Very interesting Atlanta trade today- Chris Sale at 10 million this season for Vaughn Grissom. Similar deal might have been Peguero or perhaps Gonzalez from the Pirates. I think I might have made that deal?
Also- Frankie Montos signs with the Reds for 16 million this season!
I keep hoping to read that Keller took Priester under his wings and they both are training at the facility that Mitch does his off season training (is it Driveline?)
Last off-season Gary Sanchez had no team and I kept hoping the Pirates would sign Sanchez to have him share catching duties with the already acquired Austin Hedges. My 2 different Yankee friends along with the Yankee fans I sat next to in spring training all said he is not a catcher and certainly not a leader. This must be what the rest of the league thought as he didn't find a team until late.
I am guessing we don't want him leading a pitching staff or mentoring Henry Davis. He didn't seem to lead the Padres to even a play-off spot last year.......... but then again the Yankees didn't make the play-offs without him. :)
Sarah Langs is a wealth of info. Knew the defensive stats of Ke'Bryan Hayes, and I knew he had a solid season with the bat, but I did not know how good of an offensive season he had in 2023. Being 5th in the company of Ronald Acuna, Jr, Juan Soto, Yandy Diaz, and Mookie Betts in percentage of balls hit at 95 mph or higher is very special.
Going into his age 27 season as a possible middle of the order hitter and perennial contender for a Gold Glove at 3B. His first 3 seasons he had 5 (2020), 6, and 7 HR compared to 15 HR last year and 3rd on the team in both HR's and RBI's (61).
Sarah langs is a true gem, and we are all lucky in the baseball community to have her around!
As self appointed leader of the hayes fan club, at least on my street, i really hope that his changes are real from last year. He has hit the ball hard for the last few years but being able to elevate on the pull side is really his key to stardom
A _floor of 5 fWAR_? There were only two 3B who got there last year and they were Austin Riley and Jose Ramirez. If you'd said 3 fWAR floor and 5 fWAR ceiling I'd be with you.
He absolutely has the tools. The big question for me is does he have the mental toughness for that. Early on when he kept hitting grounders and often struggling, I thought his demeanor was awful. Offensively, he often was slow out of the box and just didn't run hard. Then again, it never affected his defense. He might be the most ready and sure-handed third baseman I have ever seen play third-base. I hope your prediction is right Scott.
If they are serious about Davis getting a shot (for 3-4 months if they are truly serious) then there is no need to sign a catcher as being serious means he starts and finishes 65-70% of the games. Also, if they are serious, then there will be only 2 on the 25 man roster with the third in AAA. If they need a 4th catcher at some point (injury etc.) then you check the waiver wire of if short term (or they have stepped up in minors) you roll with Bins, Shockley et al. I am in the boat of let it ride with Davis through thick or thin and there will be rough days. Decide once and for all because the potential upside (depth, trades etc.) - is a strong hitting catcher with another catcher returning in 2024 is too much too pass up if they believe at all in this 'build a champion' plan.
I’m ok with 3 so that it’s easier to DH Henry on his days off. I agree with the rest of that though. No need to sign a catcher when you need to see what you have with Davis. There’s no guarantee he’s a defensive fit anywhere else. Or that the bat plays for sure at any other position.
I get that sentiment but I look at it this way, how many times a year does a catcher actually leave a game for injury(5? as a total guess and maybe less if there was NOT an available backup)? If the backup starts 50 times and Hank is at DH for 25 of those (seems about right), then we are carrying a third catcher for the chance of losing the DH in just 25 games and adding the odds of an injury actually happening in one of those 25 games. 2 backups also leaves 2 empty bats (Delay was pretty empty after January) on the bench.
The “book” on managing is generally that your backup catcher has to be the last guy off the bench, meaning no DH. This is especially true for a team as risk averse as the Pirates. So my guess is, if they carry two, Henry won’t DH much, which would be a shame as the bat needs to get acclimated. Somebody like Sanchez would make more sense to address your concerns, but I just don’t see them going there. After a 1.7 WAR season I’d imagine he’s priced well out of their free agent budget.
Isn't Jason Delay the new Jacob Stallings? And I still haven't figured out if Ali Sanchez is on the 40 man roster as a place-holder or if the Pirates have plans for him.
💯. But if you rely on Delay then you won’t be wasting money on Stallings. Their approach to free agency is like telling someone they have $30 for groceries for the week, and the person deciding to spend ALL of it at Dollar Tree.
I meant Delay is taking over where Stallings left off. Stallings hit ,254 lifetime with the Pirates and Delay hit .251 about the same. And yes, it is too bad that Stallings has regressed like he has with the bat the least two seasons.
Oh, I agree that Delay is nearly identical to Stallings. Stallings had more power and threw better, otherwise there's no difference. But this FO appears to prefer catchers who can't hit to save their lilves.
Sanchez might have some upside as his EV numbers and barrel rates were really solid last year, albeit in the PCL. So the only solution is to block that upside with a higher paid lower ceiling player with more name recognition.
My first response was 'No Way on Sanchez' then I read the MLB TR article. My answer is now a much softer no as the article cleared my historical view of him. But, IMO if Pirates are all in on Davis (and they should be) then he needs to catch 60-70% of the time for at least 3 months, DH's 20%, and sit the remainder. Given we already have approx 60-70% of DH AB's used with Cutch, I just don't see where Sanchez would fit (especially since he also hits righty). Hate to say it, without Cutch I could see the fit much better as his bat with the power alone will be better than Dalay/'other' Sanchez and could slide to DH. In many ways it is more of a why should Sanchez want to be here given the limited AB's I see available.
Depends on what the Pirates want out of Sanchez - do they want a No. 1 or do they want a backup who will serve to assist Henry Davis in his development as an MLB Catcher? Sanchez opted out of his contract with SF when he did not make the MLB roster out of ST. The Mets picked him up off waivers and put him back on waivers 10 days later. He went to San Diego and caught a good number of games (around 65?) before fracturing his wrist and not returning from the injury in 2023 - that would be another consideration.
Defensively, Jason Delay would probably be the better of the two, and he knows his place on this roster going into 2024 would have been to assist in the development of Endy Rodriguez. I think the Pirates would want the same from Jason with Henry Davis. They worked together at AAA in 2021, 2022, and I think they also worked together at AAA and MLB in 2023.
So far everyone the Pirates signed in the off season aren't the guys you know can help you win but guys they hope can all capture that one career season of their past one more time and all at the same time. Delay has proven to be one of the better back up catchers in baseball so you might as well see what you have with Davis. I'm old enough to remember when the baseball world thought Gary Sanchez was the next superstar catcher, lol. How did that work out.
Very interesting Atlanta trade today- Chris Sale at 10 million this season for Vaughn Grissom. Similar deal might have been Peguero or perhaps Gonzalez from the Pirates. I think I might have made that deal?
Also- Frankie Montos signs with the Reds for 16 million this season!
I keep hoping to read that Keller took Priester under his wings and they both are training at the facility that Mitch does his off season training (is it Driveline?)
I believe it was Tread, but really the same idea
Or AJ starts texting/talking with Q also.
Been hoping for the same thing. Really hoping Keller would take all of the young arms with him.
Last off-season Gary Sanchez had no team and I kept hoping the Pirates would sign Sanchez to have him share catching duties with the already acquired Austin Hedges. My 2 different Yankee friends along with the Yankee fans I sat next to in spring training all said he is not a catcher and certainly not a leader. This must be what the rest of the league thought as he didn't find a team until late.
I am guessing we don't want him leading a pitching staff or mentoring Henry Davis. He didn't seem to lead the Padres to even a play-off spot last year.......... but then again the Yankees didn't make the play-offs without him. :)
One catcher on the 40 man roster named Sanchez is more than enough and probably one too many.
Sarah Langs is a wealth of info. Knew the defensive stats of Ke'Bryan Hayes, and I knew he had a solid season with the bat, but I did not know how good of an offensive season he had in 2023. Being 5th in the company of Ronald Acuna, Jr, Juan Soto, Yandy Diaz, and Mookie Betts in percentage of balls hit at 95 mph or higher is very special.
Going into his age 27 season as a possible middle of the order hitter and perennial contender for a Gold Glove at 3B. His first 3 seasons he had 5 (2020), 6, and 7 HR compared to 15 HR last year and 3rd on the team in both HR's and RBI's (61).
Sarah langs is a true gem, and we are all lucky in the baseball community to have her around!
As self appointed leader of the hayes fan club, at least on my street, i really hope that his changes are real from last year. He has hit the ball hard for the last few years but being able to elevate on the pull side is really his key to stardom
Bold Prediction: If he stays healthy in ‘24, which is a big if, his floor is 5 WAR. His ceiling is top 3 in MVP of NL.
A _floor of 5 fWAR_? There were only two 3B who got there last year and they were Austin Riley and Jose Ramirez. If you'd said 3 fWAR floor and 5 fWAR ceiling I'd be with you.
He did say bold prediction and stay healthy.
If Hayes stays consistent like June, August and September (injured in July) all season, 5 WAR will be low.
He absolutely has the tools. The big question for me is does he have the mental toughness for that. Early on when he kept hitting grounders and often struggling, I thought his demeanor was awful. Offensively, he often was slow out of the box and just didn't run hard. Then again, it never affected his defense. He might be the most ready and sure-handed third baseman I have ever seen play third-base. I hope your prediction is right Scott.
Obviously, I’m all in on the view he unlocked something in his swing last summer which will carry forward this season.
He was the club's 5th best hitter in September (107 wRC+).
Will we consider that an extension of "turning the corner" or a disappointment if that's who he is moving forward?
That's still a very good ballplayer, but huge months can be hard on perceptions of good or bad moving forward.
If they sign a catcher it will be someone of the Jacob Stallings variety for less than <$3MM.
If they are serious about Davis getting a shot (for 3-4 months if they are truly serious) then there is no need to sign a catcher as being serious means he starts and finishes 65-70% of the games. Also, if they are serious, then there will be only 2 on the 25 man roster with the third in AAA. If they need a 4th catcher at some point (injury etc.) then you check the waiver wire of if short term (or they have stepped up in minors) you roll with Bins, Shockley et al. I am in the boat of let it ride with Davis through thick or thin and there will be rough days. Decide once and for all because the potential upside (depth, trades etc.) - is a strong hitting catcher with another catcher returning in 2024 is too much too pass up if they believe at all in this 'build a champion' plan.
I’m ok with 3 so that it’s easier to DH Henry on his days off. I agree with the rest of that though. No need to sign a catcher when you need to see what you have with Davis. There’s no guarantee he’s a defensive fit anywhere else. Or that the bat plays for sure at any other position.
I get that sentiment but I look at it this way, how many times a year does a catcher actually leave a game for injury(5? as a total guess and maybe less if there was NOT an available backup)? If the backup starts 50 times and Hank is at DH for 25 of those (seems about right), then we are carrying a third catcher for the chance of losing the DH in just 25 games and adding the odds of an injury actually happening in one of those 25 games. 2 backups also leaves 2 empty bats (Delay was pretty empty after January) on the bench.
The “book” on managing is generally that your backup catcher has to be the last guy off the bench, meaning no DH. This is especially true for a team as risk averse as the Pirates. So my guess is, if they carry two, Henry won’t DH much, which would be a shame as the bat needs to get acclimated. Somebody like Sanchez would make more sense to address your concerns, but I just don’t see them going there. After a 1.7 WAR season I’d imagine he’s priced well out of their free agent budget.
Isn't Jason Delay the new Jacob Stallings? And I still haven't figured out if Ali Sanchez is on the 40 man roster as a place-holder or if the Pirates have plans for him.
💯. But if you rely on Delay then you won’t be wasting money on Stallings. Their approach to free agency is like telling someone they have $30 for groceries for the week, and the person deciding to spend ALL of it at Dollar Tree.
Yeah, but Delay hit above the Mendoza line. Stallings hit .191. It's vital for a Cherington team to have a catcher below .200.
I meant Delay is taking over where Stallings left off. Stallings hit ,254 lifetime with the Pirates and Delay hit .251 about the same. And yes, it is too bad that Stallings has regressed like he has with the bat the least two seasons.
Oh, I agree that Delay is nearly identical to Stallings. Stallings had more power and threw better, otherwise there's no difference. But this FO appears to prefer catchers who can't hit to save their lilves.
Sanchez was close to that line last year at .205, lol.
Sanchez might have some upside as his EV numbers and barrel rates were really solid last year, albeit in the PCL. So the only solution is to block that upside with a higher paid lower ceiling player with more name recognition.
Good point. Mendoza was a lifetime .215 hitter while Sanchez is a lifetime .217 hitter.
My first response was 'No Way on Sanchez' then I read the MLB TR article. My answer is now a much softer no as the article cleared my historical view of him. But, IMO if Pirates are all in on Davis (and they should be) then he needs to catch 60-70% of the time for at least 3 months, DH's 20%, and sit the remainder. Given we already have approx 60-70% of DH AB's used with Cutch, I just don't see where Sanchez would fit (especially since he also hits righty). Hate to say it, without Cutch I could see the fit much better as his bat with the power alone will be better than Dalay/'other' Sanchez and could slide to DH. In many ways it is more of a why should Sanchez want to be here given the limited AB's I see available.
Depends on what the Pirates want out of Sanchez - do they want a No. 1 or do they want a backup who will serve to assist Henry Davis in his development as an MLB Catcher? Sanchez opted out of his contract with SF when he did not make the MLB roster out of ST. The Mets picked him up off waivers and put him back on waivers 10 days later. He went to San Diego and caught a good number of games (around 65?) before fracturing his wrist and not returning from the injury in 2023 - that would be another consideration.
Defensively, Jason Delay would probably be the better of the two, and he knows his place on this roster going into 2024 would have been to assist in the development of Endy Rodriguez. I think the Pirates would want the same from Jason with Henry Davis. They worked together at AAA in 2021, 2022, and I think they also worked together at AAA and MLB in 2023.
So far everyone the Pirates signed in the off season aren't the guys you know can help you win but guys they hope can all capture that one career season of their past one more time and all at the same time. Delay has proven to be one of the better back up catchers in baseball so you might as well see what you have with Davis. I'm old enough to remember when the baseball world thought Gary Sanchez was the next superstar catcher, lol. How did that work out.
I'd be very happy to hear Gary Sanchez was signed.