25 Comments
Nov 5·edited Nov 5

Roster at 38........room open at the Inn for 2 free agents (without making the F.O. think about countering moves). More spots open Nov. 22 with non-tender deadline.

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Nov 6·edited Nov 6

none of our minor leaguers worth adding to the 40 man roster

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Can Johan Oviedo start the year in the Minors? Does he have any options left? Thank you

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I think he has an option. If not he could still be put on a rehab assignment do to his surgery.

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FG says one option.

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Thanks

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Cardinals just signed Chance Sisco and Packy Naughton. They just pulled waaay ahead in the baseball player names metric.

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Nov 5Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

It looks as if Cherington stopped diving in dumpsters and looked in the cabbage patch.:)

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Still finding the same gems :)

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Reynolds may actually be a utility player next year as he begins his transition to 1B. He can play RF at PNC, LF in smaller parks on the road with some 1B and DH mixed in.

60-80 games in the OF, 40-50 at 1B, 30-40 DH.

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This is why I do not think they need Cutch back. Hate to say it.. we can use the DH spot with Reynolds, Cruz, or another player to get time off in the field.

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Local boy makes good. Trey Cabbage is from Rutledge, TN, about 30 miles east of Knoxville. Remember back 30 years ago when Legion teams and other post-HS teams from around Pittsburgh would come down to Jefferson County, TN to play in tournaments where teams from all over the Eastern US would come in.

Two of the teams I remember well were the team from Highpoint/Butler/McCandless where Matt Clement (former Padre's/Cubs/Boston SP 1998-2006) came with his Father as the Manager, and the Team from Shaler coached by Frank Orga. Before moving to Tennessee, my boys grew up in the hotbed that was Shaler Baseball under HS Coach Jerry Matulevic. When we were growing up, Frank and I played for North Catholic and Jerry was the 2B on the Shaler Team. Jerry and I also played together on the Shaler Legion Team after HS.

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Clement is now the head coach for Butler boys' hoops.

Butler's football team just got reinstated back into the WPIAL this year. Final game of the season they lost to Central Clarion 49-14. Head coach for Butler said it was the toughest opponent they faced all year. Butler is 6A, Clarion is 2A. Clarion has a good chance of winning states this year.

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Thanks for the update. Matt Clement was that type of athlete that you could see at a young age that he was going places. We played them in the Championship game of a 12 year old tournament and he was the SS. He made outs on fly balls from RF to LF from the SS position, and on GB's that were not hit directly to the 3B or 2B. At the plate he was responsible for almost every one of their 10 runs - we won 11-10 on a GS in the last inning. Years later he pitched against us in a Fall Tournament at Carson-Newman College in TN. He was stone cold coming in as their pitcher because he was in Basketball, and we still had to fight for 7 innings to beat them I think by 4-2.

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Nov 5·edited Nov 5

Surprised to see 2 writers predicting the Pirates to sign Tyler O'Neil. Not sure of how the RH bat plays at PNC.

Hyeseong Kim 3/24...Cherington should be all over that, but the IKF trade and budget will probably nix the idea. Personally, I think IKF would be much better served as a utility player and a nice caddy for Kim who has a history of missing games.

I could see Cherington doing something like Torkelson for Suwinski + an arm. Especially if the Tigers land Alonso.

Alas, none of these pipedream ideas help solve the heavy RH lineup. Just sign Joc Pederson and watch him launch homers into the Allegheny!

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Reynolds as a Switchhitter, Oneil Cruz in CF, Endy a switchhitter at C, and possibly a LH hitting 1B, and a LH hitting DH opposite Cutch, will solve that too RH heavy lineup.

The Pirates do have too many RH hitting infielders and a trade involving some with value in a combination with pitching for a switch or lefty hitting IF could also help. We could also take a shot at a LH hitting CF and start ST with a MI of Cruz and Peguero. They communicate well and if I am managing this team I make Oneil Cruz as comfortable as I can at SS or CF. Don't shut that door yet! The kid has way too many tools, and his future value as both a SS or CF just increases.

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Mel, that ship has sailed on Cruz being a SS. That door is closed, locked, shut.

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Love ya Mel, but if Peguero can't hit AAA arms, what makes you think he can hit the best arms on the planet?

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He was having a very strong season at AA as a 22 year old, when the Pirates jerked him up to the majors after Cruz was injured - he did well at the ML level for a kid who came from AA unexpectedly. Needless to say, that ruined the Pirates plan to develop him in a deliberate manner.

In my estimation he has 15-20 HR power and that is something I do not see in-house at present. He'll be 24 this year and I would rather take a shot with him than IKF. We use him and he does well, we have taken a step forward without having to lose a good pitcher in a trade. Remember, he came to us with a high upside! The Pirates need for him to show this franchise as one that can also develop positional talent. I think he has it in him. If not we give him away and . . . . . .

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Kepler, my original pipe dream idea of signing T. O’Neil, Kepler and trading Jones for CJ Abrams and moving BRey to 1b will never happen, but will definitely address the hitting and fielding problems.

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Nov 5Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

I'm guessing Abrams days at SS are numbered. he was one of the worst fielding SS in baseball

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Didn’t know that! And I find it surprising….

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author

Someone did a thread, but I can't remember who, of Abrams' defense which mostly came down to he'd make above average plays and then boot gimmes

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author

So, Peguero?

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Nov 5Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

According to Statcast, he literally was the worst.

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