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They got hit by the injury bug on the pitching side too. Shim being the big one, who if healthy, probably at least would’ve started in the complex.

Silvera is also somewhat interesting. Although the stuff isn’t overpowering it’s a SP mix with plus control.

Jackson Grounds also seems like an interesting bullpen arm. Raw but the stuff is good.

Alcala is another “sort of” interesting bullpen arm. Good FB/SL combo(I’ve seen the FB t97). He’s a really big dude too. Reminds me of Linarez.

And Ronaldo Gallo is an interesting UDFA sign. Tall, lanky frame and a 91-93 FB with a plus SL. He showed some flashes at the U.

And while Joaquin Tejada did pitch some this year(only 4.2 IP and 3.1 in the complex) and he walks way too many batters, he could’ve given them some innings out of pen. His stuff is good(explosive FB and he can spin a CB). He’s a good little athlete too but definitely below average control(and that’s being nice). Better control than Kevison Hernandez(but that not saying much either). I just couldn’t believe how many balls went straight to the backstop when Kevison pitched. Crazy!!

And every team deals with injuries but that’s 5-6 arms that were basically out for the whole year for them.

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For Forrester and Shim

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Bryan de la Cruz

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Bunch of promotions from FCL:

Mueth

Yordany

Severino

Noah Takacs

Greiber Mendez

Clevari Tejada

Juan Jerez released.

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Just an alert, as C22 posted in the rundown thread, Termarr was pulled for a PH in the 9th with GBO down one run.

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Better be for Robert Jr. 🥸

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What was the explanation for ending the FCL season a short time after the draft?

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I just can't figure it out, unless they have some grand plan to operate a summer version of fall instructs.

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The problem I see coming is that the Pirates have a tendency to promote even when it is not deserved. I think that YDLS and Jhonny Severino are talented enough to bypass any middle infielder that was at the A level this year. If we have to move Keiner Delgado, so be it, and you start the season at A+ with Severino at 3B, YDLS at SS, and Delgado at 2B.

I said it yesterday - give Nick Yorke a few weeks of starts at the MLB level at 2B and see what happens NG is out for a few weeks or more, and we do not have a future for Alika Williams at 2B. We already know that Triolo can play his ass off at any IF position (and OF), and Bae is not in the running at 2B for the Pirates.

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MLB has Yorke as the 5th best Buc prospect. Have to say that surprised me. Looks like the dude can't really run, field, or throw so guess we will see.

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The Pirates have plenty of guys who can run and throw, but we need some guys who can HIT!. Only 130+ AB at AAA in 2024 but 8 doubles, 6 HR, an 800+ OPS, 32 K/ 24 BB so good numbers there, and 6 of 7 in SB so he must know how to do that. Are his defensive numbers at 2B bad? To be honest, I was sold just off the offensive numbers. Solid trade on both sides - Priester gets the chance he would not have gotten with the Pirates, and we may have found a good bat.

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I for sure like this trade. Once I kept hearing about Priester's velocity I kept thinking of a Josh Fogg type fella. But skinnier.

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Epic future pigyyback tandem: Meutoma.

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👍

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For those pining for Iverson Allen, he's back today, has a double so far.

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Jul 30·edited Jul 30

Are we talkin bout practice?? Stupid joke aside. Glad he is back.

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Richard Ramirez…murders baseballs and base runners with no visible signs of remorse.

This is never going to get old for me, so let me apologize now for my feeble attempts at sophomoric humor. Clearly some will, and probably all should, be offended.

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Was looking back at the Bucs roster through the early 2000's. Kind of mixed feelings because they stunk but they had some likable guys on those teams. A dude a totally forgot was Rob Mackowiak. Wouldn't mind his type on the squad. Feel like I saw him go yard a few times on some crap teams.

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Jul 30·edited Jul 30

The organization really needs to have one, or preferably more, of these young international guys emerge as Top 10 prospects who can augment the draft guys. I have liked Cherington’s draft record so far, but this piece has been missing.

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Severely missing. I could make a list of BC's failures in this area, but it's too depressing.

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The situation that amazes me is the team's willingness to give millions to players who don't make out of A ball. If the Pirates wantbto spend millions on IFAs, spend four million on a top prospect.

If the Pirates areva representative sample, the spread the money around strategy has never worked. Even the players who made the Majors busted: Hanson (head), Polanco (shoulder) and Osuna (talent). Diaz has had a long career even if hw has never been a star or even an everyday catcher.

That said, I have my fingers crossed for a few of the FCL players

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They've followed the quantity-over-quality approach since Huntington and it's continually failed, but they won't stop. It seems Nuttin just has to be convinced that every single move is a bargain. They probably get their office furnishings from Goodwill.

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The Pirates reportedly rushed Cole out the door. For Cole, they got Musgrove. For Musgrove, they got Bednar.

Cole > Musgrove > Bednar.....

Why did they do this? To limit salaries.

McClatchy also seemed to find high player's salaries offensive. We could call it the Pirates' disease. Never pay more than thevaverage or median salary for a player.

Gammon's once noted tha a team with a player that greatly exceeded the team's average salary would not win. I just looked for the article where he made that claim and could not find it, so my statement of his claim might be inaccurate but it gets at the sense hw asserted. So, putting Mike Trout and Ronald Accuna in the Pirates outfild might not work as one might expect.

This kind of thinking may have reinforced the Nutting's wish to have all of the money.

The Pirates fail to learn, especially when it comes to spending. We may not have seen another Matt Weiters debacle, but we have seen a hasty salary dump of Gerrit Cole and others.

I need to face the fact that my effort to follow the Pirates after 1979 are a sunk cost and act accordingly.

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Basically missing since forever except for Marte.

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Nick Yorke is listed as “roster status changed.” Could mean almost anything, or nothing. Maybe getting taxi squaded?

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author

That is interesting. Sounds like taxi squad, one of the beat guys did mention on Twitter they weren’t going to actually assign him till after the deadline. Think that’s leaving the door open to moving him straight to Pittsburgh

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AM throw a trade deadline tread, I have no idea where to go!,!,!,,

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Jul 30Liked by Anthony Murphy

Use a cricket for the picture!

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author

That would be hilarious. I am about to drop the gameday thread, we can probably use it as a dual purpose, don't want to spread everyone out too thin with that many articles out.

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Make sense, thanks!

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His individual page says “not yet reported.”

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author

Well, they did (potentially) lose two more players last night lol

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Shelton didn’t seem to think Bae was too bad.

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Wounded his pride.

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author

That too lol

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Cool stuff.

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Do you anticipate any promotions from this group? I'd think YDLS & Severino have earned it, but hard to know with shortened season and incoming draft prospects

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A bunch have earned it. Just not sure how willing they’ll be to clear space.

Stay tuned though. They just promoted Cy Nielson to Altoona, and Mike Walsh and Garret Forrester to Greensboro.

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author

Gavin Adams was technically activated to the FCL roster but he’s still out from surgery.

But first draft pick getting activated!

I was thinking more would get moved up to make room but I guess they could just outright release some names instead now.

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I can name names if they wanna ask.

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