2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Troy Loney
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Troy Loney » Mon Mar 11, 2019 8:43 am

There does seem to be one potential path to relevancy that is developing this spring training. That is the potential upgrade to the left side of the infield. Tucker and Hayes seem to have both taken a step forward this offseason. It was expected for Hayes after his 2018, but Tucker finally added some mass to his body and loft to his swing. They would likely both already provide an upgrade on the defensive side, but if they were then to also be impact hitters, that would change the outlook of this team very quickly.

Freddy Rumsen
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Freddy Rumsen » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:19 am

The Pirates have decided that Jung Ho Kang will be their starting third baseman and Erik Gonzalez will be their starting shortstop, GM Neal Huntington said.
https://twitter.com/adamdberry/status/1 ... 7805778946

Troy Loney
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Troy Loney » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:24 am

Moran's defense was atrocious. That was an easy decision. He could be a nice bat off the bench.

MrKennethTKangaroo
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby MrKennethTKangaroo » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:24 am

i am assuming that everyone has low expectations for the shortstop position, so as long as Gonzalez is a better defender than jordy joe mercer of taloga, OK, I am fine with it.

Dickie Dunn
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Dickie Dunn » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:29 am

Moran's defense has been Pedro bad so far in spring training. For Moran to be useful as a bench guy he's going to need to learn to play first base. Same goes for Newman being able to see some innings at 2B (which shouldn't be too much to ask). Saw some speculation last week that if the Pirates don't intend to use Moran and Newman as starters they could send them to AAA to get consistent ABs, but that would force Tucker and Hayes to start the year in AA which would be INSANE.

Morkle
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Morkle » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:30 am

So Cole was traded for a back-up player. The misses keep missing.

willeyeam
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby willeyeam » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:35 am

The Pirates have decided that Jung Ho Kang will be their starting third baseman and Erik Gonzalez will be their starting shortstop, GM Neal Huntington said.
https://twitter.com/adamdberry/status/1 ... 7805778946
Kang is clearly a better player than Moran when at 100% and it appears he has shaken off the rust.

*Disclaimer that he is a bad human for dodint

Troy Loney
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Troy Loney » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:38 am

So Cole was traded for a back-up player. The misses keep missing.
More like two years of Cole for 5 years of Musgrove.

MrKennethTKangaroo
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby MrKennethTKangaroo » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:38 am

So Cole was traded for a back-up player. The misses keep missing.
and Musgrove. and feliz (ugh). and Jason martin, who played well in spring training and figures to get some MLB time this season

not trying to justify the trade, but the jury is still out.

Factorial
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Factorial » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:39 am

Predictions on home runs vs strikeouts for Kang this year? I caught some of yesterday's game and he was swinging for the fences to the point that he swung, missed, and fell down.

dodint
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby dodint » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:50 am

*Disclaimer that he is a bad human for dodint
Thank you for your service.

MrKennethTKangaroo
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby MrKennethTKangaroo » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:59 am

Predictions on home runs vs strikeouts for Kang this year? I caught some of yesterday's game and he was swinging for the fences to the point that he swung, missed, and fell down.
well historically jung ho has a strikeout rate of 24% or so. since we the Dunn already used pedro as a benchmark for ineptitude once on this page, ill go ahead and point out that pedro had a 31% K rate in his career.

note: a factual observation of jung ho kang's strikeout rate is not an endorsement of any personal decisions made by Jung Ho.

Troy Loney
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Troy Loney » Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:00 am

Predictions on home runs vs strikeouts for Kang this year? I caught some of yesterday's game and he was swinging for the fences to the point that he swung, missed, and fell down.
25.

Dickie Dunn
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Dickie Dunn » Mon Mar 18, 2019 11:16 am

Hayes, Will Craig, Nick Franklin, Geoff Hartlieb, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Christian Kelley, Arden Pabst, Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Waddell were assigned to minor league camp. Kramer, who has had a **** spring, was optioned to AAA.

llipgh2
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby llipgh2 » Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:08 pm

Kang is a POS who had mutliple DUI's. I personally will never root for the guy, but if others want to that is their prerogative. I have no tolerance for people who not only drive drunk, but do it multiple times.
Yep.

DigitalGypsy66
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby DigitalGypsy66 » Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:29 pm

Petition to have the forum filter out Kang as Drunk Ho Kang

DigitalGypsy66
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby DigitalGypsy66 » Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:27 pm


Troy Loney
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Troy Loney » Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:40 pm

It would be helpful for Vazquez to have a better start to this season than he did last year.

I'm not sure Crick makes the team out of spring training, there is a lot of competition for those bullpen slots this ST. I'd say Vazquez, Kela and Rodriguez are locks. Liriano has likely won a spot to be a lefty specialist. So that leaves three spots, Lyles is getting one of those, as I think Kingham is going to win the 5th spot. I think Burdi has won a spot this spring as well, so that leaves Brault, Crick and Feliz for the final BP spot. I think it goes to Brault as they would need a mop up guy here.

DigitalGypsy66
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby DigitalGypsy66 » Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:50 pm

Ray Searage stayed behind in Bradenton to watch Lyles pitch a simulated game while the main team played elsewhere, so that's a pretty big clue that Lyles is probably going to be starter number 5.

willeyeam
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby willeyeam » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:00 pm

It would be helpful for Vazquez to have a better start to this season than he did last year.

I'm not sure Crick makes the team out of spring training, there is a lot of competition for those bullpen slots this ST. I'd say Vazquez, Kela and Rodriguez are locks. Liriano has likely won a spot to be a lefty specialist. So that leaves three spots, Lyles is getting one of those, as I think Kingham is going to win the 5th spot. I think Burdi has won a spot this spring as well, so that leaves Brault, Crick and Feliz for the final BP spot. I think it goes to Brault as they would need a mop up guy here.
I don't see the need for Brault, Kingham/Lyles and Liriano. I'd bet Crick is in and Brault is in Indy

Troy Loney
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Troy Loney » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:11 pm

Meaning you think the bullpen is, Vazquez, Kela, RichRod, Lyles, Liriano, Crick and Burdi?

willeyeam
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby willeyeam » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:22 pm

Yeah, I guess. Forgot Burdi was the rule 5 guys so he's in

willeyeam
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby willeyeam » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:22 pm

I'd rather send him packing and have Brault and Crick

Troy Loney
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby Troy Loney » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:30 pm

Either way, those bottom BP spots only matter if the starters aren't pitching 6 innings on a nightly basis. Williams is a 5-6 inning guy, but I think Musgrove, Taillon and Archer will routinely pitch into the 7th inning.

MrKennethTKangaroo
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2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Season Thread

Postby MrKennethTKangaroo » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:49 pm

brault had his chance and didn't take advantage.

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