Now comes Bob's decision on tendering Skenes contract for year 2. Hoping he doesn't embarrass himself and the franchise once again by keeping Skenes at minimum ($800-900k). Give Skenes $2M just as token of appreciation. BC already saved $400k releasing Tellez. Pay the man even though you don't have to.
I have access to the Athletic, courtesy of a New York Times subscription. I realize that reading the comments section to any article of any kind on public media is not the greatest use of time, but I made the mistake of reading the comments to the Paul Skenes wins NL RoY article. The wailing of Padres fans on behalf of Jackson Merrill was beyond belief. All the usual arguments: he played every day; the Padres made the playoffs thanks to him; the vote reflected east coast bias (!?!); the Pirates record was the same with Skenes as without him in 2023 so he wasn’t valuable. The biggest collection of whining I’ve read in a long time.
There was some pushback, mainly around all the objective metrics favoring Skenes as well as the historic nature of his season. And as someone pointed out, if Cherington called up Preller and offered Skenes for Merrill straight up, how long would it take to Preller to accept? A nano second.
Merrill had the award in his pocket as of start of September. But Skenes closed so well and flipped a lot if voters imo. I'm a bit surprised it was 21-7 in 1st place votes, thought it would be closer. He did have a helluva season.....can't remember a better offensive and defensive rookie season.
anybody buy the argument that all these years , we´ve actually been saving up enough money to spend on skenes´lifetime contract instead of wasting it on failed expensive veterens over five straight losing seasons?
Sorry a hard no on a lifetime contract unless baseball economics change. Yes, Skenes feels like Nolan Ryan but to me this is beyond Bob, that is just too risky a move for a pitcher in the Pittsburgh market. I personally think he wouldn't even listen to offers to buy out a free agent year. If he would remotely entertain a lifetime deal, I can't see him considering it at all without several buyouts which as we know is basically saying, if I am no longer good you get to keep paying me at an elite player level (worst case Strasburg) and if I am still elite, I can now entertain a bidding war which Pirates would never win. I am on the 'Skenes' era train and the organization (yes, of course I am extremely doubtful) needs to embrace that and make moves (risks) to be good before he leaves. This type of talent just doesn't come along very often regardless of how you draft or develop.
They could absolutely pick up some of Skenes' free agent years by spreading the money out over his arb. and pre-arb. years. I would rather they do this with the budget this year and next rather than sign more Rowdies, BDLCs, or IKFs. The problem is not making the budget work, IMO.
The problem is that the Pirates have shown little willingness or capacity to become a competitive ball-team, and I think that Skenes would want to see some effort in this regard before he commits longer term to the Pirates. That was basically the conditions that Witt placed on the Royals before he would negotiate an extension. I suspect Skenes would want the same.
No, Nutting in a $500 mil deal? Not in this lifetime, but with the 2024 Value of the Pirates according to Forbes at 1.32 Billion, and the reality that the Pirates could be a Top 10 Pitching Team for much of the next 10 years, he could be willing to entertain an offer from somebody to sell the Pirates.
CORRECTION - On the previous post relating to Paul Skenes winning the ROY Award, I referred to Livvy Dunne as the NIL Champion. Right now, the leader is Shadeur Sanders at $5.2 mil, she's at a lowly 2nd place at $4.0 mil. Paul was paid a bonus of $9.2 mil for being the 1-1 in the 2023 Draft. She's made over $7 mil in NIL dollars in just the last 2 years. Every time she appears, it is a boost to LSU and especially the LSU National Championship Gymnastics Team. Maybe the Pirates could use a young enterprising individual who obviously knows how the Public Relations world operates!
You mean to suggest that adding Skenes and getting Cruz back and then leading them to the same record as the previous year isn't enough to garner some votes?
It's quite the challenge to add over 8 WAR concentrated in just two players to your roster and yet maintain that kind of consistency! That achieves at least half of Ben's promise, the "consistent" part. Maybe someday we'll see the "winner" part.
The 2023 club's 5 most valuable players collectively performed 10.4 WAR *worse* in 2024. Add in another 3 WAR lost due to injuries to the 2023 club's second best starter and second best reliever.
The last time the organization saw this kind of performance was between 2015 and 2016 in which they dropped *20* games.
Maintaining the same record as your core players plummet is by any reasonable interpretation a *good* outcome.
You people continue to wallow in the most insufferably miserable perspective as if you get off on it.
suck it, nerds!
I damn near called it after we drafted him last year on PP. He just needs to follow it up with the CYA.
Now comes Bob's decision on tendering Skenes contract for year 2. Hoping he doesn't embarrass himself and the franchise once again by keeping Skenes at minimum ($800-900k). Give Skenes $2M just as token of appreciation. BC already saved $400k releasing Tellez. Pay the man even though you don't have to.
I have access to the Athletic, courtesy of a New York Times subscription. I realize that reading the comments section to any article of any kind on public media is not the greatest use of time, but I made the mistake of reading the comments to the Paul Skenes wins NL RoY article. The wailing of Padres fans on behalf of Jackson Merrill was beyond belief. All the usual arguments: he played every day; the Padres made the playoffs thanks to him; the vote reflected east coast bias (!?!); the Pirates record was the same with Skenes as without him in 2023 so he wasn’t valuable. The biggest collection of whining I’ve read in a long time.
There was some pushback, mainly around all the objective metrics favoring Skenes as well as the historic nature of his season. And as someone pointed out, if Cherington called up Preller and offered Skenes for Merrill straight up, how long would it take to Preller to accept? A nano second.
Merrill had the award in his pocket as of start of September. But Skenes closed so well and flipped a lot if voters imo. I'm a bit surprised it was 21-7 in 1st place votes, thought it would be closer. He did have a helluva season.....can't remember a better offensive and defensive rookie season.
anybody buy the argument that all these years , we´ve actually been saving up enough money to spend on skenes´lifetime contract instead of wasting it on failed expensive veterens over five straight losing seasons?
Sorry a hard no on a lifetime contract unless baseball economics change. Yes, Skenes feels like Nolan Ryan but to me this is beyond Bob, that is just too risky a move for a pitcher in the Pittsburgh market. I personally think he wouldn't even listen to offers to buy out a free agent year. If he would remotely entertain a lifetime deal, I can't see him considering it at all without several buyouts which as we know is basically saying, if I am no longer good you get to keep paying me at an elite player level (worst case Strasburg) and if I am still elite, I can now entertain a bidding war which Pirates would never win. I am on the 'Skenes' era train and the organization (yes, of course I am extremely doubtful) needs to embrace that and make moves (risks) to be good before he leaves. This type of talent just doesn't come along very often regardless of how you draft or develop.
They could absolutely pick up some of Skenes' free agent years by spreading the money out over his arb. and pre-arb. years. I would rather they do this with the budget this year and next rather than sign more Rowdies, BDLCs, or IKFs. The problem is not making the budget work, IMO.
The problem is that the Pirates have shown little willingness or capacity to become a competitive ball-team, and I think that Skenes would want to see some effort in this regard before he commits longer term to the Pirates. That was basically the conditions that Witt placed on the Royals before he would negotiate an extension. I suspect Skenes would want the same.
No, Nutting in a $500 mil deal? Not in this lifetime, but with the 2024 Value of the Pirates according to Forbes at 1.32 Billion, and the reality that the Pirates could be a Top 10 Pitching Team for much of the next 10 years, he could be willing to entertain an offer from somebody to sell the Pirates.
Well deserved, Mr. Skenes.
Nice seeing him and the Livvy at the Steelers/Ravens game. They really seem to enjoy the 'Burgh.
Skenes is going to lead the way when the Bucco's bust into October in 2025.
CORRECTION - On the previous post relating to Paul Skenes winning the ROY Award, I referred to Livvy Dunne as the NIL Champion. Right now, the leader is Shadeur Sanders at $5.2 mil, she's at a lowly 2nd place at $4.0 mil. Paul was paid a bonus of $9.2 mil for being the 1-1 in the 2023 Draft. She's made over $7 mil in NIL dollars in just the last 2 years. Every time she appears, it is a boost to LSU and especially the LSU National Championship Gymnastics Team. Maybe the Pirates could use a young enterprising individual who obviously knows how the Public Relations world operates!
Skenes dominated, except for that curve ball when he was announced as winner.
Livvy was sitting next to him on the sofa, and he went in for a kiss but Livvy thru the curve and ducked around it for just a hug! Live TV :)
Watching MLB and Harold Reynolds agrees with you - said it was weak
Congrats to Mr. SKENES
Can't wait to see how Shelton does in the Manger of the year voting.
You mean to suggest that adding Skenes and getting Cruz back and then leading them to the same record as the previous year isn't enough to garner some votes?
It's quite the challenge to add over 8 WAR concentrated in just two players to your roster and yet maintain that kind of consistency! That achieves at least half of Ben's promise, the "consistent" part. Maybe someday we'll see the "winner" part.
The 2023 club's 5 most valuable players collectively performed 10.4 WAR *worse* in 2024. Add in another 3 WAR lost due to injuries to the 2023 club's second best starter and second best reliever.
The last time the organization saw this kind of performance was between 2015 and 2016 in which they dropped *20* games.
Maintaining the same record as your core players plummet is by any reasonable interpretation a *good* outcome.
You people continue to wallow in the most insufferably miserable perspective as if you get off on it.
Lighten up.
Or, my alternative response, you people continue to wallow in the most insufferable attacks on other fans' perspectives as if you get...
Don't forget about 2 WAR from Jared Jones.
#1 baby!
Oh wait, my zero key isn't working. There should be a couple zeroes after the 1.