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JRC21's avatar

Late to the party on this one, but I am anxious to see the 25 players in the system who are better than Shalin Polanco. Maybe I’m too much of a ceiling guy, but he’s one of the only position players in the entire organization that one can project as a potential star. I would have him much higher than this.

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Anthony Murphy's avatar

I’m a big Polanco guy too. Just looked overmatched at times. Almost a 40% chase rate isn’t ideal moving up. He did improve the K rate as the year went on before the injury but did still reach out the zone a little too much.

He’s young and a guy in my mind that I’d have no problem moving him up quickly if he starts showing better swing decisions

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Melkel's avatar

I wouldn't mind Polanco starting in Greensboro if he looks good in spring. His in zone contact is encouraging, maybe being at a level with a little better control from opposing pitchers will help him cut back on chasing outside the zone.

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WTM's avatar

I'm going to point out that Ethan got a nod from BA for his research for their piece on Prospect Promotion Incentive eligibles.

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Ethan Hullihen's avatar

Inside baseball...I gave them the list, they confirmed it with MLB. At least I'm like 95% sure that's how it worked.

I best get credit!

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Melkel's avatar

He definitely deserves credit, always great information.

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Bianco599's avatar

Remember the poster named Danatural with his head on Bo Jackson's body? Just wondering if he ever made it over to this site. Maybe under an alias?

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WTM's avatar

Murray saying GSanchez is still a “priority” for the Pirates. The hangup is money. He wants $5-6M and that may be too much.

So they’ll pay $5M to a .170 hitter and $8M to a 43 yo 5th starter, but not $5-6M to a guy who hit 19 HRs in less than half a season.

Someday Ben Cherington will show an ounce of sense, but today is not that day.

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Anthony Murphy's avatar

I always assumed the money tie up would be around $10+. Murray saying he’s expecting $5/$6 million is crazy. Just offer him $8 and call it a day. If they get ‘outbid’ over $5 mil that’s gonna be frustrating

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AdministrativeSky236's avatar

Would be kind of an awkward fit for the roster but cant argue that it wouldn't significantly make the roster better

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Bianco599's avatar

Shalin has to be older than 20. Sweet Mother. I feel like I have been following him since the Bush administration.

Guess this means Head and Sammy Siani are a lot higher than I expected.

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PirateRican21's avatar

I’ll be a bit shocked if either one of those two are in the top 25, maybe in the back end of a top 50!!!!

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Bianco599's avatar

I know. They have an epic yearly battle vs each other in head. Not saying they are superheroes or future superstars. But want to see which one can outlast the other.

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Melkel's avatar

The race to Altoona is coming down to the wire.

I wonder if they get a free pass there to see which can make it back to Greensboro first.

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Scott Kliesen's avatar

Shalin Polanco must’ve got the memo about not being able to walk off the island.

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ras ohio's avatar

Royals, Bobby Witt Jr. Agree To 11-Year Extension

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PirateRican21's avatar

KC has had the off season the Pirates should have had.

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Scott Kliesen's avatar

Just shows you how big of a difference ownership makes in MLB.

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TNBucs's avatar

Right, and a large part of that was being willing to take on risk and even overpaying in the presence of risk (both Wacha and Lugo signed deals that many thought were a little high). That's so foreign to how our FO works.

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Scott Kliesen's avatar

It’s not BC, it’s BN, the poster child for Risk Aversion.

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CPC's avatar

Recently, I’ve been thinking abt Nutting’s appraisal by fans, as expressed on fan sites such as this one.

Back in the days of the Trib’s message board, BN’s rep with fans was largely the same as it is today on Anthony’s site, and during the last several years of PP.

But, at one point on BD (IIRC), posters would be dismissed as Luddites if they dared whisper any discouraging words about ownership. Numerous posters thought it the sine qua non of repartee to respond to the naysayers with “sale the team” and other jabs at “yinzers”.

That may have been in the wake of Littlefield’s dismissal along with several puff pieces in the PG about BN’s spending to upgrade Pirate City and the team’s Dominican facilities.

None of this really matters as our opinions have no impact on Federal Street. It’s just interesting to me how the winds have changed at various times.

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Melkel's avatar

I have no problem with Nutting on several aspects of ownership. I think he does a great job at keeping great facilities kept up to date from the Dominican all the way to Pittsburgh. He's very good with community outreach, service and charity.

His problem comes with lack of focus on the actual product. A Major League Baseball team. The front office doesn't seem to have either a plan or the ability to develop a competitive team. They always have an excuse or play poor.

When the largest free agency signing outside the organization it 2 years $17 million for Russell Martin and 3 years $39 million for Frankie who was already inside the organization, screams cheap and no real effort to compete.

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Scott Kliesen's avatar

I used to get into verbal sparring matches with the Nutting’s Wallet crowd supporting BN in those days.

The winds of change have definitely found me.

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JT412's avatar

Count me out on reliever only prospects. See Thomas, Tahnaj

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Scott Kliesen's avatar

I think it’s fair to wait until a RP shows the ability to be dominant in AA before getting excited.

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Ron's avatar

Maybe, but with relievers becoming such a large part of today's game, seems to me a lights out reliever definitely has value. Depends on system depth where they might rank.

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Melkel's avatar

Wait until next year, when all the round 4 through 12 (2023) draft picks get a full year in the system.

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NolaJeffy(BnP)'s avatar

Unless it's Orion Kerkering. Cause he's a badass.

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AdministrativeSky236's avatar

jacob misiorowski might be next

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WTM's avatar

Yeah, but what about . . . um . . . .

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Mike G.'s avatar

Sharts? He crapped out.

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AdministrativeSky236's avatar

Hype hype hype hype

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