You have to DFA Holderman. If they were serious they’d DFA Holderman, move Mlodzinski to the pen, and call up Bubba. If you want to save service time then call up burrows/harrington/Ashcraft instead. But it’s clear Holderman is finished. He simply can’t throw competitive strikes. Every breaking ball or sweeper is either hung right over the heart or a foot out of the zone.
I was going through the list of Pirate Draft Picks straight out of HS under the BC regime, and we have done well. First was Jared Jones, then Anthony Solometo, LW, Jr, Bubba Chandler, Termarr Johnson, Michael Kennedy (traded), Zander Mueth, Konnor Griffin, and Levi Sterling. Very impressive.
Question about Service Time. Jared Jones went down with an injury and missed the last part of 2024, so he earned a full year of service time. He came to ST 2025 and was injured in ST and was placed on the 60 day IL. Was that considered a new injury, or a continuation of the 2024 injury? If a continuation, would his Service Time continue accruing? I'm thinking it is continuing.
It seems too soon to classify that group as very impressive. The only one who has had success in the majors is Jones, and to this point he's only been available about half of his service time. I think every team can look at their HS picks and dream on them becoming stars but until they do...
We did that in the years following the 2009 and 2010 drafts, for example, when some combination of Pounders, Dodson, ZVR, Cain, Taillon, Allie, and Kingham were going to form our next great rotation. Taillon was obviously a success but most of the rest didn't even make the majors and those that did totaled negative WAR. Huntington did have a very good draft in 2011 when after selecting Cole #1 he added HS players Bell, Glasnow, and Holmes.
I agree it is too soon, but we are seeing some positives and when drafting a HS Player, it is almost all potential. I was feeling good about Griffin with 4 HR already, but then went back and looked to see TJ had rung up 13 HR in his year at BRD, with 72 BB. What is really good is that we have a very solid group of young IFA's at A and A+ also.
I hadn't remembered most of the names, but I remembered that there was a lot of optimism after Huntington's first few drafts ('08-'10). Ironically, not much from those drafts impacted 2013-2015 but with Littlefield's signees (Cutch, Walker, Marte) and a few savvy deals (A.J., Liriano, Melancon, Martin), Huntington had one of the best teams in baseball by year 6.
You could draw some parallels--Cherington inherited Cruz, Reynolds, Keller, and Hayes from Huntington, acquisitions of Falter, Heaney, Bednar (or Santana, whoever you want to call our closer), and Bart may not be at the level of A.J., Liriano, Melancon, and Martin but they're somewhat similar. Huntington had Cole, Cherington has Skenes...but something doesn't seem to be quite clicking in year 6 as it did for Huntington. Maybe as the season progresses, 2025 will feel more like 2013. Or maybe it's the ability to build around an inherited core. Or something else.
A very good outing by Mitch Keller with another Quality Start - his 4th out of 6 Starts so far in 2025. He deserved a better result, but the BP was less than expected. Easy to blame the BP, but our 2 thru 5 hitters were 0'fer last night, so that did not help either.
Oneil Cruz is continuing to distance himself from the Pirates. Don't know what Nutting and BC had in mind, but we may now be too late and with too little to offer him to try to buy a year or two of his Free Agency. Last year's comeback from a broken ankle was probably just not enough for them to pull the trigger on an offer prior to the start of 2025. What's so special about 34 doubles, 21 HR's, 22 SB, .773 OPS after missing almost a full year? We are paying him $785,000 for 2025 and both Adam Frazier and Derek Shelton are making $1.5 mil this year - go figure!
Nice blurb on MLB "Circle the Bases" this morning featuring an interview with Athletics Closer, and Pittsburgher Mason Miller who is from Bethel Park, Waynesburg U. Big fan of Primanti Brothers!
Went to sleep with the 4-4 tie, woke up and Holderman had blown the hatch wide open. None of our pitchers could give us a clean inning. Worst news: Fram went three for seven, Matt Gorski might as well get his insurance license.
Maybe put some of it on Cherington. Holderman had only pitched 1.2 innings in Indy and gave up 3 hits including a HR and only 1 K. His stuff wasn't getting AAA hitters out, yet Cherington and Shelton thought he was ready to get MLB hitters out?
Barco is pitching on 4 days rest. And Horwitz walked his first AB. Really pissed I didn't know about these 2 as I decided not to go to Bowie today.
Barco fanned the side in the first.
Two more Ks in the second.
Oops
Dang sixth batter had to ground out to second on the first pitch.
Yep almost another Skenes and Heaney start!
Yeah I'm watching the broadcast. First time seeing him.
I'm going back and forth with the Bradenton game, Griffin has smoked a couple. Bats second in the 8th.
The Bowie play by play announcer is really good. He knows the Pirates org better than our announcers lol.
Maybe he subscribes!
8 K's thru 3 IP. Dang I wish I was sitting behind home plate to see his stuff. Missed opportunity.
Yep, Griffin smoked another double to left center (ground rule).
Horwitz to Altoona on rehab. That'll take care of Valdez, since we can't cut into Frazier's senior discount.
Valdez looked like he was having shoulder pain last night after some big swings
A little rest for him wouldn’t be the worst
Griffin with a double, run scored and a strikeout so far for Bradenton.
Griffin with his second double and run scored. Both over 105 mph of the bat, second almost 110 mph.
OPS up to .830.
Inmanuel has really cooled off…they really need Horwitz in this lineup.
You have to DFA Holderman. If they were serious they’d DFA Holderman, move Mlodzinski to the pen, and call up Bubba. If you want to save service time then call up burrows/harrington/Ashcraft instead. But it’s clear Holderman is finished. He simply can’t throw competitive strikes. Every breaking ball or sweeper is either hung right over the heart or a foot out of the zone.
Holderman still has all three options.
Makes it even easier, thanks for the information WTM.
I was going through the list of Pirate Draft Picks straight out of HS under the BC regime, and we have done well. First was Jared Jones, then Anthony Solometo, LW, Jr, Bubba Chandler, Termarr Johnson, Michael Kennedy (traded), Zander Mueth, Konnor Griffin, and Levi Sterling. Very impressive.
Question about Service Time. Jared Jones went down with an injury and missed the last part of 2024, so he earned a full year of service time. He came to ST 2025 and was injured in ST and was placed on the 60 day IL. Was that considered a new injury, or a continuation of the 2024 injury? If a continuation, would his Service Time continue accruing? I'm thinking it is continuing.
It seems too soon to classify that group as very impressive. The only one who has had success in the majors is Jones, and to this point he's only been available about half of his service time. I think every team can look at their HS picks and dream on them becoming stars but until they do...
We did that in the years following the 2009 and 2010 drafts, for example, when some combination of Pounders, Dodson, ZVR, Cain, Taillon, Allie, and Kingham were going to form our next great rotation. Taillon was obviously a success but most of the rest didn't even make the majors and those that did totaled negative WAR. Huntington did have a very good draft in 2011 when after selecting Cole #1 he added HS players Bell, Glasnow, and Holmes.
I agree it is too soon, but we are seeing some positives and when drafting a HS Player, it is almost all potential. I was feeling good about Griffin with 4 HR already, but then went back and looked to see TJ had rung up 13 HR in his year at BRD, with 72 BB. What is really good is that we have a very solid group of young IFA's at A and A+ also.
I think I’d struggle to remember the majority of those names by now if you didn’t write them first. Time flies.
I hadn't remembered most of the names, but I remembered that there was a lot of optimism after Huntington's first few drafts ('08-'10). Ironically, not much from those drafts impacted 2013-2015 but with Littlefield's signees (Cutch, Walker, Marte) and a few savvy deals (A.J., Liriano, Melancon, Martin), Huntington had one of the best teams in baseball by year 6.
You could draw some parallels--Cherington inherited Cruz, Reynolds, Keller, and Hayes from Huntington, acquisitions of Falter, Heaney, Bednar (or Santana, whoever you want to call our closer), and Bart may not be at the level of A.J., Liriano, Melancon, and Martin but they're somewhat similar. Huntington had Cole, Cherington has Skenes...but something doesn't seem to be quite clicking in year 6 as it did for Huntington. Maybe as the season progresses, 2025 will feel more like 2013. Or maybe it's the ability to build around an inherited core. Or something else.
His service time is ticking, if he's on the mlb 60 day IL.
A very good outing by Mitch Keller with another Quality Start - his 4th out of 6 Starts so far in 2025. He deserved a better result, but the BP was less than expected. Easy to blame the BP, but our 2 thru 5 hitters were 0'fer last night, so that did not help either.
Oneil Cruz is continuing to distance himself from the Pirates. Don't know what Nutting and BC had in mind, but we may now be too late and with too little to offer him to try to buy a year or two of his Free Agency. Last year's comeback from a broken ankle was probably just not enough for them to pull the trigger on an offer prior to the start of 2025. What's so special about 34 doubles, 21 HR's, 22 SB, .773 OPS after missing almost a full year? We are paying him $785,000 for 2025 and both Adam Frazier and Derek Shelton are making $1.5 mil this year - go figure!
Nice blurb on MLB "Circle the Bases" this morning featuring an interview with Athletics Closer, and Pittsburgher Mason Miller who is from Bethel Park, Waynesburg U. Big fan of Primanti Brothers!
Yep, can’t have bases loaded and no outs with 2-3-4 up and end up with only 1 run on no hits.
Went to sleep with the 4-4 tie, woke up and Holderman had blown the hatch wide open. None of our pitchers could give us a clean inning. Worst news: Fram went three for seven, Matt Gorski might as well get his insurance license.
Holderman sucks.
His manager did him no favors by throwing into that game when he did. Shelton just has no ability to go beyond rote decisions.
I’m no defender of Shelton, but who should have pitched in his place?
Kyle Nicolas was nasty the other night, run him back out there.
Burrows
Wasn’t he sent down because they activated Holderman?
Yep
Maybe put some of it on Cherington. Holderman had only pitched 1.2 innings in Indy and gave up 3 hits including a HR and only 1 K. His stuff wasn't getting AAA hitters out, yet Cherington and Shelton thought he was ready to get MLB hitters out?
That’s my issue more than with Shelton in this case.
Word