Gonzales, Yorke, Johnson. Three dogs one 2b bone. My guess is IKF is traded and gonzo moves to short and we call up Yorke and Johnson to AAA? Thoughts?
When they started using Peguero as a Super Utility Player, it was obvious that BC wants either Gonzales or Triolo at SS to finish the season. In 2020, BC traded Starling Marte to get Peguero and a wild card SP. Since the trade, Marte has paid for himself - around $82 mil in fWAR value since being traded.
Peguero was an excellent MI who is now without a position - a 24 year old Super Utility Player - who I hope goes to a team that will inspire him to find the 22 year old kid who played very well at SS and 2B for the Pirates in 2023.
BCs dismantling of the team when he took over was a sell off not a rebuild imo. A dumping of salaries. Everyone of those trades were losers. Peguero as a return for Marte was also a lottery ticket. It almost paid off. And the lack of hitters at MLB level is a direct result. I fear Nutting has the same thing planned for the next GM, a salary dump.
The Pirates need to unload the old age home in Indianapolis. DFA those that cannot be traded, trade those that can be traded, and start to move some of the kids from AA to AAA, including TJ, Bowen, Pichardo, Siani, and Brannigan, when healthy.
Regardless of what Canario does for the Pirates his chances of being there next year are slim and none - time to give Jack a last chance.
My observation, is for formerly Pirates prospect, Charles McAdoo, cause I like to be angry.
He was placed on the Developmental List on May 20th, after slashing .193/.273./.261 in 33 games for a 62 wRC+. He came off on May 27th, and has since slashed: .295/.331/.574 with a 158 wRC+.
Can't wait to get a DSL lottery ticket or IFA slot money for IKF.
Ya know, I feel it's actually kind of ironic given the state of the system, that trading for a low level upside ticket actually makes some sense, given the growing state/strength of the system. A couple astute trades and spend like $20M in the off-season, and they maybe could have the organization set up for long term success with how the lower levels are shaping up. But outside of a blossoming pitching factory, they've yet to show they can do anything but take one step forward and two steps back with everything else.
Ben could bridge the gap, I just have zero confidence in him doing so at this point. Still a long shot Doo amounts to much, even that of a big league journeyman like IKF. But it's still also indicative of Ben's tenure that he traded a mildly interesting pop-up hitting prospect, for a middling big leaguer, only to likely trade that big leaguer for a prospect who in their own right will be lucky to achieve Doo's "success".
Ben has some positive traits, but he lacks what I would call the "player" background or mentality". In that aspect, he needs a righthand man who can see the tools and know how best to develop those tools for application at the MLB Level. Most players at this level want desperately to do well, but it takes a solid developmental program to make sure all of the tools and attitude blend well.
I want to see and hear what Don Kelly wants to do to help this team. He may have the right people left from the Shelton regime, but then again he may want to have his own inner circle of coaches that he knows will be able to keep developing these youngsters up to and throughout their careers in MLB.
I'm just still flabbergasted at how they're so dialed in on finding metric backed traits in acquiring and developing pitchers, but then so backwards on hitting. There's been a handful of times where it's been reported they're "too reliant on advanced metrics", which would show in the pitching when we discuss things like pitch shape or arm slot, but not the hitting. So, there has to be something amiss in what they're looking for. I was going to mention maybe seeking to improve bat speed, but hurting contact rates. Funny enough they went from tied for first in bat speed last year with 20th in "Squared-Up" contact %, to now they're 18th in bat speed, and 14th in Squared-Up contact %. I don't understand why they're generally so focused on generally limited upside bats. Thinking they have some special key to unlock untapped potential or something. Then blaming the park and dead baseballs.
" I don't understand why they're generally so focused on generally limited upside bats."
But are they?
Alex Canario is certainly a moonshot and KG took balls. Even Enmanuel Valdez and Joey Bart show some amount of effort toward power bats with questionable hit tools.
I think they try/have tried a little bit of everything on the offensive side but the game in it's current form doesn't fit nearly as kindly into the pitcher version you speak of.
I don’t have anything to back it up outside of personal feelings, but the most recent draft felt to me to have Horowitz's finger prints. The fact they took Jebb of all available options in 2023 with second pick.
Bart and Canario as DFA acquisitions I'd have a hard time pointing to rather than maybe saying a Jack Suwinski. But even Valdez's metrics more closely resemble their "hard hit" contact utility types with limited raw power. Valdez has like 1 mph on Spencer Horwitz in Avg, 90th, and Max. Trade acquisitions like Hoy Park, Diego Castillo, or Marcano. Acquiring types like Horwitz or IKF, signing players like Frazier. Its not 100% of their targets, but there seems to be a "type" they specify no less than 60/40 I feel like. A type they haven't seen the success you'd expect for continuing to seek them. They existed pre-Ben, but have also been reliant on players like Hayes, Tree, and even Bae for probably too long. A Bryan De La Cruz just never made any sense at all.
Gonzales, Yorke, Johnson. Three dogs one 2b bone. My guess is IKF is traded and gonzo moves to short and we call up Yorke and Johnson to AAA? Thoughts?
When they started using Peguero as a Super Utility Player, it was obvious that BC wants either Gonzales or Triolo at SS to finish the season. In 2020, BC traded Starling Marte to get Peguero and a wild card SP. Since the trade, Marte has paid for himself - around $82 mil in fWAR value since being traded.
Peguero was an excellent MI who is now without a position - a 24 year old Super Utility Player - who I hope goes to a team that will inspire him to find the 22 year old kid who played very well at SS and 2B for the Pirates in 2023.
BCs dismantling of the team when he took over was a sell off not a rebuild imo. A dumping of salaries. Everyone of those trades were losers. Peguero as a return for Marte was also a lottery ticket. It almost paid off. And the lack of hitters at MLB level is a direct result. I fear Nutting has the same thing planned for the next GM, a salary dump.
Thats would seem fair. As long as Nicky G doesn’t become the long term answer.
Also don’t think they have to move Termarr when they make the move
The Pirates need to unload the old age home in Indianapolis. DFA those that cannot be traded, trade those that can be traded, and start to move some of the kids from AA to AAA, including TJ, Bowen, Pichardo, Siani, and Brannigan, when healthy.
Regardless of what Canario does for the Pirates his chances of being there next year are slim and none - time to give Jack a last chance.
Yes Johnson doesn’t seem ready. IKF was a patch at SS. Knowing the price of SS free agents, Gonzo is likely there till Griffin is promoted imo
love that Cronenworth comp for Termarr!
BA just put out new top 30s. They added a list of guys rising or falling a lot. Rising: Adonis, Dotel, Kelly. Falling: Yorke.
Navarro on the list now too
Glad to see you were able to write Adonis again!😆🤣😂
And he’s FSL Player of the Week.
And their hot sheet has Barco 3rd, Florentino 7th, Curtis 20th.
My observation, is for formerly Pirates prospect, Charles McAdoo, cause I like to be angry.
He was placed on the Developmental List on May 20th, after slashing .193/.273./.261 in 33 games for a 62 wRC+. He came off on May 27th, and has since slashed: .295/.331/.574 with a 158 wRC+.
Can't wait to get a DSL lottery ticket or IFA slot money for IKF.
setting the bar on intentional grievance, really shifting the window for us.
Ya know, I feel it's actually kind of ironic given the state of the system, that trading for a low level upside ticket actually makes some sense, given the growing state/strength of the system. A couple astute trades and spend like $20M in the off-season, and they maybe could have the organization set up for long term success with how the lower levels are shaping up. But outside of a blossoming pitching factory, they've yet to show they can do anything but take one step forward and two steps back with everything else.
Ben could bridge the gap, I just have zero confidence in him doing so at this point. Still a long shot Doo amounts to much, even that of a big league journeyman like IKF. But it's still also indicative of Ben's tenure that he traded a mildly interesting pop-up hitting prospect, for a middling big leaguer, only to likely trade that big leaguer for a prospect who in their own right will be lucky to achieve Doo's "success".
Ben has some positive traits, but he lacks what I would call the "player" background or mentality". In that aspect, he needs a righthand man who can see the tools and know how best to develop those tools for application at the MLB Level. Most players at this level want desperately to do well, but it takes a solid developmental program to make sure all of the tools and attitude blend well.
I want to see and hear what Don Kelly wants to do to help this team. He may have the right people left from the Shelton regime, but then again he may want to have his own inner circle of coaches that he knows will be able to keep developing these youngsters up to and throughout their careers in MLB.
I'm just still flabbergasted at how they're so dialed in on finding metric backed traits in acquiring and developing pitchers, but then so backwards on hitting. There's been a handful of times where it's been reported they're "too reliant on advanced metrics", which would show in the pitching when we discuss things like pitch shape or arm slot, but not the hitting. So, there has to be something amiss in what they're looking for. I was going to mention maybe seeking to improve bat speed, but hurting contact rates. Funny enough they went from tied for first in bat speed last year with 20th in "Squared-Up" contact %, to now they're 18th in bat speed, and 14th in Squared-Up contact %. I don't understand why they're generally so focused on generally limited upside bats. Thinking they have some special key to unlock untapped potential or something. Then blaming the park and dead baseballs.
" I don't understand why they're generally so focused on generally limited upside bats."
But are they?
Alex Canario is certainly a moonshot and KG took balls. Even Enmanuel Valdez and Joey Bart show some amount of effort toward power bats with questionable hit tools.
I think they try/have tried a little bit of everything on the offensive side but the game in it's current form doesn't fit nearly as kindly into the pitcher version you speak of.
I don’t have anything to back it up outside of personal feelings, but the most recent draft felt to me to have Horowitz's finger prints. The fact they took Jebb of all available options in 2023 with second pick.
Bart and Canario as DFA acquisitions I'd have a hard time pointing to rather than maybe saying a Jack Suwinski. But even Valdez's metrics more closely resemble their "hard hit" contact utility types with limited raw power. Valdez has like 1 mph on Spencer Horwitz in Avg, 90th, and Max. Trade acquisitions like Hoy Park, Diego Castillo, or Marcano. Acquiring types like Horwitz or IKF, signing players like Frazier. Its not 100% of their targets, but there seems to be a "type" they specify no less than 60/40 I feel like. A type they haven't seen the success you'd expect for continuing to seek them. They existed pre-Ben, but have also been reliant on players like Hayes, Tree, and even Bae for probably too long. A Bryan De La Cruz just never made any sense at all.