2017-2018 Pittsburgh Pirates Off-Season Thread

Postby **Morkle** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:40 am

I also remember reading Osuna would be third along with SeanRod and Whats his face.

So I don't think they upgrade that position this year either.

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:49 am

SRod will definitely be sticking around until at least his commemorative bobble head night.

Postby **Morkle** » Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:57 am

He doesn't have to be. I feel like they've traded people (Ryan Doumit) comes to mind before their respective bobble nights. Also Marte's was pulled last year or Kang's weren't they?

Postby **Viva la Ben** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:16 pm

Here’s a tweet from Bill Brink

Boras on the Pirates: "Their franchise value has quadrupled since they bought it, and ownership may decide to take a different tact to being more on the road to Playoffville."

Too bad Nutting has taken permanent residence in bankaccountville

Postby **columbia** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:20 pm

I assume he's just Cole-salary agitating (which is his job).

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:43 pm

Beer Temple reporting in the Trib that Cervelli's name is frequently coming up in trade talks.

Postby **Troy Loney** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:52 pm

Here’s a tweet from Bill Brink
Boras on the Pirates: "Their franchise value has quadrupled since they bought it, and ownership may decide to take a different tact to being more on the road to Playoffville."
Too bad Nutting has taken permanent residence in bankaccountville

I assume a lot of the reason that the valuation is that high is due to profit margins. But this is a pro sports team, and if he wants to try and run it like a traditional business he needs to **** right off and sell the team. There are going to be plenty of crazy, stupid rich people with more money come 2018 that would love to play MLB franchise owner and get into the MLB owner's club and chase World Series titles.

Postby **columbia** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:58 pm

It's heart warming to see Troy come back from the dark side.

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 3:21 pm

What happened to the Legendary Pictures guy?

Postby **Morkle** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 4:12 pm

Here’s a tweet from Bill Brink
Boras on the Pirates: "Their franchise value has quadrupled since they bought it, and ownership may decide to take a different tact to being more on the road to Playoffville."
Too bad Nutting has taken permanent residence in bankaccountville
I assume a lot of the reason that the valuation is that high is due to profit margins. But this is a pro sports team, and if he wants to try and run it like a traditional business he needs to **** right off and sell the team. There are going to be plenty of crazy, stupid rich people with more money come 2018 that would love to play MLB franchise owner and get into the MLB owner's club and chase World Series titles.

lol he'd never sell the team because he's running it like an Ollie's Bargain Outlet.

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 4:39 pm

I assume he's just Cole-salary agitating (which is his job).

why bother agitating for cole's salary? we all know that boras wont be negotiating with the pirates for cole's free agent deal

Postby **Morkle** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 4:41 pm

Even arbitration, is it likely that Cole's salary will go up this year? Pirates could make it a case to keep it at the same level?

Postby **Troy Loney** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 4:56 pm

It is in Boras' interest for more teams to spend more money. He needs teams bidding with each other for his clients. The Pirates are effectively nonparticipants in FA. He's obviously speaking through a narrow lens, but he's aware of the kind of liquidity that they should have.

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:10 pm

Even arbitration, is it likely that Cole's salary will go up this year? Pirates could make it a case to keep it at the same level?

I don't know that I've ever seen a player's salary drop in arbitration.

Postby **columbia** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:11 pm

I assume he's just Cole-salary agitating (which is his job).
why bother agitating for cole's salary? we all know that boras wont be negotiating with the pirates for cole's free agent deal

Next, you'll ask me to justify grunty to the universe...

Postby **Troy Loney** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:18 pm

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pira ... 1712130179

So as MLB trends more toward higher launch angle, more home runs and more strikeouts, the Pirates will have to make adjustments to keep up. In addition to hoping for fewer injuries and more availability from Marte, Polanco and Francisco Cervelli, Hurdle said the Pirates will have to strike the ball differently.

“The information gets out,” Hurdle said, noting cases like J.D. Martinez and Chris Taylor. “We all are aware that OPS isn’t on the ground. We had a lot of hard contact numbers on ground balls, and we’re trying to find different ways to accentuate that ball-striking ability because you’re not talking about changing anything dramatically. You’re talking about a quarter-inch, catching a ball in a different area — a line drive versus a ground ball versus a fly ball versus a well-struck, long fly ball. So guys are open-minded. They’re looking for improvement.”

Someone's been reading Fangraphs.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:23 am

#Pirates traded some international slot money to Phillies in exchange for Nick Burdi, whom Phils claimed today in Rule 5 draft. Burdi is recovering from TJ surgery and will begin season on DL.

Championship!

https://twitter.com/BiertempfelTrib/sta ... 0297530368

Postby **NailedPenguin** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:14 pm

Hooo boy. Then we'll hear they're working for '20-21. Just like 2018 was what they were building to a couple years ago

https://twitter.com/adamdberry/status/9 ... 2837094400

Adam Berry‏ @adamdberry
Neal Huntington basically said the Pirates have yet to determine which direction they'll go this offseason -- add for 2018 or retool for 2019 and beyond. "Depending upon what we’re able to do in this market, that goal (postseason success) may be ’18, that goal may be ’19."

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:18 pm

It's sad that I'm envious of my friend who is a Tigers fan. They're a **** team that is going to have a horrible season, but at least their front office has the balls and common sense to go all in on a rebuild instead of this half in, half out **** the Pirates are doing.

Postby **slappybrown** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:24 pm

Hooo boy. Then we'll hear they're working for '20-21. Just like 2018 was what they were building to a couple years ago

https://twitter.com/adamdberry/status/9 ... 2837094400

Adam Berry‏ @adamdberry
Neal Huntington basically said the Pirates have yet to determine which direction they'll go this offseason -- add for 2018 or retool for 2019 and beyond. "Depending upon what we’re able to do in this market, that goal (postseason success) may be ’18, that goal may be ’19."

If you ran a publicly traded company like this with no strategic vision whatsoever you would be out on your ass in six months. "We don't know what our goals are"

what a scam

Postby **columbia** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:29 pm

#H2P

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:33 pm

2017: 5.5 games back at the deadline with roughly 55 games left. Solution: Trade closer, acquire used up 40 year old. Wait a few days and acquire high strikeout piece of crap sean rodriguez

2016: 3 games over 500 at the trade deadline (67-64). A distant 3rd place in the NL Central but within spitting distance of a wild card birth (The two wild card leaders at the time were 72-60 and 70-62). Solution: Trade closer, trade liriano, acquire ivan nova, acquire Antonio bastardo in a crap for crap trade.

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:35 pm

Hooo boy. Then we'll hear they're working for '20-21. Just like 2018 was what they were building to a couple years ago

https://twitter.com/adamdberry/status/9 ... 2837094400

Adam Berry‏ @adamdberry
Neal Huntington basically said the Pirates have yet to determine which direction they'll go this offseason -- add for 2018 or retool for 2019 and beyond. "Depending upon what we’re able to do in this market, that goal (postseason success) may be ’18, that goal may be ’19."

If you ran a publicly traded company like this with no strategic vision whatsoever you would be out on your ass in six months. "We don't know what our goals are"

what a scam

It is a self fulfilling prophecy. Of course they couldn't compete last year. Their starting 3rd baseman was on the wrong continent and the best overall player was on an 80 game vacation for juicing. Their solution was to let the situation play out. Somehow after letting the situation play out, they had a reasonable chance of contending at the deadline. Then things eventually fell apart in august and September. So management can point and say "see!?!?! this team was no good!" but the reality is that they were put into a situation where they couldn't succeed (i.e. jaso getting a billion at bats in the outfield, freese getting overworked, etc).

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:36 pm

they aren't adding sht this offseason. they wont do sht until its too late in 2018. f this organization why am I wasting time on it.

Postby **Troy Loney** » Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:37 pm

Hooo boy. Then we'll hear they're working for '20-21. Just like 2018 was what they were building to a couple years ago

https://twitter.com/adamdberry/status/9 ... 2837094400

Adam Berry‏ @adamdberry
Neal Huntington basically said the Pirates have yet to determine which direction they'll go this offseason -- add for 2018 or retool for 2019 and beyond. "Depending upon what we’re able to do in this market, that goal (postseason success) may be ’18, that goal may be ’19."

If you ran a publicly traded company like this with no strategic vision whatsoever you would be out on your ass in six months. "We don't know what our goals are"

what a scam

To be fair, I don't think the path is crystal clear. If as sellers, they aren't getting suitable offers for McCutchen and Cole, then why dump them?

I think the main problems are the Marte and Polanco contracts, the term commitment makes them a problem as neither look like sure things after their 2017. I'm afraid that they have to kick the can down the street again in 2018 and hope that both bounce back in a way to compete in 2018 (if Cole and McCutchen are also good) or unload the contracts if those guys both perform but the team is out of the playoff picture anyway,