Your 2022 Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Thread

[Dickie Dunn]

We go through this ever year. You people need to go to better sporting events.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Dickie sipping the haterade

[King Colby]

The cardinals have nothing to play for. Maybe we'll sweep and avoid 100 Ls lol

[willeyeam]

Dynasty in the making

[faftorial]

Lumber Company II.

[faftorial]

Back when you could be proud to be a Bucs fan:

[willeyeam]

Oneil with the shrimp!!

[robbiestoupe]

Oneil with the shrimp!!

TIL

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

My buddy told me that gmbc said on his Sunday radio show that all 13 position players on next year's team are probably already in the organization

Discuss this statement

[King Colby]

It's false. I'd wager.

Unless they think they're going to resign Gamel to platoon at first and Perez to catch.

I'd put the over/under at 2.5 hitters on the opening day roster not currently in the organization

[willeyeam]

you can't argue with "probably." he is right either way

[willeyeam]

also we riot if they sign literally no one

[faftorial]

It's false. I'd wager.

Unless they think they're going to resign Gamel to platoon at first and Perez to catch.

I'd put the over/under at 2.5 hitters on the opening day roster not currently in the organization

I can see that happening.

[King Colby]

It's false. I'd wager.

Unless they think they're going to resign Gamel to platoon at first and Perez to catch.

I'd put the over/under at 2.5 hitters on the opening day roster not currently in the organization

I can see that happening.

Same. I mean... they're not going to spend on anybody better so. At least those two are both major leaguers I guess

[willeyeam]

i'm ok with Perez catching

[Dickie Dunn]

TL's dreams of next season dashed before this season even ends.

[DigitalGypsy66]

TL's dreams of next season dashed before this season even ends.

This is the way.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Bryan Reynolds, to date, has hit 18 doubles...and 27 home runs. That's...not normal, is it?

[willeyeam]

i've never really thought about a correlation between doubles and HRs. BR has 96 career 2B and 74 HR, so that would be an outlier for him. Ohtani for comparison, has 103 2B and 127HR, so that doesn't seem as crazy of a year

[LeopardLetang]

That's the difference in a .300 hitter and a .260 hitter. Hopefully he wasn't being coached to change into a bigger hr hitter and just slumped on his own. Or he took mistakes yard as usual but with such a weak lineup he didn't get much to hit except mistakes now that he established himself as the main threat until later in the season

[Troy Loney]

My buddy told me that gmbc said on his Sunday radio show that all 13 position players on next year's team are probably already in the organization

Discuss this statement

Sad, but not surprising. Also, an interesting strategy to fill the roster with weak hitting middle infielders, and then play them in offense first positions? Cause, otherwise not sure where the 13 guys are, unless we're just talking about the current crop, which would basically mean:

Hayes - 3B
Cruz - SS
Reynolds - CF
Suwinski - LF

Castro, Mitchell, Newman, Bae, Castillo, Andujar playing RF, 2B, 1B and DH.

I mean, not sure how you look at this collection and not immediately conclude that there is not a 1B or DH on the roster.

C, i'm at least not too concerned about, they just need to get through the service manipulation before bringing Endy up.

While I didn't expect them to actually try next year, they need to start moving towards being a .500 team.

I guess though, what would even be pragmatically feasible in terms of a FA signing? Like Quintana for 2 years ~25mm, Trey Mancini 2 years ~30mm? Might as well just plop Diego Castillo at 1B and hope that Malcolm Nunez takes another step forward or Mason Martin figures it out?

I the situation is kind of this, nothing this cowardly franchise would do would materially impact the on-field performance and wins and losses. The most likely scenario is that we see some marginal improvement from Cruz and Suwinski and both put up seasons similar to 2022 (.200 avg, 30%+ K rate, lots of home runs). Then, it probably makes sense for them to just sit idle, let these guys slowly develop and let the impact prospects play their way up the ladder. But, if things fall in their favor (Cruz/Suwinski hit in the .250 range and cut their K rates below 30% and the Keller/Brubaker/Roansy and Oviedo rotation holds), then you have the potential for leveraging their farm system for expiring contracts.

I think that's where the Pirates vs Orioles situation would differ, I still find it crazy that the Orioles chose to sell this deadline as opposed to add. I doubt the return they got for Mancini or the closer are going to amount to anything, and while I wouldn't expect them to dangle their collection of stud prospects, the deadline is when you can ship of some meager type prospects for meaningful rentals. The only thing I can think of is that the Orioles system is hot trash after their bevy of top 100 guys, so they didn't have that crop of prospects that would entice the sellers.

[willeyeam]

hot take Mancini kind of stinks

[willeyeam]

next year's payroll is looking to be bottom barrel at the moment.. they were at 110 mil IIRC during the "good years" - why can't they even spend 40 mil and get to 80 or so and at least give us a watchable team, this isn't too much to ask for

[King Colby]

It's not at all too much to ask for. They should be able to give out a couple 2 or 3 year deals to impact players and still have the *financial flexibility* to handle when the newest crop of youngsters hits arbitration

[Troy Loney]

hot take Mancini kind of stinks

Yeah, there just aren't many RH corner outfield bats that are actually feasible. Maybe Josh Bell's trash performance with the Pads makes him a feasible get now?