The Official 2017 Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Season Thread

[Freddy Rumsen]

Since pitchers and catchers have reported and everyone else already has time to turn the page on the off-season with this good news.

https://twitter.com/ASaunders_PGH/statu ... 8797111299

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Best days of the year:

Pitchers and Catchers report
Summer solstice
First warm day of the spring
First trip to Altoona for a curve game

[Morkle]

Preseason predictions everyone?

Record - 71-91.
Big Story - Cutch traded mid-season.

[Dickie Dunn]

75-87, Cutch traded midseason, Glasnow continues to suck, Opie looks like an assnugget for not trading for Quintana

[count2infinity]

83-79, but I'm an optimist.

[willeyeam]

87-75

[Freddy Rumsen]

80-82

[Troy Loney]

If Cole, Taillon and Nova make 80 total starts, then they win 90 games again. If not, then they'll be in the 75-80 win total again.

[beerman]

86-76

last season couldn't have went much worse and they still managed to win 78

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

If Cole, Taillon and Nova make 80 total starts, then they win 90 games again. If not, then they'll be in the 75-80 win total again.

Someone probably could (and will) spend a lot of time typing up predictions about how this season will go, but to this gentleman, these two sentences probably sum it up best. The lineup should be fine (although you may see some regression from Cervelli Jhay and Mercer). The bullpen has some depth to it, although Watson is probably a question mark. But really, if this rotation stinks and is stuck with a revolving door on the back end plus an injured front it, this season will go nowhere.

Josh bell is the player that could be the most interesting dude to keep an eye on though. Really curious to see how he hits

[willeyeam]

Best days of the year:

Pitchers and Catchers report
Summer solstice
First warm day of the spring
First trip to Altoona for a curve game

Replace #4 with opening day. And add Masters Sunday and March Madness opening weekend and you have yourself a list. They all come within a few months, which is gr8

[Troy Loney]

If Cole, Taillon and Nova make 80 total starts, then they win 90 games again. If not, then they'll be in the 75-80 win total again.

Someone probably could (and will) spend a lot of time typing up predictions about how this season will go, but to this gentleman, these two sentences probably sum it up best. The lineup should be fine (although you may see some regression from Cervelli Jhay and Mercer). The bullpen has some depth to it, although Watson is probably a question mark. But really, if this rotation stinks and is stuck with a revolving door on the back end plus an injured front it, this season will go nowhere.

Josh bell is the player that could be the most interesting dude to keep an eye on though. Really curious to see how he hits

Each season since they've become competitive they've had back of the rotation question marks. In 2013 Cole came up and Morton returned from injury to solidify the rotation. In 2014, Volquez was a rock all season and Worley came out of nowhere as the team dealt with Cole and Morton getting hurt and Liriano being inconsistent. In 2015 Burnett carried the team in the first half and Happ was added to solidify the group. Last year they got nothing from the top 3, and had Cole and Liriano been good, Nova and Taillon would have been those guys.

Just would point out that the starting five on opening day is meaningless, but the Pirates aren't the dodgers (have a collection of SP options) or the Cubs (have aces that never get hurt). If the guys the Pirates are counting on come through, they'll be good.

[slappybrown]

87-75

[robbiestoupe]

74-88

I think the polish has worn off the turd that is the pitching staff. Cole and Taillon are promising, but past injuries to both are troublesome. Glasnow may or may not produce, but if the hopes of this team fall on his or any other pitcher not named Cole's shoulders, the Pirates are in for a long season.

Yes, Cutch will be traded mid-season for Low A player Bobby Hill Jr. and cash.

[willeyeam]

87-75

real original

[Troy Loney]

74-88

I think the polish has worn off the turd that is the pitching staff. Cole and Taillon are promising, but past injuries to both are troublesome. Glasnow may or may not produce, but if the hopes of this team fall on his or any other pitcher not named Cole's shoulders, the Pirates are in for a long season.

Yes, Cutch will be traded mid-season for Low A player Bobby Hill Jr. and cash.

I suggest that you look at some stat websites to see how the current staff compares to the guys that made starts for the Pirates last season. Count the number of starts that were made by Niese, Liriano, Locke, Nicasio and Vogelsong. I don't think any of those guys had an ERA under 5. Those starts are now going to be made primarily by Cole, Taillon, Nova, Kuhl and one guy could maybe look like someone from that prior list, or one of the AAA guys could emerge. If the Pirates are only looking to fill that fifth spot, I feel very confident that one of Glasnow, Brault or Kingam will emerge as a solid SP. The problem of course is that if that top four doesn't take regular turns, then they'll need all three of those guys.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

74-88

I think the polish has worn off the turd that is the pitching staff. Cole and Taillon are promising, but past injuries to both are troublesome. Glasnow may or may not produce, but if the hopes of this team fall on his or any other pitcher not named Cole's shoulders, the Pirates are in for a long season.

Yes, Cutch will be traded mid-season for Low A player Bobby Hill Jr. and cash.

Past injuries to pitchers is redundant. There are virtually no pitchers in the MLB that don't have a history of injuries. The ones that don't are freaks.

[columbia]

84-78 for 2017

[Troy Loney]

Mets are going to lose 100 games this year.

[robbiestoupe]

74-88

I think the polish has worn off the turd that is the pitching staff. Cole and Taillon are promising, but past injuries to both are troublesome. Glasnow may or may not produce, but if the hopes of this team fall on his or any other pitcher not named Cole's shoulders, the Pirates are in for a long season.

Yes, Cutch will be traded mid-season for Low A player Bobby Hill Jr. and cash.

I suggest that you look at some stat websites to see how the current staff compares to the guys that made starts for the Pirates last season. Count the number of starts that were made by Niese, Liriano, Locke, Nicasio and Vogelsong. I don't think any of those guys had an ERA under 5. Those starts are now going to be made primarily by Cole, Taillon, Nova, Kuhl and one guy could maybe look like someone from that prior list, or one of the AAA guys could emerge. If the Pirates are only looking to fill that fifth spot, I feel very confident that one of Glasnow, Brault or Kingam will emerge as a solid SP. The problem of course is that if that top four doesn't take regular turns, then they'll need all three of those guys.

The real problem is you have two #2's in Cole and Taillon, and a bunch of 4/5's with the other pitchers. If Cole and/or Taillon are hit with the injury bug, the Pirates are in trouble. Yes, the 4/5's this year should be better than the 4/5's from last year, but if that is what you are depending on, don't expect much improvement.

To KtK's point, sure injuries are part of the game, but Taillon and Cole have a history of injuries that derail a pitcher's career. We're not talking about a strained quad or lower back problems with these guys.

[columbia]

Mets are going to lose 100 games this year.

That's a pretty bearish prediction.

[Beveridge]

Just like last year, the season is over before it began cause Rocco didn't do the opening thread.

[Morkle]

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pira ... 1702130166

Semi-puff piece. Heard Cook and Poni moaning about it, so I decided to look it up.

[Troy Loney]

Looking like Cards pitching phenom Reyes heading for TJ surgery. Their rotation could be in shambles if that's the case.

[Dickie Dunn]

Wainwright, Martinez, Leake, Lynn, Wacha is shambles? Sign me up for shambles then.