Welp, said goodbye to our 11 year old pitty today. Fed her some ice cream, I deadlifted her into a wagon and we got her outside. Laid with her in this clearing in the woods behind our house and got attacked by 1000 mosquitos. She got the meds and blissed out for a bit and then came the other shot. Thanks god I dug her grave yesterday. I just hope the fox cubs we have running around our yard don't get to her. I put chicken wire on the sides and above the 4' by 2' by 3' deep grave I dug and filled the last 6 inches with crushed granite and covered the whole thing with a 2' by 2' stone. Honestly saying goodbye to her at home was so much better than at a vet though. Best dog I ever had.
Yours was big! Mine was just an anomaly. I had a genetic test done to verify his breed. Cancer took him. It's difficult. They bring so much joy. They truly are family.
Cancer got ours too. She developed a big tumor at around 9.5. They said tests were inconclusive and we could do a $4k surgery to remove it that she may not survive but that they wouldn't know if cancer without doing that. We figured big nearly 10 year old dog...didn't want her to be down for the count for 2 months post surgery. At that time she was running, happy, playing. The same was true until about 3 weeks ago now at age 11. We feel we made the right choice. Tumor probably put some pressure on a nerve and took her back legs from her :(
>Compact infielder with big rotational athleticism. Swing has natural loft. Short to the baseball because of his size. Crushes fastballs and diagnoses breaking balls well; had a 2-to-1 ball-in-play-to-whiff ratio on the showcase circuit. Body is similar to Jett Williams and Kevin McGonigle when they came out — a compact guy whose perceived power ceiling is lower than his big-framed peers — but Melendez's skills and sneaky pop give him a shot to be an everyday middle infielder. Fits at shortstop on defense with plus actions and a nearly plus arm; range is closer to average. Has a better shot to play shortstop than all but a few players in the class, college or pro. Won't turn 18 until October, so will be juiced in models.
Just so Anthony doesn't hurt his arm patting himself on the back, I'm going to do it for him. It was so great to have his pre-draft work to refer to during the draft, and for him to have written up all four of the picks that the Pirates made, shows how in tune he is on this stuff.
Great job Anthony! Your daily work is great, but this draft work is a step beyond great.
AM - We are doing our best to Draft people who can contribute to making the Pirates relevant. However, I think we need to be much more aggressive in our search for Coaches and Managers who can help these kids through the levels of the Minors. Every year at the end of the MiLB Season, BA lists players/pitchers who have excelled and also a Coach in each league who has shown himself to be a good candidate for promotion to Manager.
Three of the Best of the Pirates the past few years have been Jonathan Johnston, Callix Crabbe, and Blake Butler, and only Butler remains as the Manager in Greensboro. I think Johnston was transferred to the Hitting Development Group (HDG) and Crabbe was also transferred to the HDG before leaving the Pirates. Would coming from a Team Manager position to a HDG Position be considered a promotion? I doubt it. I would start by trying to get Crabbe back and also start to look for YOUNG Managers who can communicate with YOUNG Players and know about the new techniques being used to develop Hitters.
I think BPA makes a lot of sense if you have a healthy, balanced org. This one, though, is bereft of hitters aside from Griffin and a few guys 3+ years from Pittsburgh. A more practical approach might have been _Best Advanced Hitter Available Unless You Simply Love the Arm_
MLB draft isn't to fill holes in your system. You draft the best available and make your system stronger. You don't just draft a hitter to just to draft a hitter.
You have to love them taking on risk for reward. I'd be pissed if they were running a conservative Littlefield draft and select a bunch of floor dudes.
And yet no one can explain what their plan to get hitters in the system actually is because in six years they have added..... Nick Gonzales and that's it. How many years does Ben get to figure out hitting? 10? 20?
Thankfully, Griffin, 19, is making a huge intro, and we have at least 4 IFAs from the Caribbean making the FCL, A, and A+ levels interesting. Edward Florentino at age 18 has been the most impressive of that group, along with Esmerlyn Valdez, 21, Axiel Plaz, 19, and Omar Alfonzo, 22.
We are flopping badly, as a developmental system, at the AA Level this year. The Pitching in the AA Eastern League is very strong this year, but we have to figure that out quickly. We have talent, but it has hit a wall at that level.
Ha! I was focusing more on your insinuation regarding a lack of plan. Execution of said plan I’d be more critical of. I’d rather they draft BPA and find a competent GM than draft a lesser player because of a need to cover for a poor GM.
Your last sentence may have been their reasoning at 6--if Hernandez hadn't been available, they may have gone with the best hitter available (though I might have liked one of the college lefties if Hernandez hadn't been available). Nearly all the pre-draft analyses suggested Hernandez has the chance to be an elite talent with one outlet referring to him as the best HS RHP prospect in the past decade.
Similar logic with Cervantes, who FG had ranked 30th.
Strongly disagree. The draft is already such a clusterfuck, why limit yourself when the vast majority of guys are at least a few years away anyway? Also, just flip arms for bats if you end up with a surplus
Agree, however BC sucking is not the reason to alter the approach. Let him draft BPA, then bring in a GM who actually can make the appropriate trades to get the hitters we need.
I liked this Draft of the first 4 players because it is what the Pirates do best at Pick 1 and Pick 2 - they have an excellent developmental record for pitchers and getting these two is just a very strong indication that the Pirates will stay with that strength long term.
Picks 3 and 4 were from another world because the Pirates do not usually pick guys who hit the crap out of the ball - unless it is a Shortstop. Gray is an absolute STUD, and Carmichael will Catch and also play some OF for the Pirates coming through the minors. "Well-rounded college Catcher w/solid tools across the board" is how BA described him. Love to see them get these two guys active immediately.
One thing I'll note is prep pitchers generally don't command the prices prep hitters do, but that doesn't mean the Pirates will get any discounts. I just imagine they'll be within the slot amounts range. Parlaying that into point two, going off the last few drafts, I don’t really expect any "WOW" selections, as they have also generally drafted and signed their following picks close to their slot amounts. Maybe a more upside pick with 11th rounder, but I imagine the move to two days stumps those discussions a bit.
With that said, draft Jared Jones (because, uh, Jared Jones) and turkey, I mean Turley.
It may be because high-upside HS players that are still around at 11 or even after the first few rounds can make similar money going to college now and hope/expect a much higher bonus when the re-enter the draft 2-3 years later. I was really high on Jase Bowen when we drafted him but I doubt we could sign someone like that now because as a 2-sport athlete the gap between what we offered (~400K) and what he could make in college would be pretty small.
Speaking of guys that went at 11, I had forgotten that Burrows was drafted in that spot the year before Bowen was. That 2018 draft will probably be remembered as a disappointment due to Swaggerty being our top pick but with Ashcraft and Burrows, it may turn out to be an above average draft after all.
Let’s draft Jack Bauer and give him basically all of the bonus pool money from rounds 4-10. We can pick seniors or other fliers pfor small bonus offers. I’d rather have one high-end prospect than a collection of likely-never-gonna-make-its.
He set a land speed record for velocity (hit 102 in an outing this year). Decent slider. Not great fastball shape (this is from FG). He does wear #24 too!
I wonder if he’s got a super high price tag. Several of the prep guys still on the board may have that issue. And if I’m Bauer (throwing super hard this young) there’s no way I’m going to school.
If I had some I may have got "wined up" last night. HS players allow us to dream of all stars a little longer than college dudes that may bust in a year or two.
That's the joy of the draft. I've already penciled in Easton "The Bat" Carmichael catching Skenes, Bubba, Seth, Angel in 2 years. While My Turf Murf is explaining how all he hits is hr due to not wanting to mess up the landscaping at PNC Park. Who knows where my mind goes after today.
I don’t think Cherington has much/any input into this draft and it shows. This is a scouts draft so far as it should be. I love a philosophy of collecting the best tools in drafts but I really wish we weren’t annually in a position to do so.
Probably not. Maybe the first rounder. Draft is generally delegated down, but Cherington is the one that builds his draft team. He might not be 100% directly involved in all the draft picks, but he is indirectly involved as the man responsible for assembling his team.
Makes you wonder how involved his delegates are in trades. I rem reading years ago that NH in his first run with Cle was involved pretty heavily in trades per Shapiro.
Why is Jazz Chisholm in the derby?
Welp, said goodbye to our 11 year old pitty today. Fed her some ice cream, I deadlifted her into a wagon and we got her outside. Laid with her in this clearing in the woods behind our house and got attacked by 1000 mosquitos. She got the meds and blissed out for a bit and then came the other shot. Thanks god I dug her grave yesterday. I just hope the fox cubs we have running around our yard don't get to her. I put chicken wire on the sides and above the 4' by 2' by 3' deep grave I dug and filled the last 6 inches with crushed granite and covered the whole thing with a 2' by 2' stone. Honestly saying goodbye to her at home was so much better than at a vet though. Best dog I ever had.
Sorry man. It’s the absolute worst.
That’s a tough loss. Hang in there and better days ahead.
So sorry. Lost my boy about a year ago (120 lb pitbull). Raised him from a pup. We did everything together. I feel your pain.... 🙏🏻
That's him on my avatar.
Big boy! I thought our lady was big at 85. Her back legs gave out last week so it was a mercy but a tough one.
Yours was big! Mine was just an anomaly. I had a genetic test done to verify his breed. Cancer took him. It's difficult. They bring so much joy. They truly are family.
Cancer got ours too. She developed a big tumor at around 9.5. They said tests were inconclusive and we could do a $4k surgery to remove it that she may not survive but that they wouldn't know if cancer without doing that. We figured big nearly 10 year old dog...didn't want her to be down for the count for 2 months post surgery. At that time she was running, happy, playing. The same was true until about 3 weeks ago now at age 11. We feel we made the right choice. Tumor probably put some pressure on a nerve and took her back legs from her :(
❤️❤️❤️
Sorry to hear that. Sounds like you took just as good of care of her as she did for you.
Sorry for your loss
There it is! Best pick of the draft!
Pirates def drafting power potential this year.
Gus-Guz
So, all 6 picks have so far been in FG's top 113
So Horowitz is basically just a living-working FG subscription
Seems so
Hey!!! They picked the kid I mentioned from the Combine!!!
Maybe we are plants.... we're 5 for 5....
So planty……
Gotta love a pick from Puerto Rico, and the MLB folks seem to think Melendez can stay at SS and has some pop.
Rafael Furcal part 2!!
Fangraphs had him 55th.
>Compact infielder with big rotational athleticism. Swing has natural loft. Short to the baseball because of his size. Crushes fastballs and diagnoses breaking balls well; had a 2-to-1 ball-in-play-to-whiff ratio on the showcase circuit. Body is similar to Jett Williams and Kevin McGonigle when they came out — a compact guy whose perceived power ceiling is lower than his big-framed peers — but Melendez's skills and sneaky pop give him a shot to be an everyday middle infielder. Fits at shortstop on defense with plus actions and a nearly plus arm; range is closer to average. Has a better shot to play shortstop than all but a few players in the class, college or pro. Won't turn 18 until October, so will be juiced in models.
Just so Anthony doesn't hurt his arm patting himself on the back, I'm going to do it for him. It was so great to have his pre-draft work to refer to during the draft, and for him to have written up all four of the picks that the Pirates made, shows how in tune he is on this stuff.
Great job Anthony! Your daily work is great, but this draft work is a step beyond great.
AM - We are doing our best to Draft people who can contribute to making the Pirates relevant. However, I think we need to be much more aggressive in our search for Coaches and Managers who can help these kids through the levels of the Minors. Every year at the end of the MiLB Season, BA lists players/pitchers who have excelled and also a Coach in each league who has shown himself to be a good candidate for promotion to Manager.
Three of the Best of the Pirates the past few years have been Jonathan Johnston, Callix Crabbe, and Blake Butler, and only Butler remains as the Manager in Greensboro. I think Johnston was transferred to the Hitting Development Group (HDG) and Crabbe was also transferred to the HDG before leaving the Pirates. Would coming from a Team Manager position to a HDG Position be considered a promotion? I doubt it. I would start by trying to get Crabbe back and also start to look for YOUNG Managers who can communicate with YOUNG Players and know about the new techniques being used to develop Hitters.
I think BPA makes a lot of sense if you have a healthy, balanced org. This one, though, is bereft of hitters aside from Griffin and a few guys 3+ years from Pittsburgh. A more practical approach might have been _Best Advanced Hitter Available Unless You Simply Love the Arm_
I agree completely with your assessment.
MLB draft isn't to fill holes in your system. You draft the best available and make your system stronger. You don't just draft a hitter to just to draft a hitter.
You have to love them taking on risk for reward. I'd be pissed if they were running a conservative Littlefield draft and select a bunch of floor dudes.
The proof is in the pudding. Their approach is not working.
Actually it's their execution that is not working.....
Okay execution, approach I don't care how you word it. They haven't identified and developed a star hitter since who? Cutch?
And yet no one can explain what their plan to get hitters in the system actually is because in six years they have added..... Nick Gonzales and that's it. How many years does Ben get to figure out hitting? 10? 20?
Thankfully, Griffin, 19, is making a huge intro, and we have at least 4 IFAs from the Caribbean making the FCL, A, and A+ levels interesting. Edward Florentino at age 18 has been the most impressive of that group, along with Esmerlyn Valdez, 21, Axiel Plaz, 19, and Omar Alfonzo, 22.
We are flopping badly, as a developmental system, at the AA Level this year. The Pitching in the AA Eastern League is very strong this year, but we have to figure that out quickly. We have talent, but it has hit a wall at that level.
Their starting 1B was obtained, in part, by using recently drafted pitchers…
I did say "hitters" not 74 wRC+ers.
Ha! I was focusing more on your insinuation regarding a lack of plan. Execution of said plan I’d be more critical of. I’d rather they draft BPA and find a competent GM than draft a lesser player because of a need to cover for a poor GM.
Your last sentence may have been their reasoning at 6--if Hernandez hadn't been available, they may have gone with the best hitter available (though I might have liked one of the college lefties if Hernandez hadn't been available). Nearly all the pre-draft analyses suggested Hernandez has the chance to be an elite talent with one outlet referring to him as the best HS RHP prospect in the past decade.
Similar logic with Cervantes, who FG had ranked 30th.
This wasn't the year for college bats. They took the player with the best upside, and they've done a good job with prep arms.
Would you rather have Ike Irish or Seth Hernandez? To me, this is rhetorical.
Strongly disagree. The draft is already such a clusterfuck, why limit yourself when the vast majority of guys are at least a few years away anyway? Also, just flip arms for bats if you end up with a surplus
That'd work too if Cherington didn't suck at trades and if he wasn't the most conservative GM in the game.
Agree, however BC sucking is not the reason to alter the approach. Let him draft BPA, then bring in a GM who actually can make the appropriate trades to get the hitters we need.
I liked this Draft of the first 4 players because it is what the Pirates do best at Pick 1 and Pick 2 - they have an excellent developmental record for pitchers and getting these two is just a very strong indication that the Pirates will stay with that strength long term.
Picks 3 and 4 were from another world because the Pirates do not usually pick guys who hit the crap out of the ball - unless it is a Shortstop. Gray is an absolute STUD, and Carmichael will Catch and also play some OF for the Pirates coming through the minors. "Well-rounded college Catcher w/solid tools across the board" is how BA described him. Love to see them get these two guys active immediately.
I am pleased with all 4! Something to be pleased with this season…
One thing I'll note is prep pitchers generally don't command the prices prep hitters do, but that doesn't mean the Pirates will get any discounts. I just imagine they'll be within the slot amounts range. Parlaying that into point two, going off the last few drafts, I don’t really expect any "WOW" selections, as they have also generally drafted and signed their following picks close to their slot amounts. Maybe a more upside pick with 11th rounder, but I imagine the move to two days stumps those discussions a bit.
With that said, draft Jared Jones (because, uh, Jared Jones) and turkey, I mean Turley.
since cherington has been here, they haven't picked a prep player in round 11...usually a huntington staple. i miss those days
It may be because high-upside HS players that are still around at 11 or even after the first few rounds can make similar money going to college now and hope/expect a much higher bonus when the re-enter the draft 2-3 years later. I was really high on Jase Bowen when we drafted him but I doubt we could sign someone like that now because as a 2-sport athlete the gap between what we offered (~400K) and what he could make in college would be pretty small.
Speaking of guys that went at 11, I had forgotten that Burrows was drafted in that spot the year before Bowen was. That 2018 draft will probably be remembered as a disappointment due to Swaggerty being our top pick but with Ashcraft and Burrows, it may turn out to be an above average draft after all.
I think that probably has a lot to do with the point they haven't really picked for slot savings purposes.
Looking at the 2024 Draft Tracker, Sanford is the "outlier" around $500K over slot. Everyone else is essentially within ~$100K of their slot amount.
https://bucsondeck.substack.com/p/pittsburgh-pirates-2024-mlb-draft?utm_source=publication-search
Let’s draft Jack Bauer and give him basically all of the bonus pool money from rounds 4-10. We can pick seniors or other fliers pfor small bonus offers. I’d rather have one high-end prospect than a collection of likely-never-gonna-make-its.
I don't know him but I'm not sure why that doesn't happen more.
He set a land speed record for velocity (hit 102 in an outing this year). Decent slider. Not great fastball shape (this is from FG). He does wear #24 too!
I wonder if he’s got a super high price tag. Several of the prep guys still on the board may have that issue. And if I’m Bauer (throwing super hard this young) there’s no way I’m going to school.
I ran the math and we could only offer about $2.7M which is late 1st rd money. May not be enuf to get him to sign.
Maybe they’ll get Mason Neville Chamberlain instead!
Sounded like a dude in the CIA or a Kieffer Sutherland character
The 2nd round pick feels, dare I say it, Quixotic 😜😜. My apologies for that ⚾️⚾️
I thought he would have more of wind mill wined up.
If I had some I may have got "wined up" last night. HS players allow us to dream of all stars a little longer than college dudes that may bust in a year or two.
That's the joy of the draft. I've already penciled in Easton "The Bat" Carmichael catching Skenes, Bubba, Seth, Angel in 2 years. While My Turf Murf is explaining how all he hits is hr due to not wanting to mess up the landscaping at PNC Park. Who knows where my mind goes after today.
I don’t think Cherington has much/any input into this draft and it shows. This is a scouts draft so far as it should be. I love a philosophy of collecting the best tools in drafts but I really wish we weren’t annually in a position to do so.
Probably not. Maybe the first rounder. Draft is generally delegated down, but Cherington is the one that builds his draft team. He might not be 100% directly involved in all the draft picks, but he is indirectly involved as the man responsible for assembling his team.
All true. I imagine the Griffin pick has earned Horowitz a lot of leeway.
He better not have to pay for a drink for the remainder of his tenure in Pittsburgh for KG
Make Horowitz GM
Makes you wonder how involved his delegates are in trades. I rem reading years ago that NH in his first run with Cle was involved pretty heavily in trades per Shapiro.
He doesn't appear to be the type that needs micromanaged.