Your 2022 Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Thread

[King Colby]

If Yoshi and Vanmeter aren't DFAd by tomorrow's game we riot

Wish half granted...

[iamjs]

[iamjs]

sensitive? it's a t-shirt.

[willeyeam]

I just came to post this hahaha

[robbiestoupe]

Who is that kid, his grandson? So “Sell the team to me”?

[willeyeam]

Marcano 2-2 with a 3B so far tonight. I think this kid might be pretty good

[shafnutz05]

Oh lord Nutting must be irate

[genoscoif]

Cruz is a freak.

[willeyeam]

Is this good

[MR25]

Yeah but he should be sent down because... reasons

[willeyeam]

Well you see he hasn't really hit curveballs that well against lefties on Sunday day games so

[Ad@m]

[willeyeam]

Fun game to watch tonight

[Troy Loney]

Marcano 2-2 with a 3B so far tonight. I think this kid might be pretty good

The Frazier trade might be in line to be Cherington's best sell high move. Him and Suwinski are both having breakout years (Marcano has an OBP over .400 across AA and AAA, and Suwinski over .600 SLG over those two levels).

So, if we're going to pretend the Pirates ~want to win in 2023, it wouldn't be a huge lift to try and plug their geyser sized holes (C, 1B/DH, 1 corner OF, 1-2 SP).

C - some sort of stop-gap is going to have to be brought in.
1B/DH - Bridges were probably burned, but Josh Bell didn't want to leave Pittsburgh, would be a perfect match now that he can play the position
OF - They could probably live with internal options, but all the current options are LH, they do need a RH bat in the mix.
SP - I like Thompson and Brubaker as 4-5 guys, this version of Keller and Roansy can work as mid-rotation guys, but massive hole at the top. Probably why the 2023 team will look sort of like what they want to start competing with, but not really a competitive unless they spend some money,

[King Colby]

Fun game to watch tonight

Before the game I looked at the lineup and said to myself (or maybe here I can't remember) "this is the way the lineup should always look". Made me want to watch. And it delivered.

Also did not realize Taco Pita was only 22. Nor did I realize how well he hit both AA and AAA this year. I think we have a player on our hands my friends

[DigitalGypsy66]

Oviedo might be a rotation pitcher eventually. Did some of that with the Cards.

[King Colby]

Marcano 2-2 with a 3B so far tonight. I think this kid might be pretty good

The Frazier trade might be in line to be Cherington's best sell high move. Him and Suwinski are both having breakout years (Marcano has an OBP over .400 across AA and AAA, and Suwinski over .600 SLG over those two levels).

So, if we're going to pretend the Pirates ~want to win in 2023, it wouldn't be a huge lift to try and plug their geyser sized holes (C, 1B/DH, 1 corner OF, 1-2 SP).

C - some sort of stop-gap is going to have to be brought in.
1B/DH - Bridges were probably burned, but Josh Bell didn't want to leave Pittsburgh, would be a perfect match now that he can play the position
OF - They could probably live with internal options, but all the current options are LH, they do need a RH bat in the mix.
SP - I like Thompson and Brubaker as 4-5 guys, this version of Keller and Roansy can work as mid-rotation guys, but massive hole at the top. Probably why the 2023 team will look sort of like what they want to start competing with, but not really a competitive unless they spend some money,

Went through this inner dialogue last night. They're really only 2ish hitters away from a relatively competitive lineup next year if marcano is real.

Even if they did like Roberto Perez again, slight upgrade over Gamel (RH preferred), replacement for Quintana, replacement for Vogelbach, that puts .500 in play IMO.

Pen is good... a few starters emerged. I feel a lot better today than I did 12 months ago

[Troy Loney]

Went through this inner dialogue last night. They're really only 2ish hitters away from a relatively competitive lineup next year if marcano is real.

Even if they did like Roberto Perez again, slight upgrade over Gamel (RH preferred), replacement for Quintana, replacement for Vogelbach, that puts .500 in play IMO.

Pen is good... a few starters emerged. I feel a lot better today than I did 12 months ago

Between Anderson last year and Quintana, we do have to recognize that they are capable of getting value in the bargain FA bin. In NH's golden years, he also had this skill, basically a must for a team that won't spend on payroll.

I do think at the end of the Hurdle/Searage era, they were causing active harm to the pitchers on the roster. Marin and Shelton have been in charge since 2020. The shortened season was obviously just nightmare city through and through, then the post 2020 sell-off (Musgrove, Bell, Taillon), and last year's pitching was lol (https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx? ... &players=0)

I think things could have easily just gone off the rails for both Brubaker and Keller, especially after Keller started terribly. I think it's plausible to believe this brain-trust is capable of putting together a competitive pitching staff.

For the lineup, if Suwinski or Cruz could just slightly improve their OBP and K%, they are potential difference making 30-40 HR guys. Then there is just a large cast of guys residing in or between Pittsburgh and Indy that could compete for ML at bats (Marcano, Mitchell, Swaggerty, Castro, Bae, Canaan, Newman, Chavis, Castillo)

[willeyeam]

Yes which is why I wish they'd quit pussyfooting around and get Bae and Suwinski up to sort their **** out now up here while these games are 100% meaningless. Roansy too obvi. Being able to know if Suwinski was a flash in the pan or someone that will play everyday next year would be helpful

Also

[King Colby]

Cruz needs to go back down

Idiot

[Beveridge]

There is competition, but reading people talk themselves into the Pirates for NEXT season is my favorite thing to read on 5AF. I look forward to the time when it actually happens.

[willeyeam]

When next season actually happens? Should be late March or early May

[Troy Loney]

There is competition, but reading people talk themselves into the Pirates for NEXT season is my favorite thing to read on 5AF. I look forward to the time when it actually happens.

I imagine this season is the first time since probably before the 2019 season that any near-term optimism would have been expressed.

For a timeline reminder:
2018 - team was in contention post-all star break, traded for Chris Archer. Then Polanco's kamikaze slide that separated his shoulder effectively ended his career / being good at baseball. They ended up over .500 on the year, looked okay heading into 2019.

2019 - Bell's breakout year, they were around .500 until early July, then collapsed after the ASB, NH made absurd demands for Vazquez at the deadline, who was then arrested for being a pedophile. Ended up losing 92 games. Fired Hurdle and NH after the season.

2020 - Immediately traded Marte, didn't pick up Archer's option, Covid shortened season. Team was absolutely terrible, then they traded Taillon, Bell and Musgrove. I can't imagine anyone was optimistic heading into this season. Also, Reynolds and Newman, who were both good in 2019, were dogshit.

2021 - They were just the worst team in baseball and traded off their veterans except Polanco who no one would take. Being excited about prospects does not translate into thinking the Pirates are going to be good '"next season", they were expected to be terrible, and they were the 4th worst team.

2022 - BC did nothing in the off-season, being 20 games under is probably exceeding the expectations this thread had. I think I just believed they were not going to be the worst team in baseball, and that is true, the nationals are deliberately tanking.

[willeyeam]

What was the optimism anyway? I think I read if they make a couple moves ".500 may be in play" ?? Oh boy! Getting wild in here

[robbiestoupe]

TL hinted at it but kind of brushed it aside, but the Pirates need a 1 and 2 starter to be able to compete. There are no bargain bin 1-2 pitchers out there. So don't get all giddy about next season. Top of the rotation starters will have to come from within, and not sure there are any candidates. Roansey is a 3, Keller a 3, maybe Priester works his way into a 1 or 2, but not much else waiting in the wings.