28 Comments

Termarr Johnson is the Pirates MILB POY according to an article by Tim Williams

Didn’t realize that he had 101 walks in 105 games this season

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Triolo has become one of my favorite players to watch. So good defensively anywhere they put him, and seemes to be getting better with the bat! For the 6 remaining games, I would put Peguero at SS, NickG at 2B and Triolo at 1B, get them all some at bats! Even if Triolo is not the answer long-term at 1B, it's a way to get them all ABs for the last week!

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He'll lose almost all his value going that far down the defensive spectrum. Additionally, he doesn't slug enough for 1b.

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I'm just saying these last 6 games, to get all bats in (don't care much what Rivas or Joe can do in 6 games at 1B). Long term? No, Triolo is not the answer at 1B!

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I'm with you, Jose.

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I can see why the Pirates would not try Triolo at SS. I mean, you wouldn't want to put your best or 2nd best defensive infielder at that position, and the Pirates have such a pool, a reservoir, more like an inundation, of talented players capable of playing that position as they have shown all season.

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Because he's not a SS. He appears to be a good fit at 2b and it just happens the Pirates have a glaring need at 2b.

They gave him 16 games at SS in AAA this year and he had 3 E's in those 16 games. I'm sure they saw something that screamed he can't play SS on a regular basis. I'm guessing he doesn't have high end agility to cover the ground necessary to play the position competently.

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My brother, if you watched Oneil Cruz for a single minor league game you wouldn't be making that comment.

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Nick G coming up. No word who’s leaving. Have to think it’s Williams.

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well deserved

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I'm glad he's coming up, but I would ride it out with Triolo at 2b. They might have found something with him. I don't like the idea of moving him to 1b, because he'll lose value and doesn't have a 1b bat. He can play 2b well and the bat is coming along.

Newman DFA'd

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Triolo working at first base

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Oooo... you should have read the vitriol coming from the Reds' fans on their sites the other night when their bullpen blew an 8-run lead about the Newman for Moreta trade. If you'll remember, Moreta threw 2+ scoreless in that game. It almost made me like Cherington... well... not almost.

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they released Newman today

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bummer.

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Not only that he was strutting off the mound giving the Cincy crowd the money bank sign.

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The Pirates played well in Cincy, with the exception of the beating Falter took in the second game.

Just putting some names on paper for the 2024 Rotation and Bullpen, the Bullpen is in great shape led by Closer David Bednar and his 37 Saves so far. He will qualify for Arbitration this year. The next 4 will be Mlodzinski, Holderman, Moreta, and Hernandez. There are plenty of others qualified, but that will be a decision made down the road.

The Rotation has Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo, and a lot of other possible supporting cast members. It will be interesting to see how the Pirates play this during the off-season. Have the Pirates seen enough of Quinn Priester to make a decision on whether he starts in the Rotation out of ST? VG numbers for 15 Starts at AA in 2022, and VG for 20 Starts in AAA and paid his dues in 7 MLB Starts in 2023. I hope the Pirates move him into the Rotation in ST.

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I think there is a spot in the rotation reserved for one of Priester/Ortiz/Contreras. Whichever can show they've made progress based on the lumps they took in 2023.

(What I think will happen, not necessarily what I'd do)

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I would hope so since 23/25/24 is the the ages of those guys coming into the 2024 season. Seems a bit early too give up on any of them.

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Fully on board with not giving up on them, less so with handing out scholarships.

There's always, always opportunities to *earn* your spot as a major league starting pitcher.

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Personally, I think they need to pivot on some of these guys to the bullpen if the organization thinks they can’t start. Ro doesn’t look to have the arsenal or stamina to start, so why not a shift to the bullpen?

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I can understand young guys ups and downs coming up through the system due to working on new techniques from the coaching staff on their grips, arm slots, delivery and things but it seems too many Pirate pitchers lose their fastball velocity. I always thought of that as a physical thing so I'm a bit confused what's going on with that.

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Paid his dues? He’s mostly sucked at the MLB level. Yesterday qualified as a “good” start and it wasn’t that good.

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We have folks that think Suwinski sucks and Quinn should start next season in the rotation. Quinn has almost walked as many as he's k'd. That doesn't belong in a MLB rotation

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New goal: 77-85 for a 3-3 finish. The shape of the season has been odd, but I definitely would have signed up for 77 wins to begin the season

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I am okay with that finish too.

I had 69-93 preseason and was hoping to avoid 90 losses.

If you told me that O. Cruz would be out all season (virtually) and Contreras would crash and burn, I would have expected another run at 100 losses.

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The "shape" of the season, indeed! Blazing start, freezing middle, and a solid end with serious injuries all along. I would very much have liked to see what the season would have held with a healthy Oneal Cruz. Or even one more decent healthy pitcher. Lot of setbacks this year.

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That makes the end result all the more encouraging in my opinion!

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