57 Comments

At what point do we see this...

Keller

Skenes

German

Jones

Priester

Marco & Falter DFA - Perez pen

Expand full comment

Id say fire german into the sun and perez will stay. Not sold on priester vs lauer, will be a big few weeks for them

Expand full comment

At this point Lauer may be more likely than German.

Expand full comment

I think they have Lauer in Indy's pen and he had a bad outing over the wknd.

WTM reporting on German facing AA hitters was pretty encouraging.

Expand full comment

He came in relief for Skenes who only went 3 innings. I'm not sure if they are stretching his innings to make him a starter/long reliever or they want him strictly for the bullpen.

Expand full comment

In any event he is in AAA and pitching in actual games which would make him closer at the moment.

Expand full comment

End of May, but Perez will be one of the 5.

Expand full comment

minor league rosters haven't been set yet, right?

Expand full comment

Right

Expand full comment

thx

Expand full comment

What a start! Definitely agree with the sentiments that Falter should be removed immediately and sent packing...also concerned about Gonzales this afternoon and going forward, but we'll see.

Did anyone else locally fall victim to Sportsnet Pittsburgh being yanked from their FioS TV tier? I called the Verizon crooks and they want like $25-30 more per month. Complete BS. Looks like I'll be turning to more unsavory paths to watch games going forward or trying to find some friends to split a Fubo sub with me or something, since the only reason I've retained cable is for sports. Weirdly, at least for now, I can still watch Sportsnet on my phone or computer with the exact same credentials.

Expand full comment

I had to fight with xfinity, but thankfully was able to add for just 10 a month

Expand full comment

MLB.tv is $149 for the year. Install a VPN software on your router and voila. Mine says I live in Canada. Brunette game on the big screen.

Expand full comment

In all seriousness, those interested. Buy a second router.

Expand full comment

Buy a second router and a two Ethernet cords. Setup ExpressVPN on the router and connect it to the first router as a client. Then connect the VPN router to a non Pittsburgh city using the ExpressVPN website. Then connect the second router to the tv with the Ethernet cord when you want to watch the Bucs. You’ll have to switch the cord to access Hulu and the like. But going back and forth is easy.

Expand full comment

So obvious it’s sort of ridiculous lol…thanks

Expand full comment

Yeah, we also have a Google Nest Wi-Fi system, and I also work from home and have some IP considerations on that front...will check into it though thanks.

Expand full comment

Nest doesn’t have to be on the same network as your tv.

Expand full comment

You can setup a second router and switch the tv to it only when pirates are on.

Expand full comment

Don't waste your money. The unsavoury paths are extremely easy to access and plentiful if you have a European IP address. I'm sure you could use a VPN to simulate that. I cancelled my MLB.tv subscription last year when I was blocked from watching Pirates games that were broadcast by Amazon in the US but not in my home country.

Expand full comment

You could use a VPN to not be on Europe. Be on LA or NYC.

Expand full comment

Don have to be in Europe. Just have to be not in Pittsburgh

Expand full comment

Nothing unsavory about it. The VPN has many legitimate uses.

Expand full comment

AppleTV - not Amazon. Some of the baddies are much, much worse than the others.

Expand full comment

162-0 incoming!

Trade falter for any lotto ticket available, im sure theres some teams that could use him. Now that Ro is back, ortiz could hold the 5th starter position for now. Loving what we saw from QP yesterday but i think we give him a few starts at Indy to let him settle in to whatever he is working on

Expand full comment
Apr 1·edited Apr 1

4 down. 77 to go.

Pirates win 9-7 in 10 innings

They are in first place with the best record in baseball.

It is the day after Easter and da Wabbit is pretty stiff. I had loads o’ kids following me around yesterday and… well… Santa gets all the props when it comes to this kinda thing. I mean nobody ever gives credit to the Easter Bunny. It’s well past 5:30 right here, so let’s spread some CARROTS ON THE HOUSE!!!!

1 (ONE) sublime root vegetable for the Bullpen, which pitched 6 innings of one run ball. Today’s sativus is accepted by L. Ortiz (4 carrots total now and leading the team) for keeping it close for two innings when it looked like things could get bad.

2 (TWO) daucus carota for A. Williams for his clutch 2 out, 2 run triple that got the Bucs back in the game. And then for a nice extra inning bunt to move the winning run to third.

3 (THREE) Essenses of Hossenfeffer for R. Tellez for his first bomb of the year, for three runs, that put the Bucs ahead, pretty much to stay.

_________________________

“I’m the Easter Rabbit. And I’m supposed to be happy and gay… uh-huh… whenever I deliver the eggs. But my feet are killing me.”

“Well, I’m not doin’ anyting. I’ll deliver the technicolor hen-fruit for ya!’

Expand full comment

That Easter-Yegg cartoon really left an impression on impressionable young me.

Expand full comment

Ugly WINS are very much appreciated. The Nats should represent a tougher opponent - another year of rebuilding, but the Reds at home had a lot of difficulty with them, getting 3 in the bottom of the 9th yesterday to take the rubber game of the 3 game series.

Expand full comment

The Nats are not a tougher opponent than Marlins. Not really even close. They are in year 2-3 of a rebuild, so picture them as a 70 win team at best. They lost Senzel on OD, he broke his thumb fielding pre-game grounders! Gore is a good pitcher, so that will be the toughest game of series.

Expand full comment

That Marlins team is awful. Only Chaz, Arraez and maybe Bell would start for the Pirates. Their infield D is atrocious. With all the injuries, their rotation is terrible. Pen is not good. They have the look of a 100-loss team. Wash probably has more true talent than Mia.

Expand full comment
Apr 1·edited Apr 1

Burger hit 34 Hrs and .827 OPS last year, better production than any Pirate. Anderson may or may not be a bounce-back candidate as former All Star. Gordon took Bednar deep for a blown save.

They aren't a 100 loss team, but yeah their thin in pitching. Wait til you see the Nats. They are scrappy with some ball players, but not someone we should lose the series to.

That Marlins series could have easily gone 2-2.

Expand full comment

Burger is a DH only trying to play 3b. I highly doubt the Buccos see many rosters devoid of talent like the 26 man they just faced.

Expand full comment

He looked pretty good at 3B over the weekend: about the only guy in the Marlins infield who looked comfortable at his position. Robbed several hits.

Expand full comment

He's been a bad defender his entire career and obviously doesn't move well at all. He was graded a 35 defender for a reason.

Expand full comment
author

I was a MacKenzie Gore guy for the longest time. Sounded like he started to figure things out last year. Will be interesting to see how the Pirates deal with him.

Expand full comment

Maybe we should bring Priester up and put him in the rotation replacing Falter. He fits right into Falter's slot and would start Saturday. No reason to wait. Priester will not accomplish anything further in Indianapolis. He needs to be in Pittsburgh.

Expand full comment

Idk, sounds like they’re tinkering quite a bit with his pitch mix and sequencing, probably something you don’t want to experiment with at the MLB level.

Expand full comment

A decent thought, but Falter is with the Pirates because he is out of MiLB Options. Therefore, If sent down, he would have to clear waivers. At this point in the year, there are probably at least 4 or 5 teams looking for a 5th SP, especially a LHSP. And, his value increases for a team that could use him as a multi-inning LHRP who could also start, if necessary.

Priester, still only 23, needs to develop his game for at least a few months at AAA. He knows where he had difficulty in 2023, and has the time to make needed corrections.

Expand full comment

Why are we worried about losing a player that's no good? There is literally half a dozen others that are better options.

Expand full comment

If he's out of options dump his ass.

Expand full comment

I'd rather do so as a part of a trade - he has some value, and the Pirates do have some holes that need to be filled. A young, RH hitting Center Fielder is one that I hope we can do this year.

Right now we have a PTBNL coming from the Yankees. They have a guy at AAA who is a young, RH hitting CF with a high ceiling, but he is blocked. Do we need to add more for the Yankees to send us Everson Pereira? If so, Falter could fill that demand. Pereira can stay in AAA until we get ready to unload MAT, and then Pereira comes up to finish the season with the Pirates. That would set the OF until Lonnie White, Jr and Shalin Polanco work their way through the minors.

Expand full comment

Enough with Pereira.

Expand full comment

I AM GROOT

Expand full comment

Enough with Groot.

Expand full comment

I can't imagine anyone trading for Falter. Perhaps for cash or like a 20 year-old in the GCL (complex league these days, I guess) with a live arm but no control.

Expand full comment

Falter’s value was already established: a struggling third tier IF prospect. And he’s only hurt his value since then. He’s waiver bait now.

Expand full comment

A 26 year old LH starter with sub 5.00 ERA and a good pitch mix has value. He'd be scooped right off waivers immediately.

Expand full comment

He's 27, his ERA has been well over 5.00 in two of three years and he's looked worse than ever in March, and, yes, like a couple hundred other totally fungible players, waiver-scooping is in his near future.

Expand full comment

I disagree with the "third tier IF prospect" if that is a reference to Rodolfo Castro, one of the many who struggled at SS after Cruz went down. He was a VG second baseman, which is what the Pirates developed him to play at the MLB level. His .228 average left much to be desired, but was better than many of the other 24 year olds that were called up last year.

I agree with the need to trade Falter, but not just give him away as is being suggested. His 2023 ERA for the Phils in 7 starts was 5.13 and with the Pirates for 7 starts after the trade he was 2-2, 5.58 ERA. Contreras last year was a 6.59 ERA guy in 11 Starts and 8 relief appearances - should he be waived also? The Yankees just called up another LHRP from the minors - could Falter be helpful to them in that role?

Expand full comment

You’re seriously putting a 27-yr-old with mediocre stuff on the same scale as a 24-yr-old who’s shown plus stuff?

And Castro’s back in AAA. He’s a depth guy now. So, yeah, third tier prospect.

Expand full comment

Agree. His value is limited. Move on.

Expand full comment

Agree. Don't understand why Falter made the team. He's not good.

Expand full comment

For me Falter continuing to struggle begs the question why we would take Wolf off the 40-man. That move really bothers me as it seemed (for me) that Shelby would be next to go. Now maybe Wolf makes it through, but I think Shelby would easily have made it through.

We need starting pitching depth - so you take Falter off and probably lose him, you traded Brubaker, and I think we'll lose Wolf. Love adding German and Lauer, but in the end we'll probably need 12 starters before the season plays out. I think Falter's leash will be a bit longer ...

Expand full comment

Agree. Brubaker and wolf gone just like that is really weird. Dumb weird.

Expand full comment