These players are young and can still get better but not under this management team.